The Unhealthy Truth About Common Kids’ Foods
It’s no surprise that sweets aren’t recommended for children. However, staples like pastries, cookies, and most cereals commonly served for breakfast or snacks aren’t much better.
Children, when given the choice, will opt for foods that appeal to them—be it taste, presentation, or advertising. This can include animal-shaped cookies, star-shaped cereals, colorful juices, or the ever-present “pastelitos.”
Some of these products even boast added vitamins and minerals, but don’t be fooled. Their true goal is to convince parents that they’re good for their kids.
The Necessity of Limiting Unhealthy Food Advertising
A few years ago, the BADALI team at the University Miguel Hernández analyzed the nutritional quality of over 500 foods marketed to children or teens. The shocking result? A staggering 97% were not healthy.
This study included a wide range of products kids typically enjoy: cookies, breakfast cereals, pastries, dairy products, bars, juices, and fruit drinks. Finding just 3% that could be considered healthy feels like searching for a needle in a haystack.
This underscores the importance of restricting advertisements for unhealthy foods targeted at children and adolescents, as several countries have done successfully for over a decade. Spain’s Ministry of Consumer Affairs drafted a regulation in 2022, which has recently been revisited.
The Deceptive “Added Vitamins and Minerals” Claim
Regarding the practice of masking an unhealthy food’s status by adding vitamins and minerals, there are facts. In short, only one in seven of these products can be considered healthy.
Upon closer inspection, children are the primary target for many products, such as cookies. Two-thirds of those advertised as “enriched” feature cartoon characters. None of these cookies are healthy, nor is the rest of this category.
As for enriched breakfast cereals, some are healthy but not marketed to children. Fruit drinks, despite their vitamin-laden advertisements, are not recommended either.
A Short, Healthy Breakfast is Better Than an Unhealthy One
So, what should kids’ breakfasts, lunches, and snacks look like? For many families, ensuring a nutritious breakfast before school or the institute remains a challenge. Moreover, children’s appetites can be quite particular and heavily influenced by what’s available.
Parents often worry and tend to think, “It doesn’t matter what they eat, as long as they eat something.” However, the best decision is to adopt this alternative mindset: a brief, healthy breakfast is preferable to an unhealthy one.
There are no unhealthy foods that should be excluded from breakfast, lunch, or snack. However, the ideal combination is a dairy product, a grain, and fruit—all of which must be healthy.
Whole milk is preferable over enriched, and there’s no reason to exclude it from kids’ tables. Adults may have different considerations, but children need two servings of milk daily for essential calcium intake.
Lactose-free milk isn’t a good alternative due to added sugars or sweeteners.
Yogurt, without these ingredients, is an excellent choice, though its tart flavor might be off-putting. Mixing it with fruit pieces or adding just a touch of sugar to balance the tartness can make it more appealing. Remember, one glass of milk equals two yogurts.
Cereals without additional ingredients are a suitable accompaniment to dairy. As for pastries and cookies, even homemade ones should be avoided.
In Spain, bread is commonly chosen and usually paired with olive oil and tomato. This is a good choice, though with two caveats: bread should be whole-grain, and salt intake should be minimized. Bread already accounts for 20% of daily salt consumption, which should be halved.
That bread slice often becomes a sandwich for lunch or snack time. Despite its unfair reputation for causing weight gain, the sandwich’s key component is bread. We should reduce the size of the cold cuts typically served with it, as they pose health risks.
Swap Orange Juice for Whole Fruit
Freshly squeezed orange juice has long been praised. It’s indeed preferable to any store-bought juice, fruit drinks, or soda. However, it only provides free sugars, which increase the risk of diseases, obesity, and cavities.
Breakfast, lunch, and snack times are opportunities for kids to consume the essential nutrients they need to grow healthy. The effort is worth it, as it’s the best investment in their future we can make.
Key Questions and Answers
- Q: What types of food should be avoided for kids’ breakfasts and snacks? A: Sugary cereals, pastries, cookies, and fruit drinks should be limited.
- Q: Why is it important to limit advertising of unhealthy foods to children? A: Most foods marketed to kids are unhealthy, as shown by a study analyzing over 500 products.
- Q: Can enriched foods with added vitamins and minerals be considered healthy? A: Only one in seven such products can be deemed healthy.
- Q: What’s the ideal combination for a balanced kids’ meal? A: A dairy product, grain, and fruit, all of which should be healthy.
- Q: Why is whole milk recommended for children? A> Whole milk provides essential calcium for children’s growth.
- Q: What are healthier alternatives to sugary fruit drinks? A: Whole fruits are a better choice than fruit drinks, even those marketed as vitamin-rich.
- Q: How can parents encourage healthier eating habits in their children? A> By prioritizing brief, healthy meals over unhealthy ones and providing nutritious options.
