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You are here: Home / FOOD / These facts about kids snack foods will shock you #FoodYouCanTrust

These facts about kids snack foods will shock you #FoodYouCanTrust

March 23, 2018 by Molly 11 Comments

kids snacks

Of all the brands I’ve ever worked with on this blog, Organix has been one of my favourite and longest running relationships. I’ve been to their headquarters in Bournemouth a couple of times (it’s gorgeous) and learned SO much about kids’ snack food, the industry as a whole and why it’s important to at least think about this stuff as a parent.

©Barbara Evripidou2016

And believe me, it IS important. Warning: what you’re about to read might make you mad.

This year the work continues, as I’m joining five other bloggers on the Organix Junk Buster panel. It feels like a pivotal moment for the debate, as the kids’ snack industry gets bigger and bigger with more and more brands trying to get a slice of the kid snack-shaped pie and launch their own baby and toddler snack foods.

But with all this choice comes a little more confusion and you might be surprised (and concerned) to hear that this is an industry that isn’t as heavily regulated as you might think.

For example, did you know that some baby finger foods and toddler snacks contain almost the same level of salt as a regular bag of adult crisps? 

Did you know that extra salt is sometimes added to baby and toddler snacks to boost flavour? 

Did you know that some of the foods sold in the baby aisle aren’t protected by regulations? 

Nope, me neither. Until recently, that is. And we’re not alone. 76% of parents questioned in a survey by Organix said they were shocked to discover some baby and toddler snacks contain up to 30 separate ingredients.

It seems, as parents, we’ve had the wool pulled over our eyes, duped by pretty packaging and statements like “nutritionist approved”. We’ve been buying foods that might be damaging for our children, without even realising it. 

Now I’ve held my hand up in the past and admitted that I’m not averse to the odd fishfinger. My kids refuse kale and I’ve never been able to successfully stuff a courgette in a muffin.

However, we love food, cook from scratch 99% of the time and I get mad at the idea that in the past I’ve spent my hard earned money on snacks that I thought were healthy when in fact they were anything but. At least chocolate and ice-cream is honest in it’s sugar content!

kids snacks

I was recently discussing this very matter on BBC Radio Devon (you can listen to the interview here) and explained that one of the things that really grinds my gears as a parent is the fact that in some places we’re seemingly overwhelmed by healthy choices for our kids but in others there’s simply no option. And when we THINK we’ve got lots of choice and we’re making the best decisions, we might not be, because of misleading claims and lack of regulation. We can’t win.

Throughout the year I’m going to be on a junk busting mission to find out more about the kid snack industry and do some investigations of my own when it comes to what’s in the baby and toddler aisle. I’ll be looking at what things like “natural”, “no artificial ingredients” and “nutritionist approved” really mean and if we can really trust them. I’m already expecting to be surprised (and possibly cross) by the results.

I already know, from working with Organix in the past, that the brand carries a No Junk Promise. This is one place where you can be guaranteed the packaging is telling the truth. There are no added nasties, no long lists of ingredients and no added salt. But how does the industry as a whole compare? This is what I’ll be finding out.

I’m not the only mum on a mission. TV mum Cherry Healey is also working with Organix on this – you can see how she’s got on so far in this video…

If any of this has made you concerned about what’s in your own supermarket trolley then there are some simple things you can do to combat the confusion:

  1. Avoid foods with a really long list of ingredients
  2. Avoid foods with added salt, sugar or flavourings
  3. Avoid foods with unrecognisable ingredients (the simpler the better)
  4. Look for the organic logo – if you see this you can feel sure what you’re buying has been made to the highest standards.

That’s it for now. Expect more blog posts and videos on the subject to come. In the meantime, can you share with me your own investigations?

Have you found anything on the baby food aisle which has surprised or shocked you, now you know that things might not be as transparent as you thought?

 

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To find out more about how I work with brands check out my Work With Me page. 

Filed Under: FOOD Tagged With: healthy eating, kids' food, kids' snack foods, Organix, Parenting, snack foods, weaning

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Comments

  1. Alice says

    March 25, 2018 at 10:01 am

    Salt levels are so shocking when you look into them – absolutely horrifying. Thank you for raising awareness of healthy snacking for our kids, Molly! x

    Reply
    • Molly says

      March 26, 2018 at 12:42 pm

      It’s really bad when there’s no transparency around it isn’t it? I mean, some foods you’d expect it, but not a food posturing as a healthy option!

      Reply
  2. Happy Mummy says

    March 24, 2018 at 9:46 pm

    I was paranoid about salt content when Lily was under 1 especially, but still worried until she turned 3. We cook most meals from scratch, but she does have the odd treats here to McDonalds now! x

    Reply
    • Molly says

      March 26, 2018 at 12:44 pm

      Oh don’t get me wrong, I’m all for balance. But the thing I really hate is when brands present products as a healthy option when they aren’t!

      Reply
  3. Cat Williams says

    March 23, 2018 at 9:27 pm

    I have no idea why they add salt to kids meals. It’s crazy! We avoided anything with salt until the little man was 3 and even now try so hard to monitor it

    Reply
    • Molly says

      March 26, 2018 at 12:44 pm

      It’s really surprising isn’t it? And not needed!

      Reply
  4. Sarah Rooftops says

    March 23, 2018 at 9:00 pm

    When I was weaning my first, I was so shocked to find things like chocolate pudding in the baby food aisle – you couldn’t even attempt to claim that that was a healthy thing to feed a six month old, and yet it had 6m+ on the label.

    I do find it crazy that I’m more likely to give her half an adult snack than something aimed at toddlers because a lot of healthy adult food has less iffy ingredients in it than some of the kids’ stuff does.

    Reply
    • Molly says

      March 26, 2018 at 12:47 pm

      I think the thing that annoys me most is that as parents we’re often rushed for time, so we don’t have time to scour every single ingredient list – especially if we’re trying to do the shopping with a screaming baby in tow! We’re all about balance and my kids don’t just live on kale (in fact they both hate kale!), but at least with some foods they’re not posing as healthy – we know where we are with them, and we’ve not had the wool pulled over our eyes!

      Reply
  5. Donna says

    March 23, 2018 at 2:43 pm

    I absolutely hate the salt levels in food marketed towards kids and babies. They tend to focus on the sugar and forget the salt content. We went massively OTT when our children were weaning – even making our own bread and not having anything processed as the salt content was just too high x

    Reply
  6. Hannah - Budding Smiles says

    March 23, 2018 at 10:57 am

    Mental!!! I’m shocked that some ADD salt ? Makes me so mad because even when you try to make healthy choices for your kids, you might not be! This is a great campaign xx

    Reply
    • Molly says

      March 23, 2018 at 11:03 am

      It’s SUCH a great campaign. As parents we can’t win can we?!

      Reply

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Hello and welcome! I'm Molly Forbes - podcaster, presenter and blogger with a passion for positivity, confidence and body image chat. Regularly writing and vlogging about empowering female issues from a motherhood angle, I also cover lifestyle and fashion topics for like-minded mums who want to rediscover themselves after having children. Thanks for stopping by! Read More…

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Back in January I was on the brilliant @school.for Back in January I was on the brilliant @school.for.mothers.podcast - we talked diet culture around kids and practical things we, as parents, carers and teachers, can do to dismantle some of the messages and create body happy environments for children to thrive in. Here’s a little snippet and you can listen to the full episode wherever you get your podcasts ❤️ 
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Reminder: my book, Body Happy Kids is out 1st April and available to order now!
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[Video description: a pink square with blue audio wave and closer captioned text of a clip from an episode on diet culture and kids with Molly on the School for Mothers podcast.]
I am not “bossing” it. Or “slaying”. Or “hustling”. Or “smashing” it. I’m not even juggling or spinning plates or doing any of the other words we use as a glossy, marketable, Instagram friendly way to package up burnout culture, under the guise of “empowering” women (💪🤢). 
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What I have been doing, though, is working too hard. Call a spade a spade. I’ve been working too hard, neglecting my health, my relationships, my life away from my laptop. I cannot be everything to everyone AND work at the level I’ve been working at BECAUSE I AM A HUMAN BEING. And you are too. We are not robots.
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I care deeply about all my work, and things aren’t always this intense, but I wanted to sprinkle some reality into the Gram because I am so over this lie that *any* type of success or achievement doesn’t come at a cost, or involve many failures in the background, or require many other people to help make things happen. 
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I guess what I’m saying is, let’s be real about all that, as well as showing the achievements. I’m bloody proud of my book. And I’m so excited to launch the social enterprise @bodyhappyorg properly next month. But that doesn’t mean it’s easy, and that there isn’t a price. 
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And with that, I’m taking the weekend off. See you on the other side 🥰🥰🥰
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[Image description: Molly sits in her office with her hands covering her mouth. On the back of one hand is written “Not bossing it”. She is wearing a pink boiler suit with a black and white top underneath. She has pink leopard print earrings on and her hair is tied back.]
This was taken at the start of half term, when the This was taken at the start of half term, when the kids were still enthusiastic about going for a walk. 1,705 walks around the same bit of countryside later... not so much 😬 
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If you’re struggling to get your kids motivated to move their body at the moment, go gentle. You’re not alone. Bad weather coupled with boredom coupled with the lure of screens is a heady recipe for lethargy - and that’s just me! 
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Seriously though, remember: all movement is valid. Even if it’s just a ten minute @cosmickids sesh or a little kitchen disco, it all counts. And if it comes from a place of enjoyment and fun, kids (and adults!) are going to be far more likely to want to get involved.
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What joyful movement activities are your kids enjoying right now (if any?!)?
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[Image description: Molly and her two daughters are standing in a field. They’re wearing colourful wellies, holding hands and smiling.]
I founded a social enterprise 😵 . Introducing: I founded a social enterprise 😵
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Introducing: @bodyhappyorg 🎉
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We are a Community Interest Company dedicated to promoting positive body image in children. We help adults help the kids in their care be friends with their bodies 🥰. 
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Through workshops and classes, digital and physical resources (both free and paid) we help parents, carers, teachers, youth leaders - and any adults who are ever around children - create body happy settings for kids to thrive in. 
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We launch officially next month with a beautiful new website and lots of resources which we’ll continually be adding to. In the meantime give us a follow at @bodyhappyorg - we start posting from today and our page has been designed as a free resource on its own! 
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I’m privileged to work alongside an incredible team of people on this. Shout-out to the original dream team @chelseacoxstrategist @amysnellingpt @effinitupfaye @lottie_storey @bodyconfidencecards_db @rachel_hobnobs & @aceandping 💕 LOVE YOU ALL! 💕
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[Image description: A blue square with yellow and white text which reads “the body happy org”. This is the logo for The Body Happy Organisation CIC]
Proof that I did wear clothes other than a tea-sta Proof that I did wear clothes other than a tea-stained hoodie and tracksuit bottoms at least once in the past month 😐
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[Image description: Molly is wearing pink dungarees with yellow buttons over a black rollneck long-sleeved top. She has a monochrome striped hairband on and her hair is pink. She is also wearing earrings with boobs on them. She looks very pleased, both with her earrings, the pink hair and the fact she’s not wearing sleepwear, for a change.]
A new report from the Education Policy Institute h A new report from the Education Policy Institute has concluded an obvious gender divide in the well-being of young adults. If you’d like to read more check out this article by Eleanor Peake in @newstatesman (I’ve linked to it in my Stories).
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Every week I get messages from parents and teachers concerned about the impact of social media on their kids’ body image. And of course, I couldn’t write a book about body image in kids and teens without covering social media - there’s a whole chapter in Body Happy Kids dedicated to the subject. 
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The thing is, social media isn’t going anywhere. And just like it can be a force for anxiety, shame and general angst it can be a force for good too. The trick is in knowing how to use it positively (and in holding the platforms to account for not moderating the spread of harmful viral trends and online abuse, and creating algorithms that deliberately create division and harm mental health... but that’s a story for another day). 
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But how can we expect our kids to have a handle on it when we, as adults, don’t ourselves? 
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I don’t believe the answer is to ban social media, but I don’t think kids should be given unfettered access to it either. 
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They need help navigating this stuff, learning about boundaries, developing media literacy skills so they can think critically about the content they’re consuming (just like many adults).
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And we also need to explore how we might be inadvertently contributing to the problem, perpetuating appearance ideals and creating a culture where kids learn it’s ok to body shame under the guise of health and to value each other based on the way they look.
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As ever, it’s complicated. I’d love to know what you think? What are some of the boundaries you have around social media in your house - both for yourself and your kids?
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