kids food

Food for children – useful or harmful?

Bear sausage, muesli bars or yoghurt with colorful figures and extra calcium fill the shelves of supermarkets and discounters in heaps. The food industry has long since learned to appreciate children as potential buyers and is flooding the market with so-called children’s food. They all have one thing in common: they are colourful, eye-catching, printed with comics or characters from film and television – and they have little place in healthy children’s nutrition. Also read: How much candy for children?

Market potential: child as customer

Children’s food represents a lucrative business for many manufacturers. Not only do they bind the youngest to a brand, but they are also aimed at the great purchasing power of adolescents. Skeptical parents are encouraged to buy with promises such as “the extra portion of milk, with valuable vitamins” or “without granulated sugar”. In most cases, the manufacturers market the colorful children’s food in an effective way. Packaging and design are clearly tailored to children’s tastes. A product often has a matching website with games, catchy music or free club memberships and sweepstakes. But nutrition experts and consumer advice centers have long been warning against misjudging what are supposedly healthy foods. All too often these contain far too much sugar, fat or additives. In addition, the manufacturers use small packaging sizes to sell their particularly child-friendly food at high prices. According to many producers, the children’s foods are specially tailored to the special needs of adolescents. However, the natural taste of the food was often adulterated or even flavor enhancers such as glutamate were used. This runs like a red thread through the life of the future adults, whose taste development is already negatively influenced as a child. According to many producers, the children’s foods are specially tailored to the special needs of adolescents. However, the natural taste of the food was often adulterated or even flavor enhancers such as glutamate were used. This runs like a red thread through the life of the future adults, whose taste development is already negatively influenced as a child. According to many producers, the children’s foods are specially tailored to the special needs of adolescents. However, the natural taste of the food was often adulterated or even flavor enhancers such as glutamate were used. This runs like a red thread through the life of the future adults, whose taste development is already negatively influenced as a child.

Supposedly healthy foods

Healthy cereals, fructose instead of granulated sugar or a lot of nuts in the chocolate cream are advertising strategies designed to encourage parents to buy children’s food. On closer inspection, responsible mothers and fathers see a completely different picture. When reading the nutritional information or the list of ingredients, it quickly becomes clear: Sugar, fat, salt and artificial flavorings are found in abundance in almost every one of these products. There are also unnatural colorings that are supposed to make the food more interesting. For example, some chewing gum turns the tongue blue, or one or the other vanilla-flavored yoghurt glows almost neon yellow. Citric acid is a commonly used additive. This was rated critically by the Federal Institute for Risk Assessment, as it can cause tooth decay in children. The situation is similar with the overdose of artificial vitamins or minerals. In order to be able to advertise with it, manufacturers must be able to prove a minimum quantity of these in their product. If a child eats several children’s foods, an overdose can certainly occur.

The Sugar Trap

A particularly annoying problem that consumer advocates have been complaining about for a long time is the high sugar content in children’s foods. Parents often do not recognize at first glance the many hidden types of sugar that have been added to the “healthy” children’s food in the form of maltodextrin, lactose, glucose or glucose syrup. Of course, young customers enjoy the sweetness in children’s yoghurts, fruit bars or colorful children’s drinks. But for the health of an adolescent it is irrelevant whether they are being fed incorrectly with too much granulated sugar or with fructose, which is industrially extracted from starch. The sugar substitutes are similarly questionable. For example, maltitol, sorbitol or xylitol in sweetened isodrinks or iced tea can lead to diarrhea and flatulence.

Integrate children’s food into the diet as a special reward

A healthy, varied diet for children does not require any special foods. The U.S. department of agriculture offers more information about nutrition. Small children from the age of one can and should eat normal everyday food at the family table together with their parents and siblings. As a result, all important substances such as vitamins and minerals are naturally and sufficiently absorbed. Children’s food is undoubtedly an integral part of children’s everyday life, as they are confronted with it every day. Therefore, these special children’s products can be found in the lunch box from time to time as a special extra or as a reward for the child without endangering their health in the long term.

Conclusion: Children’s food is superfluous for a healthy diet of an adolescent. A healthy and balanced diet gives the child all the important nutrients it needs. Responsible parents question the advertising promises of the manufacturers and only integrate children’s food as a special “extra” in the otherwise varied diet of their offspring.