Ingredients To Look For When Choosing Packaged Snacks For Kids

It is a universal fact that all parents would ideally want their children to eat healthy and fresh food. To consume a diet where processed foods constitute a minimum percentage. However, this is easier said than done. With busy lifestyles and a rapid increase in the number of double income households, it is getting increasingly difficult for parents to ensure balanced meals and healthy snacks, especially for their children, every single time.

As a result, most children spend their days eating unhealthy snacks that are not suitable for their age nor beneficial in any way to their health. Snacks that are typically meant for grownups easily make their way into a child's lunch box or served as an evening snack. These highly processed food items slowly and gradually become a part of a child's everyday diet. Due to their busy schedules that leaves little to no time at all to prepare fresh and healthy food, parents often end up in a situation where it seems feasible to allow their children to snack on packaged food because when it comes to children and packaged food, the answer is invariably a resounding YES.

That brings us to a multitude of questions that require a close look into:

• Are all packaged snacks unhealthy?
• Are parents aware about the ingredients in a packed snack?
• What is the appropriate portion size of a snack?

Also read: 6 healthy after school snack recipes for children

Surprisingly, all packaged snacks are not unhealthy. While most food labels can be confusing and often tricky to understand, it is all about choosing the right snacks and being aware about the ingredients that are used in the making of the snack. Make sure you read the labels and watch out for ingredients such as corn syrup, sucrose, trans-fat, maltose. Being aware of the ingredients when choosing packaged snacks for your little one can go a long way in avoiding unnecessary saturated fat, added salt, added sugars, etc.

As a parent we bring you few aspects for you to consider when choosing a packaged snack for your little one

Ingredients to look out for when choosing packaged snacks

1. Low fat or fat-free

Ideally, any product that contains fat that is lower than 1.5g of fat per 100g of the product is considered as low fat. On the other hand, the ones that have fat lower than 0.5g per 100g of the product is considered fat-free. Most of the packaged foods that claim they are fat-free might not have added fat. However, it does not mean they are healthy and safe for kids to consume as they will be loaded with sugar. Sugar and fat add to the calories without any nutritional factor.

According to an article title "Low-fat diet: Why fat-free isn't trouble-free" published in WebMD, the problem with fat-free packaged snacks is that food makers tends to compensate for the reduced taste by adding other ingredients such as sugar, flour, thickeners, and salt.

2. Check for added sugar

Is the packaged snack sugar free? No added sugar is a term used when the product in question does not have any added sugars. However, look closely and you will observe that the product will contain naturally occurring sugars in food products, where the manufactured product already has ingredients with carbohydrates such as rice and refined flour (maida). This leads to unnecessary and unhealthy weight gain as there is no nutrients involved. Hence, it is important to keep in mind that sugar free does not always mean they are healthy, as they may contain other forms of sugar.

Note: It is also important to check if the product has any artificial sweeteners such as saccharin or aspartame.

3. Size of the portion matters

Looking out and avoiding choosing snacks with natural and artificial sweeteners along with fat is not enough for children. It is also important to keep the quantity in mind. Although, we may think that we have everything in control, yet, if the portion sizes are big, it nullifies the healthy aspect of healthy eating. One important rule to stick by is that a snack should never replace a meal. Therefore, the quantity of a snack should be such for children that it gives them the required nutrients in between meals without substituting a proper meal.

4. Is the snack age-appropriate?

Most of the packaged snacks currently available in the market and the shelves of supermarkets are typically meant for grownups. They are highly processed and contain high levels of salt and sugar that is a strict NO for children. Growing children have different nutrition requirements. Choose snacks that are appropriate for their age, are made using natural ingredients, contain optimum levels of sugar and salt. In short, be sure you understand everything that is written on the nutrition label.

5. Do your research

Be diligent about the products you choose for your child. Just because the packaging says 'healthy' and 'natural' do not blindly purchase it. Take enough time to look up the brand, read the reviews and consult with fellow parents. In short, research. Be aware about the usage of artificial food colouring and other flavour enhancers such as monosodium glutamate (MSG) that is one of the commonly used flavour enhancers.

Millennial parents are conscious of the food choices they make for their children. This awareness is not just limited to healthy eating, there is a leaning towards adopting a healthy lifestyle overall. From eating right to working out regularly, young families are inclined towards holistic health. With growing interest towards adopting a healthy lifestyle, more and more parents today are introducing and influencing their children to opt for healthy food and lifestyle. The key is to strike a balance and not be overly restrictive nor easy on our children.

Also read:

10 minute snacks for the whole family

6 healthy snacks for picky eaters

How to choose healthy snacks for kids

About the author:

Written by Hima Bindu on 1 September 2020.

Hima Bindu is Co-Founder and Nutritionist, Timios.

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