Five Children’s Food & Drinks I Hate
Before you read this I should say I’m not Ms Organic Mum. I’m quite happy to put some fish fingers and waffles in the oven on a busy day, my children have plenty of cakes and treats (mainly at the weekend). But at the same time I like to try and give them healthy choices and don’t really let them drink things like juice, unless it’s a treat. There are some foods though that I hate, I can’t help it’s sets my teeth on edge when I see them.
1. Nutella
Now if any of my NCT mums are reading this, they are probably having a bit of a chuckle at me.
I have a particular dislike for so called chocolate sandwiches. Nutella can try and sell hazelnut & cocoa goodness to me all they like, it is still chocolate oh and 8.5g of sugar per 15g. That’s over half of a 4-7 year old’s daily allowance (which is 16g). 15g is probably just enough for one piece of toast, that’s a ridiculous amount of sugar.
Now if your child is at a party where there is jelly, cake, biscuits and juice why do they need chocolate sandwiches as well? My son will just as happily ham or cheese then the sugary treats after, why add to the sugar insanity?
I used to try and hide them from my son, but he’s too canny for that now. We compromised at the last party on one ham and one Nutella sandwich *grimaces*.
2. Fruit Shoots
These things are quite frankly hideous. Every single time my son has had one he has spectacularly wet himself. I’m talking lakes of it, squelching in his shoes, once all over someone’s lovely wooden floors (twice at the same party). He just cannot seem to control it after he has had one.
I could only seem to find the no added sugar version on their website, so perhaps they have discontinued their more sugary counterpart. But according to Wikipedia the sugary versions contain on less than 23g of sugar in a 200ml serving. 23g of sugar that’s incredible and actually downright concerning.
My son now knows he’s not allowed them after the last incident and after we’ve chatted and I’ve explained why, he’s actually fine with it. He’s allowed some juice or watery squash as a treat, but no evil fruit shoots.
3. Lollipops
Ugh, I hate them. I have been known to take them out of party bags and throw them away before my son sees them. Yes I know, I’m a real meany. If he gets given one, then I will agree a swap with him for some chocolate buttons or cake instead(see not totally mean). You’re just sucking sugar onto your teeth – yikes – and then there is the choking hazard too.
4. Cheese Strings
I have a confession, I have actually used these at a children’s party and they did make awesome broomsticks at Halloween, so I don’t hate these as much as Fruit shoots, which I would never serve at a party. I’ve also racked the ingredients to see what nasties they may contain, but all I can see is a bit more salt, but of course there is what happens when they process the cheese to make it stringy. Also should it really be that yellow? They proclaim to be ‘rich in calcium for healthy bones’, but quite frankly you could say that about all cheese and probably get it for a lot cheaper too. Not one I am going to cry over if my child eats them, but not one I am going to reguarly add to my shop either.
5. Follow on Milk
Ahh the formula companies no advertising rule work around. Did you know there is actually no need for your child to ever have follow on milk? Follow on milk was invented because companies that process formula are not allowed to advertise it on tv, so this was their inventive solution to the problem.
While I breastfed both of my children for quite a while, both of them have had formula, my son was combination fed almost from day one. So I am not in the no formula camp by any stretch of the imagination.
My health visitor advised me to keep my son on the first milk until he was one (they are both the same price) and as for 2+ milk – cow’s milk is perfectly fine for children over one year’s old. Don’t make parenting more expensive than it already is.
What do you think am I just mean or do you agree with my anti-sugar antics?
Great list. My kids have treats and they do have fruit shoots sometimes but I don’t like them, and they definitely make them wee tons, which makes me wonder what on earth they must put in them. Lollipops scare me for choking hazard when my older two are given them in a party bag I would let them but certainly not the toddler. X
It’s such a fine line between letting them have treats and not getting carried away I find. I think if it wasn’t for the catastrophic wee accidents I may let my son have one every now and then, but you’re right what must it be doing to their insides?
I let Toby have a fruit shoot type drink (it wasn’t an actual fruit shoot but the same sort of thing). Never again!! It was a no added sugar one but I think all the sweeteners in it caused Toby to do the biggest messiest poo I think I have ever seen from him!!
I have to confess I love Nutella myself but I wouldn’t give it to my kids on a sandwich!
It seems to make a lot of children really react – I know several that wet themselves after them or go crazy. And to think they try to market them as healthy!
I don’t think I will ever give the kids nutella sandwiches – they so much else you can put in a sandwich! I haven’t ever bought cheese strings but I bought something else I put in that same category – the little tubs of crackers ham and cheese? The kids didn’t touch them. Waste of money! They’d rather have a cheese sandwich!
I don’t actually mind Fruit Shoots but then again we haven’t had a wee incident afterwards – although the kids do drink them in about 5 seconds flat! They don’t have them often, usually as part of a lunchbox deal on a day out or at parties x
If Logan hadn’t had so many catastrophic accidents with them I might let him have one every now and then but after the last I just put a ban on them. In terms of nutella I guess it’s like everything all in moderation, but mine are perfectly happy with cheese or ham which are surely healthier?
This did make me laugh just a little bit, read on before you make any judgement. Is it possible to inherit how you feel about products! I to Laura hated lollipops, I call them teeth rotters! and the choking thing freaks me out every time I see a child running with one in their mouths. I don’t get the follow on milk either and have always thought it was a money making idea, what’s wrong with good old cows milk. As for fruit shoot a scary product that can do that to a child’s insides!
This is were I confess to taking lollipops from party bags and throwing them away, I also did that to sticks of rock, pure sugar, another teeth rotter. But I did make nice chocolate cake didn’t!?
We may have had a recent incident with a stick of rock… that took some bribing actually 😉
And yes you do make a mean chocolate cake x
Good post. I agree with the Nutella, the teens like it (I obviously can’t control what they have out) but Harry has never had it because I don’t see the point in it. I don’t have a problem with fruit shoots but I don’t buy them for home, they’re only treats when we go out. I agree on the follow on formula too. I fed all mine on formula so am definitely not against it but like you say cows milk is fine from 1 years so why buy £10+ stuff? X
I know why would you give a child £10 formula when they can have cow’s milk? I am also definitely starting to see it gets harder to keep children away from foods as they get older and it’s all around them.
I agree with all of these Laura! I struggle with the fruit shoots but strangely as my son gets older he doesn’t want then preferring fizzy water. I can work with that. My daughter then wants what he has so problem solved. I’ve started to take if further I’ve started banning ham from sandwiches as it’s too processed, we are working on this one. Nutella only on pancakes once every two weeks!
My son tried sparkling water and hated it… shame.
Not though much about processed ham but you have a point. For money saving we had been debating getting a joint of gammon and slicing and freezing instead. Perhaps that’s a better option?
Great read, now I Like to think that as a whole our family eat pretty healthily, sure we have our snacks and convenience foods for lazy days and treats but on the whole we have a fairly low sugar, low processes food diet, a lot of what we eat is freshly prepared and homemade.
My children do have nutella and I love it myself, not as an everyday Sandwhich filling but as a treat at party’s or on crepes and waffles for a weekend breakfast treat. It has a relatively similar sugar content to jam and honey so don’t really feel it’s any worse an offended on the sugar front than other convenience fillings.
I also think there are much worse offenders for sugar content in the foods that a lot of children eat everyday. I have a personal hate of children’s cereals, amongst the worst, coco pops and frosties but there are plenty more that contain 9+ grams per serving. Also children’s yogurts, those tiny pots contain almost 2 tsp of sugar.
As for fruit shoots don’t get me started, you know I agree 100% and we have had many a wee explosion due to them.
I am a very strong believer in moderation, a good healthy diet, treats and excersise and you can’t go far wrong
Cocoa pops! That should have made the list! I hate them too.
You know me, I agree it’s about moderation and a healthy diet, I am perfectly happy for the children to have treats. Good point on jam and nutella and mine occasionally have jam on toast at the weekends, so as you say it’s all about moderation.
Fruit shoots… evil evil things – something we both agree on 🙂
Fruit shoots are the worst! I’ve found kids meals often come with them in restaurants. Luckily my daughter doesn’t like them and my boys are too young to realise I’m confiscating their drinks.
Yes lots of kids meals come with them – I have started asking for fresh juice instead. Still sugary but got to be better?
My daughter is at that age when she could start the follow on milk but I am resisting it. With my recent diagnosis I am more wary of health for all family members so I can understand your point of view.
Keep her on stage one milk and move her to cow’s milk at one. That’s what the Health Visitors advise 🙂 x
I totally agree with all of these – maybe not the cheese strings but we don’t buy them so it’s not really an issue. I hate fruit shoots – my kids won’t drink anything except water for which I’m very grateful. I dread the day when they start wanting fizzy drinks. I am not mean at all about treats and we all have frozen pizza on a Friday night but I do generally hate crappy convenience food.
Oh yes fizzy drinks we have managed to avoid these until now. MY son happily drinks milk or water so I am grateful for that too. I agree there are time for treats and don’t mind the odd frozen pizza or cake or chocolate, just not everyday.
When mine were this little I was super strict about what they ate. As they get older though you just don’t have the same control as there are too many outside influences and that’s when you have to hope that you being strict helps them to make better choices. Or at least eat rubbish in moderation! I think that changed my attitude things to things too. Suddenly a bit of Nutella on a pancake once a blue moon doesn’t seem so bad compared to the thought of your teenager guzzling fizzy energy drinks! Yikes!
Yes I can already see as my son approaches 4 that it is getting harder to control that and you have to let some things go and pick your battles. Thank you for commenting x
I loathe Fruit Shoots, I blogged about them ages ago and it’s a post that gets so many hits a week, we are not alone…
Cheese strings are gruesome. My kids have never had them (my son is dairy intolerant anyway, not that there’s much milk in them, I reckon!)
Don’t get me started on the rip off that follow on milk is…
Lollipops I tolerate but only now the kids are older and my paranoia that they won’t choke is easing slightly.
We will have to agree to disagree on Nutella because I love it! ????
Great rant! #EffitFriday
I have never actually tried Nutella – this is probably a good thing! And yes I loathe fruit shoots too – ghastly things 🙁
Yes, yes, yes. yes, yes – I agree with you on all of these. The French naturally love Nutella and lollipops are horribly popular. In fairness, though, I am not sure I have seen fruit shoots here and I very much doubt Cheese String could ever be tolerated in a country that finds in almost heretical to even sell Cheddar. I am not sure what the French attitude is towards follow on milk but I breast fed as long as I could the after formula gave the boys cow’s milk from 12 months. #TheList
Yes I can’t quite imagine the French tolerating cheese strings somehow lol 🙂 thanks for stopping by 🙂
I agree with you completely on lollipops and follow on milk.
Have never given the cubs Cheese Strings but I had them now and then as a kid so I don’t really have strong feelings on them either way.
However, Fruit Shoots (those sugar free ones) have been handy because Tyger’s been convinced he’s having a huge treat on the odd occasion he’s been given a Fruit Shoot, which has given me extra time waiting for an appointment at the hospital before he had a meltdown and saved me from one when he wasn’t allowed fizzy another. He’s probably only had about four ever, though.
Nutella spread thinly on eggy bread, though, is the only way he’ll eat egg except in an omelette. When you have a kid with ASD and have very limited foods they’ll actually eat, you give them what they’ll have. I used to be very strict with sugar and salt content but with all the sensory issues both boys have, I don’t have much choice!
It sounds like you have a lot to contend with and every parent knows you need to pick your battles. I am coming from this with a son who has no issues and eats well, I imagine I would feel differently in other situations. Thank you for commenting x
Ah Fruit Shoots – I hate them! My daughter is drawn to them in a cafe like a moth to a flame. I won’t have them in the house.
#TheList
They look bright and fun is half the problem too. I won’t have them in the house either. Thanks for stopping by 🙂
Yes yes yes! Completely with you on all of these except cheesestrings. I actually gasped when I read how much sugar is in a fruit shoot! And follow on milk is such a massive con. But I’m quite partial to the odd cheesestring myself (sorry!) so I have considered buying them for T to try and get him to eat more cheese (or cheese-like substance).
I think we all have something things we give our child which are not too bad in moderation. I’m not actually sure they they sell the Fruit Shoots with sugar in anymore – but it’s an insane amount isn’t it?