Cute little goldfish, gummies shaped like Elmo, and squeezy cheese. Popular snack items often appeal to a child’s visual and tactical sensibilities, but what about a parent’s nutritional concerns? Often times, those familiar food items contain sugar, salt, and some seriously sophisticated food chemistry, making them less like a snack food and more like a wolf in a fish’s clothing.
Below is a list of some of America’s most popular snack foods for kids that aren’t as healthy as they seem—with healthier alternatives your kids will actually eat!
Pepperidge Farm Goldfish.
These snack favorites have traveled a long way from their humble beginnings as the simple orange cracker that accompanied most of our childhoods. Now they come in Blazin’ Buffalo Wing and Pizza flavors; they even have multi-colored goldfish. But they don’t have much nutritional value, save for trace amounts of calcium, and they do have a fairly high amount of sodium. A good alternative: Annie’s Cheddar Bunnies. Whole-wheat flour, real cheese, and a similarly lovable shape—and organic to boot.
Scooby-Doo Gummy Snacks.
Yes, the first ingredient of these snacks is fruit juice, but it’s all downhill after that: corn syrup, sugar, modified corn starch. And then there’s the long list of artificial colorings. A better bet: Organic Fruit Leathers, which contain half a serving of fruit in each strip.
Cheez Whiz and Velveeta Slices.
I used to love Velveeta slices as a kid, but now I see them for what they really are: weird. The consistency, taste, and color are like nothing found in nature. Rather than trying to decipher what’s listed on the side of these bright orange Kraft products (alginate, sodium phosphate), look for real cheese. A little goes a long way to provide a natural form of calcium. If you’re in need of something for the lunchbox, try Laughing Cow Babybel.
Quaker Caramel Rice Cakes.
Even though rice cakes claim to be healthful because they are fat free, they also happen to be free of any substantive ingredients, but packed with sugar, maltodextrin, high fructose corn syrup, and artificial flavors. Instead, try making homemade popped popcorn drizzled with olive oil and a sprinkle of sea salt.
