On this page:

• What the ads don't make clear about toddler milk
• Toddler milk vs cow's milk
• The trouble with toddler milks
• How to gauge your child's eating
• Infant formula marketing loophole
• Infant and toddler milk label explainer

Even if you’re not in that demographic, you may still have encountered ads for toddler and junior milks on mainstream TV. You know the ones we mean – images of cherubic, bright-eyed toddlers happily exploring the world around them with a tin of branded milk powder visible in the foreground. 

The marketing of these products make it abundantly clear that they contain a range of essential nutrients – vitamins, minerals, often probiotics and prebiotics as well – which support a toddler’s cognitive development, immune system, digestive function, and growth and development. But the ads aren’t providing the full picture.

What the ads don’t make clear about toddler milk

There are a couple of key details that are either relegated to the small print and easily missed by busy parents, or that are fairly ambiguous in toddler milk marketing. 

The first is that toddler milks should only be supplementary to a varied diet when energy and nutrient intakes may not be adequate. 

But for parents just wanting the best for their toddlers, whose eating at this age can be picky, patchy and inconsistent to say the least, these products can come across as the best way to ensure optimal nutrition.

The second is that they’re often higher in sugar and lower in protein and calcium than regular cow’s milk, which is the recommended follow-on drink from breast milk (or infant formula) for children from the age of 12 months. 

The kicker? They’re also quite a bit more expensive than regular cow’s milk.

Toddler milk vs cow’s milk

We looked at the content of more than 30 toddler (1+ years) and junior (3+ years) milk products that you can buy from major retailers including Coles, Woolworths and Big W, and compared them to regular fresh cow’s milk. The recommended serve size of individual brands and products varies, but the average is 200mL so we’ve used this measure for the purpose of comparison.

Across the products, a 200mL serve contained on average 14g sugar, and as much as 17.8g. A 200mL serve of regular cow’s milk contains 9.5g of sugar.

On average, toddler milks contain 4.4g protein per 200mL, where the same amount of cow’s milk contains 6.8g. 

And they contain 213mg calcium per 200mL serve on average, compared with 238mg in cow’s milk.

Crunching the numbers

Tubs of toddler and junior milk powder (usually 800–900g) can cost up to $43 a pop. A 200mL serve costs $1 on average, and as much as $1.56, whereas you’ll spend just 27 cents on 200mL of regular cow’s milk.

Most suggest giving your toddler one to two serves a day, although a handful suggest up to four serves. Following individual product serve size recommendations, the toddler milks we looked at cost on average $2.20 a day. If drunk daily, this amounts to about $67 a month. 

In just one month, the most expensive ($3.52 a day) could set you back $107 – that’s about $1285 a year.

The trouble with toddler milks

If you’re worried because your toddler doesn’t seem to be putting on enough weight, or that they’re missing out on vital nutrients because they’re a picky eater, or that they’re always too busy playing and exploring to want to eat, giving them a specially formulated toddler or junior milk might seem a reasonable solution – particularly if they enjoy drinking them.

But there are a few reasons why toddler milks are problematic.

1. Sugar creep

Infants under 12 months who are unable to be breastfed need specially developed infant formulas, which are fortified and nutritionally adequate. But after 12 months of age, it’s considered appropriate to move on to plain cow’s milk along with regular family foods. 

However, companies that make infant milk formula had other ideas. Enter toddler milk, the marketed substitute for breastmilk when your child is considered too old for infant formula, and a product that’s positioned as a suitable, or even preferable, alternative to cow’s milk – at least up to the age of three.

But according to Dheepa Jeyapalan, Manager of VicHealth’s Healthy and Sustainable Food Systems team, one of the main problems with toddler milks is that they’re less nutritious than cow’s milk.

“Toddler milk drinks have less protein than cow’s milk. Many also have less calcium,” she says.

The amount of sugar they contain is of particular concern.

“A 2020 VicHealth and Deakin University study found that toddlers would consume around 240g more sugar, about 60 extra teaspoons of sugar, over a month if they drank toddler milk daily compared with regular cow’s milk.”

ÌÇÐÄVlog’s research produced similarly alarming findings. A toddler can get as much as 40.8g of sugar a day from toddler milk drinks alone if following suggested servings. That’s 1240g (1.24kg) – or 310 teaspoons – of sugar a month.

2. Displacing whole foods

Accredited practicing dietitian Natasha Schilling told us that toddler milks can also displace whole foods in a child’s diet, which is problematic.

“Sometimes parents, concerned that their child isn’t eating enough, can fall into a trap of thinking ‘at least they’re getting something if they’re having a formula drink’.” 

The issue with this, she says, is that they fill up on the drink and no longer have space for – or interest in – whole foods.

“This can cause problems with oral skills as they are spending less time chewing, moving their tongue around the mouth, getting familiar with different textures and so on.” 

Displacing food with milk, even if it’s fortified, can also lead to nutritional deficiencies.

“Nutrients aren’t so readily absorbed by the body from a supplemented milk drink. It’s much better to get vitamins and minerals from whole food,” says Schilling.

“I recommend limiting the amount of milk drinks you give toddlers to 500mL a day so that they don’t displace whole foods, and always offer food first to increase the likelihood of them eating,” she says.

3. Cost

Toddler milk sales in Australia saw a 12% value growth in 2020, worth $375 million, according to market research group Euromonitor.

If your toddler is drinking toddler milk daily, it can add as much as $107 a month to your grocery bill (depending on the brand). This is not an insignificant amount for most, and for some it can have a noticeable financial impact.

“Toddler milks are being framed as essential to growth and development, when they’re not,” says Jeyapalan.

“What we’re finding is that the marketing of toddler milks is negatively affecting people who are already facing greater barriers – whether that be lower health literacy, language barriers, or others. They’re picking up these products thinking their kids need them, and paying four times the price of regular fresh milk which can often be more nutritious,” she says.

It’s the equity issues that worry Jeyapalan most. 

“Who’s impacted by the lack of regulation around toddler milk marketing? People who are already struggling, of course,” she says.

How to gauge your child’s eating

In Schilling’s experience, one of the main reasons parents start giving their toddler these specially formulated milk drinks is because they’re concerned that their child isn’t eating enough. But this smaller appetite is usually completely normal.

“Toddlers often eat less than what they did as babies, because they’re growing at a slower rate. And this apparent loss of appetite can be worrying for parents, who think they need to top them up,” she explains.

But toddlers are usually pretty good at moderating how much they eat, according to Schilling, and she suggests remembering the mantra: “Parents decide what food and when. Kids decide if they’ll eat and how much.”

The example she gives is to offer two or three different foods at morning tea – a starchy food, a fat, a protein, for example, with various colours and textures. Then even if they choose to have just a small bite of each, they’re getting a variety of tastes and nutrients. 

“Little kids will have hungry days when you can’t fill them up, and not so hungry days when they’re eating like a bird. And that’s OK.”

The key, Schilling says, is to look at your child’s food intake over time – days or weeks – rather than just at individual meals. 

“It can be good to write down what they eat over a whole week, and average it out. You might see hungry days, and less hungry days. They might be eating really well at childcare but less at home. As long as they’re tracking along percentile curves in the growth charts of your infant health record, there’s no need to supplement their diet with special toddler milk drinks.”

But if you still have concerns, make an appointment with an accredited practicing dietitian or talk to your GP.

“Slow growth or low weight may be an indication of other issues which have resulted in a child’s general diet becoming nutritionally inadequate. Specialised supplements might be necessary, but this kind of dietary intervention needs to be done under medical supervision,” Schilling advises.

Infant formula marketing loophole

In Australia, companies are prohibited from advertising infant formula under the voluntary and self-regulated industry ‘Marketing in Australia of Infant Formula: Manufacturers and Importers Agreement’ (MAIF agreement).

The MAIF agreement is Australia’s implementation of a World Health Organization (WHO) code which restricts the marketing of breastmilk substitutes (i.e. infant formula). But while the scope of the WHO code includes toddler milks, the Australian version – which was recently reauthorised by the ACCC – doesn’t.

This means that companies that sell infant formula are unable to market their products in Australia, but they can market their toddler milks that have the same branding. 

“Essentially this is undermining Australia’s MAIF agreement which is meant to protect families from infant formula marketing. Toddler milk marketing acts as proxy advertising for the same brand of infant milk, and is a sneaky way for infant milk companies to create brand recognition and awareness,” says Jeyapalan.

“Numerous studies have shown that consumers do not differentiate between these toddler milks and infant formula, meaning the MAIF agreement doesn’t achieve what it sets out to. VicHealth would like to see higher standards introduced that will hold these companies accountable,” she adds.

Product lines designed to capture all infant stages

Not only does toddler milk marketing create brand awareness for its corresponding infant formula, but the diversification of the product range into a series of stages (stage 1, 2, 3 and sometimes 4) encourages families to continue buying the brand from their child’s birth to beyond 3 years of age in some cases.

“Parents often ask me if it’s necessary to move through the stages, which seems a logical progression when the products are marketed that way,” says Schilling.

“I usually recommend that babies drinking infant formula don’t progress from stage 1, and instead move on to drinking cow’s milk from 12 months and eat family food (cut up into appropriate sizes and portions).”

A federal government review of the effectiveness of the agreement was due to take place at the end of 2021, but results have yet to be made public.

Infant and toddler milk label explainer

What’s the difference between infant formula, toddler milk and junior milk?

Infant formula is a specially developed infant milk which is fortified and nutritionally adequate as a replacement for breast milk. Within brands it may be differentiated into two products labelled stage 1 (usually 0–6 months) and stage 2 (6–12 months), although both are usually similar in nutrient profile.

Toddler milk, sometimes known as follow-on formula, is a milk drink fortified with vitamins, minerals and sometimes pre- and probiotics. Within brands, and depending on how diversified their child milk drink range is, it’s usually labeled as stage 3 (12+ months).

Junior milk, usually labeled as stage 4 (2+ years or 3+ years, depending on the brand). It’s a very similar product to toddler milk, but with slightly more protein, calcium and sugars on average.

The post Does your child need toddler milks? appeared first on ÌÇÐÄVlog.

Jane Martin, executive manager of the Obesity Policy Coalition, explains why added sugar labelling would help parents make informed decisions on what foods to give their children.

Australians consume too much added sugar and our toddlers are no different, with nearly a third of their daily energy intake coming from processed, unhealthy foods, including many which are high in added sugar.

Eating too much added sugar in processed foods contributes to excessive weight gain and obesity. Increases in the availability and consumption of processed foods by children mean that we’re seeing the sharpest increase in obesity among very young children, with children aged two to five now twice as likely to be obese as they were 20 years ago. 

In young children, regularly eating sweetened packaged foods can affect taste preferences, which is one of the reasons why Australian Dietary Guidelines recommend we limit sweet foods for young children. 

But the majority of toddler snack products contain sugar – even when they are savoury.

Industry tactics

Food companies use sophisticated marketing tactics and have convinced governments to trust them to police themselves. It can therefore be confusing and difficult for busy parents to choose healthy options for their toddler.  

This was highlighted by the Federal Court’s decision in August 2018 to fine Heinz $2.25m over the misleading marketing of their Little Kids Shredz products, that were up to 68% sugar. in the court case show how the packaging was updated to create the image of a healthy and nutritious snack that would appeal to parents of toddlers.

We are seeing more and more packaged products seeking to capitalise on time-poor parents looking for a convenient option on supermarket shelves. Many products are dressed up to appear healthy, but trying to find a healthy option means relying on the advice on labels and packaging. 

When labels boast “99% fruit and veg”, and obscure the fact that they are actually high in sugar, who can blame anyone for choosing such products for their kids?

Toddler products laden with added sugar

We surveyed 57 toddler snack products in major supermarkets to highlight just how pervasive added sugar is. Nearly half the products surveyed contained over 25% sugar, with up to six different sweet ingredients contributing to the total sugar content. 

Many of the sweet ingredients (such as fruit juice, fruit juice concentrate and fruit pastes) had been derived from fruit, which is still added sugar as far as its effects on health are concerned. However, under current labelling rules it’s impossible to tell what is added sugar and what is naturally occurring, such as in whole fruit.

Food manufacturers know that people associate the word ‘fruit’ with health. Many take advantage of this, plastering it over packaging, and we’re seeing this trend more frequently on products aimed at toddlers. 

The reality is that a lot of these products contain highly processed fruit products, the processing of which results in an ingredient high in sugar and low in fibre and other nutrients, such as juices and fruit concentrates. These products are often significantly modified and do not reflect the nutrition content or fibre benefits of the whole fruit from which they were derived.

Parents deserve to know what’s really in the products they’re feeding their kids. Currently, that is hard to find as added sugars are not grouped together on the ingredients list or listed separately on the nutrition information panel. With 60+ different names for sugar, even the ingredients list can’t always be relied upon to help parents make an informed choice.

Added sugar labelling to help inform parents  

With food ministers meeting in early November, we want them to use this as an opportunity to make added sugar labelling mandatory and help not just parents, but all consumers.

Some small changes to the way added sugar is represented could make a big difference:

• The amount of added sugar should be shown separately from naturally occurring sugars in milk, yoghurt and unprocessed fruit in the ingredients list and on the nutrition information panel.
• We must ensure the definition of added sugar captures sugar from highly processed fruit ingredients such as fruit juice, fruit paste and fruit juice concentrates.

We know that adequate food labelling on packaged foods can help inform people’s purchasing habits, and also have a positive impact on reducing obesity rates. We owe it to our youngest Australians to give them the healthiest start in life. 

The post Op ed: ‘Too much added sugar in toddler foods’ appeared first on ÌÇÐÄVlog.

On this page:

• Sweet ingredients found in infant and toddler foods
• Why is fruit puree bad for infants and toddlers?
• Vegetable products still contain fruit puree
• Food-maker ignoring labelling requirement
• How to buy healthier packaged infant and toddler food
• Why we need stronger added sugar labelling 

But the reality is that pre-packaged infant and toddler foods are a convenient option when you’re time poor, travelling, or just can’t face another night of cooking. And on the face of it, they often appear to be healthy and full of goodness. 

But a recent study has found many of these products contain significant amounts of sweet ingredients, which can have negative long-term effects on children.

Sweet ingredients found in infant and toddler foods

Cancer Council Victoria analysed 255 infant and toddler food products (excluding formula) available from Aldi, Coles and Woolworths. Almost half of them (116) were found to include fruit puree, with many also including other concentrated or processed forms of fruit such as:

• fruit paste
• dried fruit powder
• fruit juice
• fruit juice concentrate
• dried fruit
• fruit gel.

The study also found that 13 of the infant foods (for babies up to 12 months’ of age) contained either sugar or cane sugar, with two products containing other added sugars such as glucose or syrup. 

Of the toddler foods, 27 products contained one or more combinations of sugar, cane sugar, coconut sugar, dried yoghurt or other sugars (such as glucose or syrup).

Some of these foods are even being marketed as suitable for babies as young as four months. Australian Dietary Guidelines recommend that infants need breastmilk or formula as their main food until six months of age.

Why is fruit puree bad for infants and toddlers?

At a glance, you might assume the presence of fruit or fruit puree in these products means they’re good for kids. 

But if infants and toddlers are given these foods on a regular basis, they may end up eating too much fruit and not enough other nutrient-rich foods, such as vegetables and foods that contain iron. 

Being exposed only to sweet-tasting foods may also affect children’s taste preferences as they grow older. 

“These are formative years in terms of taste preferences, so giving children these sweet foods will make them want more,” says Alison McAleese, healthy lifestyles campaign manager at Cancer Council Victoria. “And eating these products on a regular basis isn’t going to give them the nutrition that they need.”

Nutrition expert Dr Rosemary Stanton agrees.

“Young children have high needs for nutrients to provide for growth and if they consume these products, they have less ‘room’ for healthy foods as their tummies are small,” she says.

“Almost every young child instinctively likes sweet foods (the lactose in breastmilk makes it quite sweet), but if they are constantly given sweet foods, they will not learn to appreciate (and like) the flavours of foods that are not sweet.” 

And preferencing unhealthy food choices over nutrient-rich options can lead to long-term health consequences such as obesity, tooth decay and iron deficiency.

The recommends a  wide range of nutritious foods from all five food groups for healthy development in toddlers and babies aged six months and older.

Vegetable products still contain fruit puree

The study also found that some products may appear to be savoury, but contain fruit or fruit puree. For example, Heinz Pumpkin, Corn, Chicken and Rice also includes six percent apple, while Bellamy’s Organic spring vegetable macaroni includes seven percent apple puree.

“Parents know that it can be challenging to give their kids savoury foods, so these are an attractive option,” says McAleese. “But there’s more fruit in these products than most people realise, which is again helping children preference this sweet taste.”

“The use of fruit purees or concentrated fruit in any form is just another way of giving kids sugar,” says Stanton. “Why add sweet flavour to savoury foods? Parents need to know that concentrated fruit is almost always just a form of sugar. Regular sugar is just concentrated cane juice!”

Food-maker ignoring labelling requirement

Although the presence of these sweet ingredients (whether sugar or a fruit puree) may be unnecessary, it doesn’t contradict the Australian Food Standards Code. However, according to the code, food for infants (‘infant’ meaning a person under 12 months of age) must be labelled as “sweetened” if the added sugar content is more than 4g per 100g.

Yet the Cancer Council found that the infant product with the highest amount of sugar – Keep it Cleaner Bambini Bars, Oats and Superberry 10+ months, with a whopping 40.4g per 100g – didn’t state ‘sweetened’ on the packaging.

Products marketed to children aged 12 months and over don’t have to comply with this standard.

How to buy healthier packaged infant and toddler food

If you do decide to buy one of these products, Stanton recommends parents read the ingredients list. “There should be no added sugars (including fruit juice or fruit juice concentrate) or salt,” she says.

McAleese also stresses the importance of reading the ingredients list. 

“Parents should be aware that the front of the pack doesn’t always tell the whole story,” she says. 

Stanton also advises against giving your child food in a squeeze pouch as it means the child is fed quickly, which doesn’t give the stomach time to signal to the brain that it’s full. 

“Fast feeding can destroy an infant’s natural ability to ‘play’ with food (experiencing its texture as well as its flavour) and get it into their mouth quite slowly,” she says. 

“Their natural inclinations to touch food and put it into their mouth ensures they don’t over-consume food. Squeeze pouches also make it easier for parents to feed young infants at a time when they do not need these foods.”

Why we need stronger added sugar labelling 

Reading food labels is the best way to know how healthy a product is for young children and the entire family. 

Unfortunately, it’s not always that easy because Australia doesn’t regulate labelling of added sugar. 

Currently, nutrition information panels only list the amount of total sugar in a product, instead of differentiating between naturally occuring intrinsic sugars (nutrient-rich foods such as milk and intact fruit and vegetables) and added sugars with little or no beneficial nutrients. 

This means the current Health Star Rating system treats two products with 20g total sugar the same, even if one product contains 99% added sugar while the other contains mostly intrinsic sugar.  

It’s important that children of all ages eat a healthy, well-balanced diet and Health Star Ratings can help with this. That’s why ÌÇÐÄVlog is lobbying for changes to the way added sugars are labelled on foods. 

“Clear, transparent food labelling is extremely important in helping people differentiate between healthy and unhealthy foods,” says Linda Przhedetsky, ÌÇÐÄVlog policy and campaigns adviser.

“We see too many products laden with added sugar that is hiding under a range of names, and it’s incredible confusing. The system needs to change.”

Thanks to the work already done by ÌÇÐÄVlog and other organisations, the Australia and New Zealand Ministerial Forum on Food Regulation has shown support for added sugar labelling on nutrition information panels. 

But with no timeline in place, ÌÇÐÄVlog is keeping up the pressure – and asking ministers to go even further to improve the Health Star Rating system.

The post Sweet ingredients found in worrying number of supermarket infant and toddler foods  appeared first on ÌÇÐÄVlog.

Some of these snacks are being marketed as suitable for babies as young as six months, and on the surface most appear to be healthy and full of goodness – as you’d hope for children this young. But are they?

Our experts unimpressed

We collected nutrition and ingredient information from more than 80 baby and toddler snack products and asked three experts – accredited practising dietitians Laura Ryan and Joan Breakey, and nutritionist Dr Rosemary Stanton – to review the details.

Many of these snacks may be a better option for your baby than mainstream biscuits, cereal bars or chips. But overall our experts weren’t impressed with the offerings, and here’s why.

Excessive sugars

Considering these snacks are targeted at babies and toddlers, some are more sugary than you might expect.

Heinz Little Kids Wholegrain Cereal Bars Apple & Blueberry and Rafferty’s Garden Fruit Snack Bar Apple, for example, have more than 40% total sugars. (For comparison, popular mainstream snack bars Kellogg’s K-Time Baked Twists Raspberry & Apple are 35.6% sugar). Fruit ingredients contribute to this total, but sugar and glucose also feature high up in the ingredients list of both. The saving grace is the small (15-16g) serve size of the bars.

Breakey points out that products that claim to be suitable for infants (babies under 12 months) can be a better choice, as food laws limit how much sodium they contain and require that they be labelled as ‘sweetened’ if they contain more than 4% added sugars and honey. However, there’s no such requirement for products targeted at older babies – and either way there’s no limit to how much sugar they contain.

“Young children do not require excessively sweet foods and promoting consumption of these foods will only encourage a taste for sweet foods and can be hazardous for young teeth,” says Ryan.

‘Naturally’ sweetened… with sugar

If you want to avoid giving your baby foods with added sugars, it’s not as simple as looking for the word ‘sugar’ on the ingredients list. More than 30% of the products we looked at contain added sugar in the form of fruit juice concentrate, which sounds a whole lot better on the label, and many companies use this to their advantage.

“Naturally sweetened with fruit ingredients” claims the packaging of Heinz Little Kids Fruit & Chia Shredz, but the product is 35% apple juice concentrate – and a small 18g serve contains the equivalent of more than three teaspoons of sugar. Little Bellies Mini Gingerbread Men are “sweetened only with grape juice”, but grape juice concentrate – aka sugar – makes up 29% of the product.

The ACCC announced in June that it was taking action against Heinz over the nutritional claims made on its Little Kids Shredz products. It’s alleging that Heinz is being misleading by representing these sugary products as healthy and nutritious food for children.

“I wouldn’t recommend any product with added sugar, salt or fruit juice concentrates or fruit juice,” says Stanton.

Flimsy fruit and veg content

The overwhelming majority of snack products purport to be a source of fruit or veggies, whether it be in the product name, a claim on the label or both. But don’t expect them to make any real contribution to the half a standard serve of fruit and two to three serves of vegetables it’s recommended that one- to two-year-old babies eat each day.

Baby Mum-Mum First Rice Rusks Vegetable, for example, boast an impressive range of vegetable ingredients – kale, carrot, cabbage and spinach. But combined they make up less than 1.5% of the product (a measly 0.06g in a serve), and they’re all in powdered form. Heinz Nutrios Pumpkin contain 4.9% pumpkin – also powdered – but it’s still just 0.2g in a serve.

Others, such as Kiddylicious Apple Fruit Wriggles claim to be ‘made with real fruit’, but a closer look at the ingredients list reveals the bulk of the ‘real’ fruit is – yes, you guessed it – fruit juice concentrate. And at $1.80 for a 12g pack ($150 per kilo), they’re significantly more expensive than your typical 80c supermarket apple ($4.50 per kilo).

‘Organic’ and ‘yoghurt’ health halos

Many packaged baby snacks are made from organic ingredients, and the word ‘organic’ is associated with a range of benefits. But while it’s true that these snacks are likely to contain fewer pesticides, their ‘organic-ness’ doesn’t make them more nutritious. “Using organic ingredients is to be applauded,” says Stanton, “but there’s nothing healthy about organic sugar or organic cornflour.”

The word ‘yoghurt’ also conjures up a healthy image, but in the case of packaged snacks it’s certainly misleading. 

The ‘yoghurt topping’ on Only Organic’s Yoghurt Kindy Rice Cakes, for example, consists of cane sugar, cocoa butter, skimmed yoghurt powder and full-cream milk powder, changing a perfectly healthy wholegrain rice cake into a snack that’s high in saturated fats and sugar. We paid $4 for a 60g pack of these rice cakes, which is five times more expensive than regular, organic rice cakes that you can pick up for less than $2 for a 150g pack.

Rafferty’s Garden Yoghurt Buttons are 93.5% yoghurt, but sugar is the third ingredient in this yoghurt, resulting in a product that’s more than 60% sugar – reducing the appeal of the ‘probiotic cultures’ it claims to contain.

Highly processed, no substance

To look at, corn flour-based ‘hoop’, ‘loop’ and puff-style baby snacks including Organix Goodies, Little Bellies Round-A-Bouts and Heinz Nutrios are reminiscent of mainstream snack and cereal products like Cheetos or Froot Loops.

Unlike the mainstream versions, these baby snacks have minimal added baddies, but what they do have in common is that they offer little in the way of nutritional value.

“These all may be suitable in terms of their fat, sugar and salt content however they are highly processed snacks with minimal fruit and veg,” says Ryan. “They are made to look very similar to processed salty snack foods such as Burger Rings. In my opinion, providing these foods for a baby is not ideal as it promotes a taste and preference for these type of snack foods.”

Organix Finger Foods Strawberry Baby Biscuits, with their “no junk promise” are yet another example. The ingredients list largely consists of flour, grape juice concentrate, two types of oil (including palm oil) and strawberry powder. The pack claims the biscuits contain “nothing unnecessary”, but you could equally argue they contain nothing necessary.

A warning about fruit and veg pouches

Squeezy pouches of pureed fruit and veg are not just common first foods for infants, but also popular snacks for babies, toddlers and beyond. Their convenience is undeniable, but giving them to your baby too often can be problematic.

Being easy to consume (babies just need to squeeze and suck from the spout) more food can be eaten in a shorter time. “This can bypass the natural signals that the stomach is full,” says Stanton, potentially resulting in over consumption. Ryan warns that if relied on as the only source of fruit and veg, they can also contribute to “a lack of feeding and oral motor skill development, which can in turn impact on language and development skills”.

And because they’re in puree form they contain less fibre than whole fruit and veg.

An exercise in marketing

Breakey says that giving your baby food without added sugars or salt is ideal, but “is not realistic for the general population”. When it comes to these snacks she takes the approach that “nutrition is not an all-or-nothing issue” and that moderation is key, but adds, “Parents are wise if they read the labels re the amount of sugars and salt and choose the most desirable.”

While the occasional packaged snack is unlikely to hurt your baby, for the most part these products are unnecessary and a waste of money, according to Stanton and Ryan.

“Most of these snacks consist predominantly of refined carbohydrates with some oil. Others are fruit juice concentrates or fruit powders”, says Stanton. “There is nothing essential in them and all create a hazard for developing teeth.”

“The marketing strategy for these foods is very strong and difficult to decipher as a parent,” says Ryan. “Ultimately all young babies and children need is plain, simple, wholesome foods which are half the price and much healthier.”

Stanton agrees. “Babies should eat family foods. The idea that infants need special foods (apart from formula for those who aren’t breastfed for the first 12 months) is a marketing exercise and doesn’t follow any principles of good nutrition,” says Stanton. Her advice? “Ignore all packaged snacks, go to the fruit department and look for suitable fruits in season.”

How to be snack savvy

Preparing nutritious snacks and finger foods for your baby isn’t always an option, and there’s no doubting the convenience of having a packaged snack in your bag as a backup for when you’re out and about. Just bear the following in mind when choosing:

• Read the ingredients list first – ingredients are listed in order of most to least.
• Aim for products with a small ingredients list consisting of whole foods and no added sugars and salt, particularly if your baby is under 12 months.
• Check for real fruit and veg ingredients, not just juice concentrates and powders.
• Don’t be swayed by claims that the snack will “help your little one develop good hand eye co-ordination” or is “sized and shaped to help develop fine motor skills”.  A cucumber stick, a crust of wholemeal bread, a rice cracker or a banana can all do the same job.
• Consider them all to be ‘sometimes’ foods.

Simple, sensible snack suggestions

“Babies (and all children) need to eat more fruits, vegetables, wholegrains – as real foods, not as puffs, bars and snack foods that bear little resemblance either in appearance or consumption to anything that actually they would recognise as a basic food,” says Stanton.

Ryan encourages parents to consider snacks as ‘mini’ meals, and offer a selection of foods from all food groups. “Keep it simple and easy,” she says. “Children do not need fancy products to enjoy what they eat.”

For a simple, nutritious snack for babies and toddlers, our experts suggest the following:

• Fresh fruit pieces (offer a variety of colours and types)
• Veggie sticks (offer a variety of colours and types)
• Wholemeal bread or toast fingers with a nut spread (allergies permitting)
• Plain yoghurt or cheese pieces
• Boiled eggs, cold cooked meats, baked beans
• Plain rice cakes, corn thins, wholemeal mini pikelets with grated vegies, cooked pasta pieces, dry cereal pieces

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