Packing healthy meals for Children.
Just over 80% of parents think they are giving their children healthy drinks and 67% say they think the desserts they give their children are usually healthy. However, an independent report by paediatric dietician, Jacky Bernett, worryingly highlights that many of the popular fruit juice drinks and fruit-based jelly desserts "are not as healthy as they seem".
Jacky Bernett has discovered that many fruit juice drinks on the market actually have a low fruit juice content (predominantly under 20%) and contain unwanted additives. Her 'Fruit Imposters' report highlights that parents should read the small print labeled 'ingredients' on the back of the carton rather than purchasing fruit juice drinks by choosing a drink with a fruit name or one that displays mouth-watering fruit images on the packaging.
However disturbingly a third of parents still do not pay attention to the labelling of fruit drinks according to new research from Del Monte Fruitini. More worryingly, even when they do read the label, information on sugar content, effectiveness of added vitamins and the actual fruit content can often be confusing if not misleading.
Parents are already struggling - with 73% finding it difficult to come up with new ideas for their children's packed lunch, and one in four parents unable to say 'no' to the demands of their kids when choosing lunch for the day.
Some Statistics:
- 70% of children take a packed lunch
- 55% take water or flavoured water
- 30% of parents will buy fruit juice based on the ingredients
- 24% of parents will buy fruit juice because their child prefers the taste of a particular brand
- 83% will allow their child to drink between 1-3 cartons of fruit juice a day
- 78% of parents will give their child fruit for dessert
- 72% of parents find it difficult to come up with news ideas for their child's packed lunch
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