According to the "Children's Snacks Market Research White Paper", in recent years, the children's snacks market has continued to grow at a compound annual growth rate of more than 10%.
Behind these increases are related to parents' demand for children's food and the high prices of children's food.
For example, a well-known brand of children's dumplings on a certain e-commerce platform is priced at 21.5 yuan for 300 grams, while other dumplings of the same brand without the word "children" are priced at 14-23 yuan per kilogram.
In the eyes of many parents, expensive ones are better, which means that food standards are higher and children eat healthier.
On the other hand, many children's foods are available in small sizes suitable for children's mouth, with cute cartoon images that children like, and more to cater to children's tastes.
For example, many children's milk on the market will add sugar or sweeteners, making children's milk more attractive to children than ordinary milk, and making children more willing to drink it for a long time.
But with the word "children", does it really mean it is more suitable for children?
The fact is, it is not!
There is no national standard for children's food
At present, our country's relevant food safety standards only target formula foods and complementary foods for infants and young children aged 0 to 36 months. There is no unified national standard for children's food.
In May 2020, the " General Requirements for Children's Snacks " standardized children's snacks in terms of raw materials, sensory, nutritional ingredients, etc., but this standard does not require manufacturers to enforce it.
This means that it is up to the merchant to decide whether to print "children's food" on the food package!
Children's food may not be suitable for children
For example, children's cheese, most of which are processed cheese. Additional sugar, salt, and other additives need to be added during the production process.
Some children's steaks even contain trans fatty acids . Long-term consumption will damage the development of children's nervous system , and even harm the cardiovascular system and heart.
There are also some children's food packages that say "0 sugar", but looking at the ingredient list, they only do not contain sucrose, but contain other fructose , maltose , lactose , etc. It’s also sugar. Eating too much can harm your child’s health.
Therefore, children’s food does not mean that it is 100% healthy and worry-free. Some children's foods may even be harmful to children's health if consumed for a long time. Therefore, when choosing food for your baby, you must keep your eyes open.
How to choose healthy food for your baby
- Refer to the two high and three low principles
When parents choose food for their children, they can refer to the two high and three low principles, which is high calcium and high protein, low fat, low carbohydrates and low sodium.
supplements calcium and protein, which is of great benefit to children's growth and development.
Regarding fats and carbohydrates, according to the "Balanced Dietary Plan for Chinese Children", you can choose high-quality meat and grain products for your children to prevent excess fat.
- Choose natural and healthy foods as children’s snacks
In the "Snack Guide for Children and Adolescents in China (2018)", it is recommended that children of every age group should first choose fruits, milk and nuts as the best snacks.
Natural food has more nutrients and fewer additives than processed food, which is more conducive to the healthy development of children.
- Learn to read the food formula table
The simpler the ingredients in the food formula table, the fewer additives and the safer and healthier the food. In the ingredient list of
, the earlier the ingredient name is, the higher the content is.
once again emphasized that there is currently no special "children's food" category in our country. Parents, please remember not to see the word "children" on a product package and assume that it must be good for your child's health! Just because it’s expensive doesn’t mean it’s better. It’s still necessary to make the right choice and mix of food based on your child’s developmental characteristics.
