REAL breakfast drinks for kids
There was bit (okay a lot) of debate on Facebook yesterday with a ‘popular’ dietician/nutritionist recommending a new range of Up and Go packaged breakfast drinks for children who don’t eat breakast.
I have talked about these drinks before when another nutritionist recommended the Coco Pops drinks. Sorry but I have to put this out there yet again.
This makes me so mad.
It’s so confusing for people when ‘experts’ in the mainstream media do this. Who are we supposed to believe? Well, I think it’s important to educate yourself. Learn how to read labels, learn what ingredients are and make your own informed decision on what to feed your family.
I know that takes time and effort. But, our kids are worth it! Their bodies and brains are growing and developing and they need the best possible nutrition. Well nourished children do better at school, at sport and are better behaved.
My best tip is to get yourself a copy of The Chemical Maze handbook. It is a quick reference guide to all sorts of chemicals in our food and will give you an instant answer.
Okay, so back to the packaged breakfast drink. Let’s take a look at the ingredients.
Sanitarium Up&Go (choc ice flavour):
Filtered water, skim milk powder, cane sugar, wheat maltodextrin, soy protein, vegetable oils (sunflower, canola), hi-maize™ starch, corn syrup solids, inulin, fructose, cocoa (0.5%), cereals (oat flour, barley beta glucan), minerals (calcium, phosphorus), food acid (332), flavour, vegetable gums (460, 466, 407), vitamins (C, A, niacin, B12, B2, B6, B1, folate), salt.
Sanitarium Up&Go Oats2Go (cocoa flavour):
Filtered water, wholegrain oat flour (3.2%), skim milk powder, cane sugar, fructose, soy protein, inulin, milk protein concentrate, vegetable oils (sunflower, canola), flavours, cocoa (0.5%), mineral (calcium), food acid (332), vegetable gums (460, 466, 407), stabiliser (452), salt, vitamins (C, A, B3, B12, B2, B6, B1, folate).
There is not much I like in these products. Kids should be having full cream milk for all the good fats. Refined sugar is high up on the list, followed by fructose. Keep in mind that vegetable oils are likely to be heavily processed and genetically modified and that the vitamins added are synthetic. A whole world of nastiness in a cardboard box!
Let’s not even mention the expense of these drinks and the environmental concerns of all that packaging.
Yeah, I am not a fan. Maybe once in a blue moon, but certainly not an option for breakfast every day for my kids.
This is the breakfast smoothie I made for my kids today.
It’s really not hard or time consuming. If you are pushed for time, have all the ingredients ready to go in the blender and store in the fridge overnight. Heck, you don’t even have to wash up the blender, just rinse it out and leave it until you get home!
This is how I made it:
Throw in a blender or thermomix some banana, blueberries, organic milk, greek yoghurt and a generous spoonful of Nutra Organics Exotic Vanilla Protein powder.
You don’t need a recipe, just add stuff and taste test if needed. If you are dairy free, simply use the milk substitute of your choice (or coconut water) and coconut yoghurt.
My kids do a lot of sport and are growing at an alarming rate, so we are finding the protein powder really fills them up and helps keep them satisfied until lunch time and I know they are also getting their vitamins and probiotics in the same drink. Winner.
What do you think about these packaged breakfast drinks? What do your kids eat for breakfast? I would love to hear your ideas.
Want more?
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