Vegetarian Journal's Guide to Foods for Vegetarian Kids

Do children (aged two years and older) really need food that is different from what the rest of the family eats? Food companies apparently think they do. They are developing many foods that are being marketed as "kid-friendly." Billions of dollars are spent annually marketing food and other products to children. Even though they often eat the same foods as everyone else in the family does--whole grains, dried beans, fruits, vegetables, nuts and nut butters, and other staples of a vegetarian diet--vegetarian children are not exempt from these marketing attempts. While vegetarian parents are less likely to buy Lunchables and McDonald's Happy Meals, they may be curious about other foods with kid-friendly labels and names like Envirokidz and Whole Kids. In this issue of Vegetarian Journal we'll look at some of these foods and see if there's anything special about these foods aimed at children.

A number of foods that are marketed to children are apparently healthier and/or vegetarian versions of snack foods and treats that are popular with children. For example, Gummy Bears are made with animal-derived gelatin and are loaded with artificial colors and flavors. While they are certainly not a necessity, are full of sugar, and expensive, there are vegetarian versions of Gummy Bears. HAIN FOODS, PLANET HARMONY, and EDWARD & SONS all make small, bear-shaped candies with no animal-derived gelatin, and no artificial colors or flavors. Planet Harmony and Edward & Sons bears are made with organic ingredients. They're still candy but can be used for a special treat.

There are even better alternatives to those kid-pleasing Popsicles and Fruit Roll-Ups. Instead of a Popsicle (main ingredients are sucrose, corn syrup, water, artificial flavor and color), your child can enjoy a frozen fruit bar. I was particularly impressed with NATURAL CHOICE Full of Fruit Bars which list organic fruit ahead of sugar on the ingredient list. Freeze different flavors of organic fruit juice in paper cups or juice pop holders for your own, much less expensive treats that have no added sugar.

If you could choose between a product containing pears, corn syrup, dried corn syrup, sugar, strawberries and artificial color, and one containing organic apples, organic strawberries, natural strawberry flavor, and lemon juice, which would you choose? They are similar in size and calories per serving. If you picked the second product, you chose STRETCH ISLAND Organic Fruit Bars, which, in my mind, are a much better choice than the first product, Fruit Roll-ups. Stretch Island Fruit Bars come in eight different flavors and are a wonderful treat to tuck into a lunch box.

Walk down the cereal aisle at the supermarket and you'll be struck by the colorful labels and cartoon figures aimed at children. Breakfast cereals for children are big business. There are also some cereals at the natural foods store that are aimed at children. ENVIROKIDZ is a line of organic children's cereals. They are sweetened with organic evaporated cane juice (and in one case honey) and contain no artificial colors or flavors. Envirokidz Orangutan O's contain organic ingredients and are considerably lower in sodium than Multi-Grain Cheerios; however, they have more sugar per serving than Multi-Grain Cheerios. Envirokidz Peanut Butter Panda Puffs have more sugar than Cap'n Crunch Peanut Butter Crowns. You'll have to decide whether organic ingredients or less sugar is a priority for you. Of course, there are other organic cereals not specifically marketed to children that are lower in sugar than the ones I've identified.

Fruit Loops is a popular children's cereal, but many parents prefer to avoid the sugar (15 grams per serving) and artificial colors in this cereal. NEW MORNING Organic Fruit-e-Os are made with organic grains, natural color and have only four grams of sugar per serving--a good choice in place of Fruit Loops. BARBARA'S Fruity Punch is also made with organic grains and natural colors but is higher in sugar (eight grams per serving). Richard Scarry Fruit O's are made with organic grains but use insect-derived carmine as a coloring agent, and so are not acceptable to vegetarians.

If your family is making the transition from a non-vegetarian to a vegetarian diet or from a lacto-ovo vegetarian diet to a vegan diet, there may be some familiar foods that your children miss. If they're asking for Franco American Spaghetti-Os, you may want to try GRANDMA MILLINA'S Organic Pasta Rings in Tomato Sauce. This is a vegan product that contains some organic ingredients. It is slightly lower in fat, sodium, and sugar than Spaghetti-Os. It's not a product for daily use but is a product for vegan children that is nutritionally somewhat better than its counterpart.

Another popular food for children is Animal Crackers. The traditional Barnum's Animal Crackers contain whey and refined sugar. Alternatives include SNACKIMALS Animal Cookies, HAIN KIDZ Animal Cookies, and COUNTRY CHOICE Animal Cookies. These are all vegan. Snackimals and Country Choice contain organic ingredients. Hain Kidz Animal Cookies are slightly lower in fat than the other brands. They all have similar levels of sugar.