Kids foods aren’t always the healthiest foods. In fact, some of them are even tough to categorize as “food”. Grab any "kid-friendly" snack or wellness remedy and you're likely to see an long list of sugars, preservatives, and synthetic chemical ingredients. And that's bad news for our little ones.
Take artificial colorings, for example. Study after study continue to link consumption of artificial colorings, like red 40, to increased hyperactivity and ADHD development in children. And let's not forget about hidden sugars. According to the most recent data, around 18.5% of American kids are considered obese. And still, we continue to fill our kids' products with artificial dyes, flavorings, and refined sugars—and expect them to be fine. It's a broken system.
Stop the viscous cycle and make your hive a little healthier by ditching the sugary, processed kids products. Try out these 4 BKN-approved swaps to keep your kids happy and healthy.
Nutella → Superfood Cacao Honey
Somehow, this chocolate hazelnut spread has become a mainstay of a “healthful” kids’ breakfast. But really? Just take a look at the ingredients list: sugar, modified palm oil, hazelnuts, cocoa, skimmed milk powder, whey powder, lecithin, and vanillin. Notice sugar listed as the first ingredient? A small serving of Nutella contains over 20 grams of sugar! Part of a healthful breakfast? No way!
Guess that’s why one mom sued them for deceptive advertising.
Plus, it’s also hazelnut-based. So it’s no good for kids with nut allergies or sensitivities.
Our solution? Superfood Cacao Honey, of course! A simple, natural blend of antioxidant-rich raw Ecuadorian cacao and raw honey, our Cacao Honey is a nourishing sweet treat both moms and kids can get behind. No refined sugars, no dairy, no nuts, no modified oils. Just two powerful superfoods blended into one amazing spread. Spread a little on a banana sandwich or try dipping strawberries, apples, and even avocados in it for a sweet afternoon treat. 
Lunchables → Veg-ables
Remember Lunchables? They used to be the hottest lunch in the elementary school cafeteria, thanks to some really clever 90s marketing schemes. Plus, they claim to be an excellent source of calcium and protein, and even include whole grains. Doesn't sound too bad, right?
But have you looked at this product recently? It’s just a gross package of highly processed meats, cheeses, and crackers. It's not really food. Seriously, even the “meat” contains corn syrup. Ew.
Ditch the products and pack your kids real food—produce. Carrot, cucumber, celery, apple, and red pepper sticks are tasty, crunchy, and nutritious. Plus, you can pair them with great dips like hummus, guacamole, nut butter, or even a little goat cheese.
Sugary cereal → Oatmeal
A bowl of fruit loops doesn’t do a kid any good. Let’s let the ingredients list speak for themselves, shall we?
Froot Loops ingredients: sugar, corn flour blend, wheat flour, whole grain oat flour, oat fiber, soluble corn fiber, partially hydrogenated vegetable oil, salt, red 40, natural flavor, blue 2, turmeric color, yellow 6, annatto color, blue 1, BHT for freshness.
*(It’s also fortified with a handful of vitamins and minerals.)
Just as we expected—artificial colors, hydrogenated oils, and refined sugars galore. Does that sound like the nourishing breakfast your child deserves before heading off to school? Not only is it loaded with focus-draining artificial colorings, but it is sure to spike your kid's blood sugar levels through the roof!
Need a quick breakfast that won’t spike blood sugar levels? Try oatmeal. It’s rich in B vitamins, fiber, protein, and promotes balanced blood sugar and energy levels to get your little ones through to lunchtime. Mix it with a little yogurt or coconut milk, nuts, seeds, and berries to make a really balanced breakfast.
...Okay, we admit, oatmeal—although infinitely more nutritious—could use a little more pizazz to beat out fruit loops, at least from a kid's perspective. Make it more enticing to picky eaters by making an Oatmeal Unicorn Bowl! Just utilize the natural food dyes already in your own kitchen.
Here's how to do it. Make a batch of oatmeal and distribute it evenly between four bowls. Mix each bowl with one of the following: a little frozen raspberry juice, a teaspoon of golden turmeric powder, a teaspoon of green spirulina dye, and a little frozen blueberry juice. You should get pink, gold, green, and blue oatmeal! Make fun designs with your colorful oatmeal in a serving bowl, or striate the colors like a rainbow! Drizzle a little bit of honey on top and your kids won’t even think twice about that pesky toucan. Unicorns rule!
Children’s OTC cough meds → Propolis Throat Spray for Kids
Over-the-counter v. nature, a battle for the ages. Or is it? Turns out, OTC remedies aren’t much of a competitor. Kids' cough syrups, for instance, are loaded with sugar, artificial red coloring agents, and even alcohol. And let’s not forget about that awful artificial flavor! Gross.
Our Propolis Throat Spray for Kids is like our original Propolis Spray, except with a nourishing drizzle of buckwheat honey. Propolis powerfully helps to defend and protect kids’ delicate immune systems by fighting off germs, while antioxidant-rich buckwheat honey is there to calm and soothe scratchy throats.
One study actually compared dextromethorphan (an active ingredient in many kids' OTC remedies) and buckwheat honey head-to-head and suggested that they are equally effective in reducing nighttime coughing in children. In fact, parents involved in the study rated buckwheat honey more favorably because it’s all natural (and it tastes way better than that cherry-flavored junk). It might be just what you've been looking for to help your active kid stay healthy, which is why we put it in our Propolis Throat Spray for Kids!
Making healthier swaps isn't that hard. Ditch the trashy "kids formulas" and add in a little bit of natural goodness instead. Our kids don't need all those chemicals and sugars in their diets. And neither do we!
