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At Healthfully, we strive to deliver objective content that is accurate and up-to-date. Our team periodically reviews articles in order to ensure content quality. The sources cited below consist of evidence from peer-reviewed journals, prominent medical organizations, academic associations, and government data.
- Harvard School of Public Health, How Sweet Is It?
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: How to Use Fruits and Vegetables to Help Manage Your Weight
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Be a Fat Calorie Detective
The information contained on this site is for informational purposes only, and should not be used as a substitute for the advice of a professional health care provider. Please check with the appropriate physician regarding health questions and concerns. Although we strive to deliver accurate and up-to-date information, no guarantee to that effect is made.
Top 10 Most Unhealthy Snacks for Kids
With so many snacks to choose from in supermarkets these days, knowing which ones to avoid is vital in keeping children healthy yet satisfied. Avoid empty calories with added sugar and extra grams of trans fat and saturated fat by avoiding the worst offenders, most of which are highly processed convenience foods.
Bogus Beverages
Many of the beverages found in the juice aisle tend to have the same number of calories (and often more) as 100 percent fruit juice. These drinks, however, are largely made up of a concoction of high-fructose corn syrup and other additives, including preservatives and dyes.
The Stuff in Muffins
List of High-Carb Foods to Avoid
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**Muffins can have more sugar, calories and fat than cupcakes 2. A large muffin can pack in as much as 630 calories per serving, and the saturated and trans fat content are often equivalent to that of a doughnut.
Toaster Pastries
Toaster pastries tend to be highly processed. Highly processed foods contain numerous additives, including preservatives and added sugars that contribute to calorie load without the benefit of vitamins and minerals.
Cash in the Chips
Healthy Snacks That Start With the Letter D
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Chips contain trans fats and hydrogenated oils that contribute to cardiovascular disease and obesity. Although parents consider baked chips a healthier option, these often have added sugars to increase taste.
Fattening Fries
A large order of french fries contains 26 grams of fat and about 500 calories, most of which is trans fat and saturated fat. Foods that are high in trans fat raise total blood cholesterol levels and lead to plaque buildup starting as early as childhood. These plaques eventually lead to the development of hypertension and heart disease.
The Scoop on Calories
If the kids are craving a cold treat, opt for yogurt instead of ice cream. One scoop of ice cream can have anywhere from 360 to 820 calories and is also high in saturated fat in comparison to a serving of frozen yogurt, sherbet or sorbet, which runs between 100 and 200 calories.
Some Tough Cookies
Those cookies found in the snack aisle that never seem to have an expiration date also fall into the highly processed food category and are high in sodium, saturated fats or trans fats and contain little dietary fiber.
A Weighty Dessert
The name for this cake is derived from the traditional weight of its ingredients: 1 pound of flour, 1 pound of sugar, 1 pound of butter and 1 pound of eggs. This is a cake particularly high in cholesterol since about 40 percent of calories tend to come from fat.
Sugary Cereal
Although many sugary cereals now are fortified with vitamins, these also tend to be highly processed. Processing raw food ingredients usually changes their natural state by stripping the grains of their natural nutritional value.
Color-Coded Candy
Your child may be eating candy that is labeled as “fat-free,” but many of these fat-free candies are loaded with artificial dyes. A number of dyes, including yellow No. 5 and No 234. 6 and red No. 10, have been linked to hyperactivity and allergies, according to a study performed at Southampton University in 2007.
- Your child may be eating candy that is labeled as “fat-free,” but many of these fat-free candies are loaded with artificial dyes.
- 10, have been linked to hyperactivity and allergies, according to a study performed at Southampton University in 2007.
Related Articles
References
- Harvard School of Public Health, How Sweet Is It?
- NBC News: Think Muffins and Bagels are Healthy? Think again
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: How to Use Fruits and Vegetables to Help Manage Your Weight
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Be a Fat Calorie Detective
- Science Daily: Obese Kids' Artery Plaque Similar to Middle-Aged Adults
- CBS News: The Fat Facts on Ice Cream
- Prevention Magazine’s Nutrition Advisor -- The Ultimate Guide to Health-Boosting and Health-Harming Factors in Your Diet; Mark Bricklin
- FDA Food Advisory Committee: Certified Color Additives in Food and Possible Association with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder in Children
Writer Bio
Dr. Sabina Anna Rebis began writing in 2002 during her internships at "Seventeen" and "Child" magazines. Her work appeared on child.com and in "Westchester Magazine." She is now a pediatric resident physician.