When did you give them fruit snacks?

I was at the grocery store today...and to calm the masses...I took two boxes of fruit snacks off the shelves. The reason? I could ask the boys where what certain animal was(I got Curious George and The Wonder Pets)! I just happened to be in this aisle and I needed something so they would stop screaming! Anyways-that worked... So now I have two boxes of fruit snacks!

When did you give them to your kids? Are they horrible for them? I certainly don't plan on buying them on a regular basis(who knows-I may end up eating them all!).

Just wondering your thoughts on this... Thanks!

 

Mine have had them once and love love loved them. It was in the last month or so over at Grandma's house. I don't plan on buying them right now b/c they aren't great for them but I think they are fine as an occasional treat. My biggest fear was them choking on them but they did absolutely fine, and kept asking for 'more peas' when they ran out.

 

It depends on how hard-core you are about this stuff. They're basically candy, and contain high fructose corn syrup, food dyes, etc. So, pretty much "junk" food.

Kids universally love them, though -- and I have to admit, I use them as bribes while we're out, or to counterract meltdowns, etc.

But, I do buy the Gerber ones -- still mostly sugar, but a little less junk in them because they're made for babies. I probably tried them shortly after a year, when they were chewing well.

 

Umm. How about when they are fully grown, making their own grocery list and paying their own dental bills?

I totally understand the desperation of "We've finally made it to the store. I have 3 more items to grab and then we are out of here so please keep yourselves together for 5 more minutes!" but I think you are better off grabbing m&ms than "fruit snacks."

My 8 and 6 year old have had them from halloween and party favors. I won't buy them.

 

I've never given mine fruit snacks. I'm not "anti-fruit snack" or anything - my motto is everything in moderation. I haven't ever thought of it. :unknw: They don't seem like they are very filling, kwim?

 

My friend gives her DH (oops I mean DD :laughing them, but I was afraid of the choking factor. I gasped when the dr. recommended gummy bear vitamins! I would wait until they have all four molars, but that's just me. My boys love the Gerber fruit strips and the Target Archer Farms fruit bars. They are my "bribe" food!

 

Megan :laughing: I am picturing a woman giving her DH Curious George fruit snacks!
We have not tried fruit snacks yet, I'm still a little nervous about the kiddos chewing them. Our bribe me food right now (though that could change any day now) is either steamed apples or green beans. Go figure!

 

Thanks for the info ladies! Yeah growing up-we NEVER had fruit snacks(my mom the dietician). I definitely do not plan on making this a regular thing. One of those rare treats they will have. A last minute effort to calm them down! LOL!

Thanks for the replies! One has all of the molars, the other doesn't.

 

I haven't given mine gummy fruit snacks yet because I'm afraid of them choking. I do give them dried fruit snacks though and they love them. Sorry that probably doesn't help you at all, but if the boxes aren't all dented and you don't want to give them to your boys I'm sure you can return them to the grocery store.

 

I havn't tried them, but I think Welch's make a fruit snack with real fruit. (Not sure if 100% fruit, or if they use other ingredients).

Sometimes I buy fruit leather (organic), which is 100% fruit.

 

QUOTE(Becca34 @ Mar 21 2009, 03:11 AM) [snapback]1237832[/snapback]
It depends on how hard-core you are about this stuff. They're basically candy, and contain high fructose corn syrup, food dyes, etc. So, pretty much "junk" food.


We don't eat them. They are just sugary treats that stick to teeth.


There are too many other better choices out there. No need to give them candy.

 

Are there any that aren't horrible? We haven't done these at all yet so I haven't looked. What about the baby ones from BeachNut or are there some you can get from Whole Foods that aren't so bad? Right now our bribe treat is yogurt melts and it still works wonders.

 

We have them in the house & all my boys love them. I was scared at first, but the only thing we have to watch is that Cody doesn't shove all of them in his mouth at once. Now he gets them 1 at a time.
I don't have a problem with snacks. I think they are fine in moderation.

 

QUOTE(elara @ Mar 23 2009, 10:06 AM) [snapback]1240331[/snapback]
Are there any that aren't horrible? We haven't done these at all yet so I haven't looked. What about the baby ones from BeachNut or are there some you can get from Whole Foods that aren't so bad? Right now our bribe treat is yogurt melts and it still works wonders.


Florida's Natural (which is a brand of orange juice) makes some that really aren't too bad, and healthier than conventional fruit snacks. Look:

Florida's Natural fruit nuggets

I've only found them at Target so far. They're still not good for the teeth, but then, neither is any dried fruit, including raisins.

They're a little on the chewy side, so definitely for kids who have their molars.

 

I just bought them a few weeks ago. I loved them when I was younger. Well, I gave them a pack and as they were eating them I realized how they were really getting stuck in their teeth. They are not the best tooth brushers so I decided to not give them to them anymore.

 

QUOTE(seamusnicholas @ Mar 23 2009, 05:13 PM) [snapback]1241207[/snapback]
I just bought them a few weeks ago. I loved them when I was younger. Well, I gave them a pack and as they were eating them I realized how they were really getting stuck in their teeth. They are not the best tooth brushers so I decided to not give them to them anymore.


Yeah-I loved fruit roll-ups growing up-but we were never allowed to eat them(aka...my mother the dietician...but you wouldn't know that by other foods in the house... ).

The getting stuck in the teeth part makes sense. And I know my boys-they would LOVE them. I guess I will keep them in the car/pocketbook for a worst case scenario sort of thing. But I don't plan on giving them to them. Who knows-I may eat them before they even find out!

 

I started giving it to them about 1 year. John started then too. He only has them as a snack at school now and the twins even less than John. They are pretty full of sugar, so I think they are young still for that much sugar all the time.

 

I let the boys have them on occasion and started so a couple months ago, so around 22 months? They're easy to toss in my purse and they've done very well chewing them. I do buy the Welch's fruit snacks, there's more fruit juice vs. sugar in them compared to some of the alternatives. And I'm sure they're not the best for the teeth, but we brush. They don't get candy, or really cookies either very often, I keep their sugar intake pretty low. I figure everyone has to have a few "treats" and this is one of ours.