Do you consider......

[mudnuri]

Pudding to be a healthy snack???

DD10 and I are having a discussion about it now.......must be a "healthy snack" for her 5th grade snack time...

whats your thought?

Brandy

 

[bicker]

I consider the Jell-o products that Jell-o considers "qualifying," as part of their Sensible Solution program, to be healthy snacks.

Desserts carrying the Sensible Solution flag can help you make balanced choices that are part of a healthy lifestyle.

The following products qualify:

• Instant Sugar-Free Fat-Free Pudding
• Cook and Serve Sugar-Free Fat-Free Pudding
• Sugar-Free Gelatin Snack
• Sugar-Free Gelatin Dessert

I hope this helps.

 

[mudnuri]

Tough to figure out what they consider healthy at the school.

This is the first year they've allowed 5th graders snack, with the condition that it's 'healthy'....problem is, some things I consider healthy they do not.

Case in point- child in class yesterday had popcorn- air popped...I consider that healthy. The teacher let the child eat it, but commented to the class that popcorn is not considered healthy for future reference. Now everything I've read and heard is that air popped popcorn is in deed healthy.

I'm going to find out today what they have for guidelines......she's taking baby carrots and ranch dressing today......hopefully that is okay LOL

Brandy

 

[EeyoreFan1]

I would personally bring it, but I wouldn't get the sugar free one.. Let the kid have the sugar. That's why they invented Sharpie's "sugar free Pudding"

 

[aprilgail2]

I would send the regular pudding. I don't let my daughter have anything that is artificially sweetened, to me that is the unhealthist thing you could give them. My daughter school always says send a heathy snack but no on listens. I am goi nto send what she will eat, it may be yogurt one day and cookies the next or potato chips...they have never told her to not eat it or never contacted me regarding it which is good because I would come out fighting on that one!

 

[kaw1218]

I would personally bring it, but I wouldn't get the sugar free one.. Let the kid have the sugar. That's why they invented Sharpie's "sugar free Pudding"

Hey Jessie.....I don't think you are allowed to answer!!!!

 

[kaw1218]

My kids have enough restrictions with the peanut free classrooms this year..... I am definately sending pudding.

 

[Christine]

Well, it's got calcium in it. That's the healthy part. The rest of it is sugar and artificial ingredients.

I guess I wouldn't call it "healthy" but I wouldn't call it "unhealthy" either.

 

[aprilgail2]

My kids have enough restrictions with the peanut free classrooms this year..... I am definately sending pudding.

My daughters got the peanut kid in her class this year so she can only bring peanut butter for lunch, up until now she has been in seperate classes from him so she could bring her peanut butter crackers for snack or apples and peanut butter. She can still bring that for lunch though. Hopefully next year they won't be in the same class again.

 

[cheyita]

I never considered pudding a healthy snack. I consider it dessert.

 

[bgirldeb]

Case in point- child in class yesterday had popcorn- air popped...I consider that healthy. The teacher let the child eat it, but commented to the class that popcorn is not considered healthy for future reference.

That is so ridiculous!
Did they provide you with a list or detail what healthy means to them? "Light" 96% ff Popcorn is our healthy snack of choice!

To answer the original question- I consider fat free pudding to be healthy, and a lot of times the way I get my milk servings in.

 

[bicker]

I disagree about the artificial sweetener concern. Sugar contributes to a greater number of deaths (lots of well-documented cases) than artificial sweeteners (so far none, as far as experts know). A high-sugar diet can increase a child's risk of developing Type 2 diabetes or the prediabetic condition known as insulin resistance syndrome.

The Food and Drug Administration has deemed five artificial sweeteners safe for everyday consumption by kids as well as adults: aspartame (Equal), acesulfame potassium (Sunett, Sweet One), sucralose (Splenda), neotame, and saccharin. (Saccharin's safety has been called into question, but long-term studies show no cancer risk to humans.) Their advantages: They're calorie-free, they don't produce a rise in blood sugar, and they don't cause cavities. Their disadvantages: Saccharin, aspartame, and acesulfame potassium don't taste exactly like sugar. And aspartame can't be used in baking or cooking.

[Source: Parenting magazine.]

 

[kaw1218]

saccharin. (Saccharin's safety has been called into question, but long-term studies show no cancer risk to humans.)

That is the statement that scares me......

 

[bicker]

I've checked. All the children in our family are human.

Don't miss the point of the statement though: "... long-term studies show no cancer risk to humans." No risk of cancer (aspartame) versus very clearly documented risk of obesity and diabetes (sugar) -- seems pretty clear-cut to me.

 

[Christine]

I disagree about the artificial sweetener concern. Sugar contributes to a greater number of deaths (lots of well-documented cases) than artificial sweeteners (so far none, as far as experts know). A high-sugar diet can increase a child's risk of developing Type 2 diabetes or the prediabetic condition known as insulin resistance syndrome.

The Food and Drug Administration has deemed five artificial sweeteners safe for everyday consumption by kids as well as adults: aspartame (Equal), acesulfame potassium (Sunett, Sweet One), sucralose (Splenda), neotame, and saccharin. (Saccharin's safety has been called into question, but long-term studies show no cancer risk to humans.) Their advantages: They're calorie-free, they don't produce a rise in blood sugar, and they don't cause cavities. Their disadvantages: Saccharin, aspartame, and acesulfame potassium don't taste exactly like sugar. And aspartame can't be used in baking or cooking.

[Source: Parenting magazine.]

bicker,

Generally I agree with most of what the FDA says; however, I personally take a small issue with artificial sweeteners. At least some of them. I have used Nutrasweet for YEARS and, finally, after have some gradual "symptoms" that I could never really resolve, I somewhat was able to link them to days that I drank a lot of artificially sweetened beverages. Two of the biggest symptoms were rapid pulse rate and bladder irritation. So, while I did NOT quit the beverages, I switched over to regular sugar. Within about 3 weeks, those two symptoms dramatically decreased. I'm convinced it was the Nutrasweet's effects on me. I realize this doesn't cause a problem for everyone--and honestly, I was fine for years on this product. But, just with my own evidence, it's enough to make me not want to give it to a child.

I don't disagree with your assessment on sugar though. It is equally dangerous in others ways and definitely should be moderated.

 

[bicker]

Generally I agree with most of what the FDA says

Please understand, though, that this goes beyond the FDA. The FDA is just the ones saying that artificial sweeteners are safe. The broader issue here is relative risk, and even if there is a risk stemming from certain artificial sweeteners, we know, based on the lack of documented cases of people getting diseases and dying from the effects of artificial sweeteners, that the risk is certainly much much smaller than the clearly demonstrated risks from sugar.

Furthermore, the issue here is what does a school consider safe. While parents can each make their own decisions, schools should make decisions based on the best information coming from the government.

I'm convinced it was the Nutrasweet's effects on me.

My aunt suffers from similar symptoms. There are people who are allergic to the stuff. The point your story (and her's) relates though is that you stop using the product and the problem goes away. Sugar doesn't work that way... if you get diabetes, you have it forever.

I don't disagree with your assessment on sugar though. It is equally dangerous in others ways and definitely should be moderated.

And again, my point is that it is not "equally" dangerous. Sugar is a lot more dangerous.

 

[helenabear]

I never considered pudding to be a snack. I consider it to be a dessert. I would say jello is though.

I consider the Jell-o products that Jell-o considers "qualifying," as part of their Sensible Solution program, to be healthy snacks. The following products qualify:

• Instant Sugar-Free Fat-Free Pudding
• Cook and Serve Sugar-Free Fat-Free Pudding
• Sugar-Free Gelatin Snack
• Sugar-Free Gelatin Dessert

I hope this helps.

Truthfully I don't consider the sugar free healthy either. I believe the fake sugars we have are far more unhealthy for a body (just look at those with digestive issues and headaches for example) than normal sugars. I am one who *GAINED WEIGHT* by eating Nutrasweet. I get massive headaches with Splenda. Highly processed foods are far more dangerous to a body than the ones that are less processed.

Sugar is bad in high quanities. Not in moderation. You can say all you want, but I won't agree with anything other than that. And adding in someone who is diabetic means that they either have a disease or were NOT moderating sugar in the first place. Same goes for fat or anything else... moderation is key, not adding in fake and highly processed foods that our bodies were never meant to process & digest.

I'd send jello in, but not pudding.

I'd also talk to that teacher about popcorn and even microwave popcorn has far fewer calories than many things otu there!

 

[elizke]

I would not consider pudding a healthy snack.

It is tough though to come up with the snacks every day! My daughter has a peanut allergy child in her class this year, which does narrow the choices. So far I've sent fruit snacks (also not so healthy really), yogurt (in one of those insulated bowls with built-in spoon), and strawberries. Sending a frozen Gogurt is another thing we do. And popcorn sometimes, which I don't consider all that healthy but better than some.

Remember the good ol' days when there were no snacks associated with school or every dang thing else???

 

[CEDmom]

Pudding is probably just as healthy as some of the yogurt out there. I also am one that won't let my child have artificial sweetners. I think they're more harmful to her than sugar.

The popcorn thing is crazy. Does the teacher consider pretzels healthy? Popcorn w/o butter and a lot of oil in probably healthier since it has fiber.

Last year DD took those natural cheetos in quite a bit for snack. They're just corn, cheese and oil. Robert's gourmet snack products are also good. They make pirates booty and a bunch of other stuff.

It's interesting that some people think jello is healthy but pudding isn't. To me jello is nothing more than flavored sugar. Pudding at least has calcium and other vitamins/minerals.

 

[Maleficent13]

Remember the good ol' days when there were no snacks associated with school or every dang thing else???

There were no snacks in our school at all...we had a "milk break" in kindergarten (milk only) and nothing but lunch in the grades after that. We all survived without wasting away to nothing.