Sugar Free jello for kids dessert,You gotta be kidding

[MosMom]

We were at POR and the food court there had no problem with us getting a cookie or even dirt & worms as dessert for the kids. I think the place we had to get jello was Pinnochio's Village Haus and that was the only place. They didn't seem to have much of a selection even for adults though.

 

[TDC Nala]

I don't think sugar free jello on a two week vacation is the solution to childhood obesity.

I think it was a cost based decision and not a health based decision.

That said, I sometimes share a disney meal with my dd, as it is too much to eat alone, I wouldn't have a problem letting my kids have my dessert.

It was both. Less cash outlay, and better press for offering "healthy" choices. If they offered a dining plan where a kid could eat sugary sweets all day long, I think they would worry about getting hammered for it by the "food police," who are gaining power in media and government.

If you want traditional sweets for the kids, you can buy them all over the parks and resorts. If you don't like what the dining plan offers right now, you may have to add a bit to your budget in order to supplement the plan. Or use a snack credit.

 

[3DisneyBuggs]

Artificial sweetners and healthy eating don't go hand in hand. Cut up watermelon and honeydew would be a nice desset choice. Throw in blueberries and my favorite summer fruit salad is complete!

 

[Katiebell]

Cut up fresh fruit is a wonderful idea, but it's a lot more expensive and extremely perishable. However there are several food courts and a fresh fruit stand in virtually every park where you could purchase fruit for your child. I believe the Harambe Fruit Market has fresh pineapple for 3.99, which would be just right for a snack credit. But if a serving of fruit is $3-$4, I can see why it wouldn't be included in a child's meal that costs $4-$5 for the entire meal.

I wouldn't even expect the kids to get a large dessert like the ones offered to adults -- again it's a menu item that is priced individually at $2-$4, not reasonable to expect them to include that in the kids' meals.

But if Disney is going to use prepackaged cups of sugar free Jello as the kids' meal desserts, then why not regular Jello, too, for those who don't like artificial sweeteners? The cost difference would be nil. Or they could also offer little prepackaged cups of pudding, yogurt, or tiny fruit cups (mandarin oranges or diced peaches -- not the big cups of fresh fruit they sell elsewhere). I'm assuming the applesauce is also packed in those little vacuum-sealed cups. They could probably obtain them from the same supplier, and the cost difference may be slight, but would really be negligible at the volume Disney would purchase.

If your kid is still hungry after lunch, go get them a fruit bowl with a snack credit. Better yet, get them an ice cream sundae.

 

[bicker]

What's wrong with regular jello?

Sugar.

 

[bicker]

Artificial sweetners and healthy eating don't go hand in hand.

Reasonable people disagree about that.

Cut up watermelon and honeydew would be a nice desset choice.

And much more expensive. I think there are a lot of Disney guests who rely on that $10.99 per day or $3.99 per meal price-point, and if it went up significantly to reflect the additional value of fresh fruit, they'd be priced out of the market.

 

[Katiebell]

What's wrong with regular jello?

Sugar.

Hmmm...how about artificial coloring and artificial flavoring? Except those are in sugar free Jello, too. Not to mention that gelatin is made from pork skin, cattle bones, and cattle hide that are washed, soaked in acid or lime, and washed again several times, then boiled several times to extract the gelatin.

But before you freak out about Jello...gelatin is a key ingredient in marshmallows, gummy candies, ice cream, sour cream, cake frostings, and a lot of other foods. AND it is so processed that most rabbis consider it kosher, and many vegetarians will eat it without a problem -- although there is a vegetarian substitute derived from seaweed available, agar doesn't really work as effectively in most applications as plain ol' animal-derivative gelatin. If you want to see gelatin in it's most natural state, try cooking up a packet of plain, unflavored Knox gelatin...eww.

Jello, regular or sugar free, isn't health food. But you might not want to know what is in those yummy Dole Whips (hint: they aren't soft serve pineapple ice cream, but you can look up the ingredients on the Precision Foods website) or those tasty hot dogs at Casey's or Pete's.

Yes, I love Dole Whips (at least the pineapple juice in the floats is natural and real -- I think), and will eat an occasional hot dog (although I usually buy kosher if I can find them, and I'm not Jewish, I just know they are better quality). And I'm not wild about Jello, although I will eat it once in a blue moon. But the fact is, we ALL eat gelatin in a lot of food products, each and every day. It isn't Soylent Green, and it's not gonna kill us...at least it hasn't so far!

Either eat the Jello, or throw it away and buy your kid some ice cream or a Dole Whip. Buy your kids a fresh fruit bowl from a cart if you want them to have a healthy natural snack. Take 'em to a buffet so they can eat all the veggies and salads there. It's just not worth stressing out over. Eat your brussel sprouts and steel cut oats when you get home. Go have some fun, for heaven's sake -- you are at WDW!

 

[bicker]

Hmmm...how about artificial coloring and artificial flavoring? Except those are in sugar free Jello, too.

And those things haven't been demonstrated to be as dangerous to folks as sugar has been.

 

[Irishhockey]

I was raised with the mindset that a "dessert" was a sweet treat. We sometimes do have Jello for a dessert, but it's usually covered in cool whip with grahm cracker crumbs To me, THATS a dessert.

It does appear that Disney is gearing their menus to the "healthy" side, which is nice to see. But parents and visitors have different tastes and opinions, and therefore Disney should advertise and offer other child dessert options.

Character shortbread cookies, fruit snacks, sugar free jello cup, and pudding cups are all easy, long lasting dessert options that Disney could offer. No, they're not the most healthiest dessert to hit the shelves, but as I said, my mindset is that a dessert is a treat not an "extra snack".

Some parents will love the jello option, others will laugh at it, and most will hardly even notice/care. I only see it being a burden if your on the DDP and you can always ask for another option.

 

[amykathleen2005]

And those things haven't been demonstrated to be as dangerous to folks as sugar has been.

Actually I think that artificial sweetewners have. Depending on what you want to get sick from, sugar and artificial sweetners (especally those in pop) are both evils to content with. That being said, a little won't hurt you in any case.



My advice eat is moderation or don't eat the entire entree and a nice dessert, with sugar or not will be fine.


Or you could force the kids to eat all of the "bad" desserts at every meal so that even the throught of a piece of cake would sicken them for years...

 

[Katiebell]

And those things haven't been demonstrated to be as dangerous to folks as sugar has been.

Yeah, except that red dye that was found to cause cancer, so they yanked it off the market. And the artificial butter flavoring that is causing major lung damage and even killing workers in popcorn manufacturing plants. Honestly, if you drink gallons of anything or have constant exposure to it, it isn't good for you. Water is wonderful, but you can actually drink too much, get water intoxication and hyponetremia, and die. Sunlight is healthy and important for vitamin D production...but can cause burns and even melanoma if not taken in moderation. Too much sugar can cause life-threatening obesity and diabetes -- but a lollipop once in a while is probably safe.

Jello...sugar free or regular...is full of colors and flavors that nature didn't make. And it's made from what would normally not be considered food products, but we eat gelatin all the time in all sorts of foods. So, all I'm sayin' is...take a vitamin, eat a Dole Whip, and enjoy your vacation. (not you, bicker, that was a hypothetical "your" )

 

[cougartrace]

And those things haven't been demonstrated to be as dangerous to folks as sugar has been.

sugar has never been considered dangerous at all. In fact, in the correct portions, its very healthy for you.

Unfortunately, science knows very little about what is bad for one person but not bad for another. It comes down to genes and thats it.

America is about choice and if you are paying top dollar at Disney then choices should be available.

 

[deltachi8]

I don't see why everyone makes a big deal out of the jello. Besides i know for a fact that you can get a different dessert at almost every location, jello is just the usual dessert that comes with it. And no matter what dessert Disney offers you will always have those that don't like it, no matter what it is.

The good thing about the DDP, is if you want some ice cream, you can always use your snack for the day and get a Mickey Ice Cream bar or something. I don't know about anyone else but i don't have a dessert with lunch or dinner everyday when i am at home, or on vacations for that matter.

With all of the things going on during your stay at Walt Disney World, i would think worrying about Jello would be the last thing on my mind.

well said...

 

[xoprincessmomxo]

So now I'm a fool.








I know you didn't mean it that way. Did you?

YEAH, a LUCKY FOOL! I am speaking out of only pure jealousy! I wish I was one of the fools. Disney free dining =

Guess what??? I was a Florida baby!!! My parent's always called me their Disney World suprise souvenir! Maybe that's why I like Disney World so much.

 

[deltachi8]

America is about choice and if you are paying top dollar at Disney then choices should be available.

and Disney, as a private business, can choose what to offer for meals.

 

[bicker]

Actually I think that artificial sweetewners have.

Remarkably, no, and surely no where near as dangerous as sugar.

 

[bicker]

sugar has never been considered dangerous at all.

I'm sorry to disagree. I suppose the sugar lobby has done a good job protecting their product from criticism, but sugar (including all its forms, such as dextrose, sucrose, HFCS, etc.) consumption causes far more medical maladies than any other food source.

America is about choice and if you are paying top dollar at Disney then choices should be available.

Well, WDW isn't really charging "top dollar". If you want to know what "top dollar" is like, check out Dolphin Cove, or the Ritz Carlton hotel.

 

[MEM]

Remarkably, no, and surely no where near as dangerous as sugar.

Sorry, I have to disagree with you. I'm not sure what "medical maladies" you are blaming on sugar, but the only disease that can definitively be linked to over-use of sugar is dental caries (tooth decay). Even that can be prevented by practicing careful oral hygiene. Can you cite any major studies where diabetes, obesity, hyperactivity, etc. can be strongly linked to the use of sugar? I work in health care education and we recommend moderation in all things.

As far as artificial sweeteners, I copied the following statement from Dr. Andrew Weil's website:

"As you may know, I'm not a fan of artificial sweeteners. I think it best to avoid both aspartame and saccharin. For now, I'm still keeping an eye on a newer one, sucralose (Splenda). A product of British research, sucralose is 600 times sweeter than sugar and maintains its sweetness under a wide range of temperatures, making it a useful option for cooking and baking. It tastes better than aspartame and saccharin and, so far, looks safe. (But so did saccharin and aspartame when they were introduced.)

Like most artificial sweeteners, aspartame has a peculiar taste. I have seen a number of patients - mostly women - who report headaches from using it, and some women also find that aspartame aggravates PMS. This compound is suspected of being an "excitotoxin," a compound that can damage nerve cells by overstimulating them. I would warn anyone with a neurological disease to avoid it.

We do know that people with the genetic disease phenylketonuria (PKU), those with advanced liver disease, and pregnant women with high levels of the amino acid phenylalanine in their blood have a problem with aspartame because they do not effectively metabolize phenylalanine, one of aspartame's components. High levels of phenylalanine in body fluids can cause brain damage. For this reason, the FDA requires that all products containing aspartame must include a warning to phenylketonurics that the sweetener contains phenylalanine.

For every one else, although available evidence suggests that occasional use of aspartame presents no great risk, I would however recommend following the precautionary principle. In other words, don't use it.

I think it's wise to consume moderate amounts of sugar rather than any artificial sweeteners. Sugar is safe when used in moderation, and relatively low in calories (about 15 per teaspoon).

Also, keep in mind that no evidence exists to suggest that using artificial sweeteners helps anyone lose weight. So why use them - especially if safety concerns exist?

The only non-caloric sweetener I recommend is stevia, an herb in the chrysanthemum family native to Paraguay that you can buy in whole-leaf or extract form. The extract - stevioside - is a granular white powder that you dissolve in water and dispense with a dropper. Stevia is safe for diabetics and is widely used as a sweetener around the world, especially in Japan and Brazil. A few drops of the liquid provide the sweetness of an entire cup of sugar."

 

[bicker]

Sorry, I have to disagree with you.

That's your prerogative. The link between consumption of sugar in all its forms and diabetes, obesity, etc., has been well-established. This isn't the right forum to discuss the details. Folks can read their own newspapers and decide for themselves. Regardless, reasonable people can disagree, so companies can be readily justified pursuing their business objectives in consideration of either perspective.

As far as artificial sweeteners, I copied the following statement from Dr. Andrew Weil's website:

I think Dr. Weil is an alarmist. I suggest folks consult their own physicians, rather than relying on the advice of online personalities.

 

[RACHELSMOM1]

And those things haven't been demonstrated to be as dangerous to folks as sugar has been.

Oh, No!! Sugar is DANGEROUS! Say it ain't so, please! Well, why did God make something so wonderful as sugar if it is dangerous?

Seriously, isn't this a little absurd. Come on, sugar is dangerous? Is it a monster? Is it illegal to consume such a dangerous substance? Disney and the feds trying to regulate what we fed our kids is simply primeval. I know what is best for my kids, and a little sugar will not kill them. They are teeny tiny little girls who need calories when they walk for miles all over WDW, and when they are busy at home. The food police have gone too far already, just let us have some choices please, since we are spending our hard earned money to have a good time.