What’s Really in the Sweets Your Kid Buys at the School Tuck-Shop!?

Let Food by Thy Medicine and Medicine be Thy Food – Hippocrates

It’s difficult enough to get kids to eat healthy foods these days. It’s not very helpful when the school and other well-meaning friends and family keep giving kids toxic-filled treats!

We need to make ourselves aware about what snacks we are actually giving to our kids to eat.

When Leo was about three years old, he had a persistent cough that wouldn’t go away. After some detective work, we discovered that he’s allergic to the yellow and orange food colorants in common dilutable cool drinks. Now, my kids mostly drink water and milk at home (tea is also allowed). Their friends are sometimes disappointed to find that there really aren’t other drink options at our house.

Even though I try to keep sweets and sugary drinks away from my kids, they love the stuff! And cool drinks, sweets, and chips are everywhere—especially where kids are!

I’ve cringed countless times watching my kids happily devour snacks loaded with artificial and mysterious ingredients. These sweets are often sold at school tuck shops, and it seems many schools in our area stock these cheap, imported treats.

While there are food regulations in South Africa, it doesn’t mean that you or your child should actually consume all these ingredients! These standards are not designed to keep you healthy; they’re just enough not to cause immediate harm. Many of these “cheap tuck shop sweets” don’t even comply with these local laws, so you’re essentially looking at a mini-minefield of questionable ingredients.

I understand that schools need to raise money, but should profits come before kids’ health?

The issue goes beyond just a sugar rush. I’m more concerned about the processed and artificial ingredients—colorants, preservatives, flavorings, and processed sugars—all of which can lead to various health and behavioral issues in children. Some kids are more sensitive to these than others. Many of the kids referred to me for query ADHD have really poor diets and I don’t want to put a kid on Ritalin to counteract all the gassy cooldrinks and Fizzers he is eating!

If your child refuses to eat anything except Doritos Chips, don’t give him Doritos and say “At least he is eating something!” (a phrase I have heard from many parents) Rather let him go hungry. Sounds harsh, yes, but eventually he will eat that banana.

Dr. Casey Means, a leading voice in food safety, recently highlighted how chemicals like Red 40, which has been linked to attention issues and gut inflammation, are still allowed in everyday treats for kids in the U.S. and beyond. Our kids don’t need to consume a rainbow of artificial colors and flavors; fruit and a bit of home-baked goodness can make better treats, minus the side effects.

Parents and teachers, it’s on us to protect our kids. Read those labels, know what’s in the snacks you buy and sell, and let’s advocate for healthier choices in schools. Because yes, your kid might beg for that neon-green gummy snake…but their health is worth saying no to!

Encourage them to eat real food—foods that don’t even require an ingredient list because they are what they are: eggs, fish, nuts, apples, bananas, oranges, homemade popcorn.

Tips on Reading Food Labels

Here’s a quick guide for decoding ingredient labels:

– Order Matters: Ingredients are listed in order of abundance, with the first ingredient being the most prominent and the last being the least.

– Don’t Be Swayed by Buzzwords: Words like “vegan,” “gluten-free,” or “natural” don’t necessarily mean the product is good for you. Always read the labels.

– Less is More: Fewer ingredients often mean fewer chemicals.

– Beware of Unrecognizable Words: If it sounds like it belongs in a lab and not your kitchen, it probably isn’t great for your child.

– Watch for Sugar’s Sneaky Friends: Companies use multiple types of sugar to hide how much is really in the product. Keep an eye out for terms like glucose, high-fructose corn syrup, maltose, sucrose, dextrose, and “natural sweeteners.”

– Look Out for Artificial Additives:
   Color Additives: E100–199
   Preservatives: E200–299
   Other Es with numbers: thickeners, emulsifiers, antioxidants, flavor enhancers, salt compounds.

I don’t think it’s a problem for kids to have an artificial sweet every now and then, but remember, the school sells sweets, the computer teacher gives the kids sweets, the karate teacher gives them sweets, the netball teacher gives them sweets, some shops give them sweets, they got a big party pack filled with sweets at school today because it was someone’s birthday, maybe they had Fruit Loops for breakfast, then it was Halloween, a kind tannie gave sweets to the kids at the braai last night, ouma likes to spoil the kids… It adds up. Where do we draw the line?

Parents and teachers, let’s take responsibility for our kids’ health. Let’s feed them healthier food that nourishes their growing bodies and brains.

Send this post on to others so that we can all feel more guilty about the stuff we eat and give to our kids…😑 But then also, that we can be more compassionate with ourselves and others, and then hopefully make an effort to nourish ourselves and our family with healthier food.