DEAR DR. BLONZ: Our school year is now underway, and I am again being pressured by my sons to include too-sugary snacks in their lunch boxes. I have volunteered in the lunchroom, and have noticed that those who don't get what they want tend to trade items with their classmates. My boys are 8 and 10, are active and usually eat well. I try to only buy snacks that claim to be made with fruit, but I am skeptical of their nutrition. -- F.K., Los Angeles
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DEAR F.K.: The idea of the lunchtime snack represents a gold mine for food manufacturers, and your plight is by no means unique. All one needs to do is check the advertisements in magazines, the commercials during kids' TV shows, the ever-present online ads and the kids-eye-level shelves at the supermarket. Although there have been some changes, most "fruit snack" and "fruit roll" products still offer little more than a sweet taste and a lot of packaging. Many are just pseudo-fruit doodads aimed at the young consumer.
The manufacturers' goal is to cajole parents into choosing their products as a convenient way to add fruit to their children's diet. Though the packages boast that they are "made with real fruit," they're usually nothing more than gummy sugar concoctions with little more than a hint of the genuine article. Check the Nutrition Facts label and the ingredients list to compare the amount of added sugar to actual fruit.
A better way to add good taste and nutritional value to the lunch box is to pack real, dried fruits. There are many options in that category, too, so choose ones with the least amount of added sugar (if any). These will offer the sweetness kids seek, but with more varied flavors -- not to mention, much more impressive nutritional content.
For example, delicious dried blueberries contain 10 grams of fiber per half-cup serving; figs and dates contain nine grams; dried apricots, eight; prunes, seven; and raisins, five grams of fiber per serving. By comparison, a slice of whole-wheat bread or a half-cup of broccoli each have about two grams of dietary fiber. (The typical American consumes about 12 grams of dietary fiber each day -- far short of the recommended 25 to 30 grams.)
In addition to fiber, dried fruits are good sources of B vitamins and other nutrients. Figs are one of the richest nondairy sources of calcium: One serving of figs contains 144 milligrams of calcium, which is higher than milk on an ounce-by-ounce basis. Figs also are a good source of iron, vitamin B-6, magnesium and copper. Apricots are a standout because one serving provides one-fourth of the U.S. RDA for iron, and enough beta carotene to satisfy most of the daily value for vitamin A.
Nuts and seeds are also healthy snack options, and they go well with dried fruit. You can also try a few pretzels, low-fat chips or a bit of granola. I recommend working with your children to make their own personal trail mix -- a healthful combination individually tailored to each child's tastes.
Send questions to: "On Nutrition," Ed Blonz, c/o Universal Uclick, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO, 64106. Send email inquiries to questions@blonz.com. Due to the volume of mail, personal replies cannot be provided.