KEY POINTS:
Kiwi parents know what they should be feeding their kids, but "pester power" and "the convenience factor" mean pre-packaged snacks high in fat and sugar still rule supreme, a survey reveals.
The Colmar Brunton research, which assessed the snacking habits of children aged 5-12 and the "nutritional consciousness" of 300 parents, showed almost three-quarters of parents were "very concerned" about the amount of sugar and fat their offspring were consuming.
While the results suggested parents had become more savvy about kids' nutritional requirements and bought healthy snacks, such as fruit, nuts and dairy food, they also revealed purchasing decisions were based largely on convenience.
That meant junk food, such as chocolate and chips, were consumed by a large majority of children more than twice a week.
Almost two-thirds of parents considered such foods a "treat" and were aware of their high sugar and fat content, but the results suggested they often succumbed to "pester power", meaning children were influencing food choices, potentially leading to bad eating habits later in life.
Nutritionists said manufacturers were misleading parents by packaging snack foods targeted at children as healthy when they were not. And 37 per cent of parents gave their children chocolate at least twice a week, even though they knew it should only be eaten occasionally.
Massey University nutritionist and senior lecturer Dr Carol Wham said "time-poor" parents who didn't want school lunch boxes returned untouched were bowing to kids' demands too easily.
A third of a child's daily intake of kilojoules (energy) was consumed at school and parents concerned about their children's health - a third of Kiwi children are overweight or obese - needed to "get organised and get back to basics" by providing snacks like chopped fruit, healthy sandwiches, dairy products and a water bottle.
The Ministry of Education encouraged parents to avoid pre-packaged snackfoods, but it was easy to be "tempted" by the "aisles and aisles of supermarket snacks," Wham said.
Scientific chairwoman for the New Zealand Nutrition Foundation and AUT professor of nutrition Elaine Rush said consumer behaviour was affected by the buyer's environment and poverty was a big factor in unhealthy eating in New Zealand. "Poor people are fatter than rich people."
The survey, on behalf of Calci Yum, found parents were influenced by the Heart Foundation's "tick" scheme, but Rush said just because a product had a tick, didn't mean it should be consumed "ad-lib".
"It means it's a healthy option within that particular food group but it may not be the healthiest, as manufacturers have to pay for that tick so small manufacturers often miss out."
It was important to read labels properly to avoid being tricked by packaging, which was becoming increasing health-slanted. Rush said some snacks advertised as "cholesterol-free" contained palm or coconut oil and were very high in saturated fat.
The name of a Bluebird brand of chips, "Health Plus", particularly bugged her. "They are not healthy at all." She said products advertised as low in fat were often high in sugar, and the opposite also applied.
Sue Pollard of the NZ Nutrition Foundation said balance was important, and every child was different.
"If you've got a skinny kid who is active then you probably don't need to worry so much, as long as their overall diet is okay."
FACT BOX
* 92 per cent of parents buy fruit snacks weekly.
* 84 per cent of children eat biscuits between two and four times a week.
* 77 per cent of children eat chips between two and four times a week.
* Chocolate bars are given to 37 per cent of children at least twice a week.
* Calcium is rated as the most important element for growth in kids (66 per cent), closely followed by protein (58 per cent), vitamin C (58 per cent) and vitamin D (50 per cent).
* 71 per cent of parents are concerned about sugar and fat content in children's snackfoods.
* 60 per cent of parents are more likely to buy snack food with the Heart Tick.
* 51 per cent of parents are aware of their children eating foods containing artificial sweeteners.
* "Convenience" and "my kids will eat it" are the main reasons for buying specific snackfoods.
Source: Colmar Brunton Anchor Calci Yum Sugar Audit using sample of 303 parents from around New Zealand.
