http://news.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=87067

Apparently mickey mouse is going to launch a new range of veggies to promote healthier eating in children.

Quote:

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After decades of using its characters to sell

children endless supplies of junk-food, Disney announced plans to begin selling a line of fruits and vegetables with the help of Mickey, Minnie, Donald and Goofy.

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I think it's a nice gesture, but the people that should really be getting kids to eat veggies is the parents. I remember many a day when I would finish my veggies just so I could eat dessert afterwards.

Brands are generally more expensive, especially commercialised ones like Disney, so parents are less likely to buy them. I just can't see this working somehow.

A "line" of fruits and veggies? The only things I can think of that can be done to fruits and vegetables to 'brand' them would be to add either processing, or packaging, both of which are unnecessary and detract from the quality while increasing the price. Not to mention upping the environmental impact. Surely, "local" and "fresh" count for more than a picture of Pumbaa on the label?

This is like when the yoghurt companies were vying for the kiddie market in France, which has such great eating habits, but out of greed, they put a toy in the middle of a yoghurt container! Since when does a kid need coaxing to eat yoghurt?

The problem is that kids nag their parents and parents give in nowadays...so that this may actually work!

I used to occasionally buy some junkie cereal with a prize in it for my kids...and then, I told them that they weren't getting anything else until they ate every last bit of it.
when my daughter was about three, I taught her the word marketing and being aware of ploys to trick children into buying a product that wasn't that much better...I'd hear her calling it out.

Quote:

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Surely, "local" and "fresh" count for more than a picture of Pumbaa on the label?

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Not to a 5 year old, they don't!
I don't normally buy too many name brand or 'character' food items (they're generally too expensive), but there are a few things I do purchase simply because it gets my girls to eat something good for them that they otherwise won't touch.
If making a carrot chip in the shape of Mickey's head, or giving her Little Mermaid salad and calling it seaweed gets her to eat her veggies, I'm all for it.
I'm not the type of parent that forces their kids to clean their plate, or forces them to eat many things they don't like. I think that leads to bad eating habits and food aversions. I approach it in the same way I was raised--we needed to at least try something, but if we didn't like it, we didn't have to eat it. There are plenty of foods that are good for you, you don't have to force yourself to eat something you think is icky.
As a consequence, I believe, my brothers and I all have pretty healthy eating habits; all of us can count on one hand the foods we don't like; none of has a weight problem or eating issues.
Bottom line, I'd rather my girls eat some trendy character veggies than refuse 'regular' veggies and grow up to go binge on junk later.

And processed, looks like - last time I looked, carrots did not come in honey orange flavour, just carrot flavour.

This is one of my hobby horses - I make my living feeding kids. I've been a cook in a daycare centre for nearly ten years.

In that time I've fed maybe 500 kids, give or take fifty or so. Out of that, I can think of three who just would not eat vegetables. Probably there are a few I have forgotten - say ten kids all told. Kids like vegetables.

As soon as the babies have mastered the idea of chewing, their favourite treat is frozen peas, just thawed enough so they won't choke on them. And it just builds from there. I don't think I have ever cut too many carrot sticks - no matter how many there are, they are all gone by the end of the meal. Serve vegetables fresh and raw, and kids will eat them.

What kids don't like are soggy lumps of something unidentifiable, in a sauce. I can't see this flying, and its failure will just serve to perpetuate the stereotype, so that young parents won't even try to feed their kids veggies. Makes me nuts.

I can feed my daughter mickey-mouse shaped carrots already. I don't have to pay for the packaging. It's called a knife. Although, I'm fortunate that I don't have to coerce Kit into eating carrots. She loves them. But still. I bet parents have been convincing kids to eat by shaping their food like Mickey for a very long time now. I'm guessing Disney is only finally realizing they could cash in on that idea.

I have seen SpongeBob carrots before. No odd shaped carrots, just a picture of SpongeBob on the packaging.

I think if it were more expensive than regularly packaged vegetables, I would not buy it.

I think it's a great idea (and certainly a profitable one), I just personally think it's a shame that this is what we have to resort to in order to get our kids to eat their vegetables.

What happened to parents just making their kids eat vegetables? Prepare it in a way that is appealing, and then not letting them have dessert (or something else) until they do.

A sensible approach (ie, not forcing them to eat something they really don't like) is all that is needed. Parents need to grow a backbone - the world is full of stuff that I don't like to do (I'd rather not pay bills, etc, but I kinda have to) but that's just life.

My son will eat vegetables he's not terribly fussed on in order to have a slice of low-fat apple pie. He knows that he needs to eat some things because they are good for him, and that it is healthy. He knows enough to "make healthy choices" when it comes to selecting food, and all it took was some time and dedication on behalf of me - his mother.

I see that as being my job as a parent - ensuring my child is equipped in as many aspects of life as possible so that he can live a good life as an adult.