Images of overweight teenagers and dire warnings of the obesity epidemic have been the theme of recent years, but according to one new survey it's not all doom and gloom.
A survey into kids' snacking trends by market researcher Canadean has found that over six million snacks are consumed by under-16s every day, with 67 per cent snacking on fruit in either packaged or unpackaged forms. Crisps are the number-two snack with 65 per cent, followed by biscuits (64 per cent) and chocolate (42 per cent).
Asked which single item their children were most likely to snack on, one-third said fruit.
A third of the 506 parents polled also expressed concern over their child's weight, with 40 per cent worried about their snacking and overall dietary habits and more than half fretting about their child's fruit and veg intake.
Putting a positive spin on the findings, Canadean analyst Kirsty Nolan said it showed there was opportunity for snacking manufacturers.“There is a definite need for healthy snacks for children,' she said. 'More and more parents want to incorporate the 5 A DAY, which is thegenerally accepted healthy daily quantity of fruit and vegetable portions, in their children’s diets.”
Nolan highlighted Asda's extensive private label range of children's fruit products as an example of what can be achieved, while processed options such as Organix's fruit-snacking range - which provides one of the 5 A DAY - are also growing in popularity.
'Along with the health benefits, parents also like the extended shelf life of processed fruit products, as they can be stored more easily than fresh fruit,' she added.
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