Parentpedia

What Experts Say

Junk food has it lures. It's cheap, convenient, and even tasty, but that doesn't make it a wise choice, especially for your kids.

Junk food -- that which is believed to have little to no nutritional value -- is a term first coined by Michael Jacobson of the Center for Science in the Public Interest. Joanne Larsen, of the website Ask the Dietitian, categorizes the major junk foods as salty snacks, gum, candies, most sweet desserts, fried fast foods, and carbonated beverages.

Recently, the companies producing junk food, and their ability to seduce kids as consumers, have been increasingly and intensely scrutinized. In 2007, a Federal Trade Commission study found that half of the ads for junk food, sugary cereals, and sodas are shown on children's programs, double the amount shown 30 years ago.

Both Eric Schlosser's book "Chew on This" and Greg Critser's "Fat Land" have become highly regarded tomes detailing the problems kids face today -- namely, the onslaught of thousands of commercials touting junk foods and the fast foods served in restaurants or drive-thrus, all of which are unusually low in iron, fiber, and vitamins.

Still, experts such as the Child Development Institute concede that keeping kids completely free of junk food may be an uphill battle. Let's face it, many kids simply find junk food enticing. So while they may periodically partake in junk food, your best recourse is to make sure your child's daily menu is consistently nutritious to counteract the occasional salty French fries, packaged pie, bacon double cheeseburger, or extra-large soft drink.