Dealing with children or grandchildren’s food choices can be a difficult matter. Living under the influence of rapidly changing markets, everybody is bombarded with information about products. Keeping everybody in the family on track for good food choices may be hard and complicated.

According to a Canadian study, when it comes to children, packaging that attracts the eye usually has the highest rating – colorful and imaginative packaging usually hides a high level of sugar.

In this study of 5,850 packaged foods, 746 of them (13%) were rated as ‘interesting’ for children. But these were found to have the highest amount of sugar and the lowest amounts of important nutrients. Compared with other products, the unattractive packages had the highest nutrient composition. In other words, when you examine relationship between nutrients and marketing power, guess which is the most powerful! Certain food categories like cereals, candies, cookies, ice creams had product packaging that emphasized external appeal. Children are just unable to resist!

In this context, researchers urge governments to implement proposed regulations or develop stricter ones to limit children’s exposure to food advertising. On the other hand, parents and grandparents have been exposed to aggressive marketing their entire lives, and often, it is confusing what is healthy and what is not!

Well, that is why we have this column as a place for discussion! Do not hesitate to send us your inquiries!

* The above is not medical advice but mere suggestions for improving your diet. Before reach herbal use you should consult your doctor, especially those who have health issues, are pregnant or are under the age of 6.

Evropi-Sofia Dalampira holds a PhD in Agricultural Economics and an MSc in Botany-Biology.