Packaged snacks are normal. Here’s how to pick the better one.
Store bought snacks we are happy to see in a school lunchbox, simple swaps for the ones we would leave on the shelf, and how to read a label in under a minute.
Where should we send it?
Eight pages, free.
- Real products, named, from Coles, Woolworths and ALDI
- No commercial relationship with any brand listed
- Swaps that cost the same or less
What is in the guide
Eight pages. Half of it is how to read a packet, half is what to actually put in the trolley.
Five checks, in order
- The five things we look at on every packet, in the order we look at them
- The sugar and sodium numbers we look for per 100g, so you can compare two packets fairly
- The additive numbers we skip, with the reason behind each one
- What the word flavoured actually means on a pack, and how to tell
The swaps
- Named swaps by category: crunchy snacks, bars, biscuits and fruit snacks
- Sandwich fillings beyond ham, and what to look for if ham is a must
- How to pair a snack so the energy lasts until the bell
- Four ways to buy the better options without a bigger bill
- Which of these ALDI stocks a cheaper version of
Most lunchboxes include a few packaged snacks. That’s completely normal.
Our aim is to help you pick the better option on the shelf, in the time you actually have, which is about a minute with a trolley and somebody asking for something.
Snacks are where ultra-processed food most often turns up in a child’s day. In one tightly controlled trial, adults eating an ultra-processed diet ate around 500 more calories a day than on a minimally processed diet with matched nutrients. That is why the guide focuses here rather than everywhere.
Why we made it
Every product named was on the shelf at Coles, Woolworths or ALDI when we wrote it, and we have no commercial relationship with any of them. Recipes change, which is why the guide teaches the five checks as well as naming the products.
Each additive we skip comes with its reason. The artificial colours, because of a randomised trial in children and the warning label the EU requires and Australia does not. The nitrites, because of how the World Health Organization classifies processed meat. Every claim in the guide is referenced on the last page.
Send me the guide
Free, eight pages.
This guide is general information for families and is not individual health advice. Product recipes, availability and prices change, so check the label before you buy. Always follow your school’s allergy policy and your child’s individual allergy or intolerance plan. © The Family Naturopath, The KAN Clinic.