We hate the term “Food for Kids”. Kids can eat and thrive on adult food. And they should. Food companies disagree, and peddle thousands of items dedicated to our children. Most are not the best nutritional bet, to say the least.

Time magazine has compiled a list of nine particular kiddie no-nos:

What you need to know:

Parents that put a bit of effort in deciphering what’s in kid specific foods discover more sugar and more food colorings relative to the equivalent adult food. Breakfast cereals are a perfect example.

Kid foods are more about marketing than nutrition or health. Up to fifty years ago, children grew up fine and dandy eating grown up fare. But as food companies looked for ways to grow revenues, they began to extend existing and create new brands to attract a loyal following from an early age. Every beginning marketer knows that you need to get ‘em while they’re young and impressionable.

What to do at the supermarket:

If you’re shopping with your kids, let them choose a snack or two according to their personal preference. But you chose the rest of the foods, passing on all the kid focused, superhero decorated, colorful packages that are nutritionally inferior to similar adult food.

Get Fooducated: RSS Subscription or Email Subscription

Follow us on twitter: twitter.com/fooducate

Help us test our new food comparison tool: alpha.fooducate.com