Infant and Toddler Nutrition: Busy Lives Lead to Poor Parent Choices

How many parents actually take the time to examine the labels on the foods they feed their children? Probably not many, if you think about shopping trips with screaming kids and work that needs to be done at home, I'm sure the numbers are rather small. I bet most parents don't even consider the marketing techniques companies use to sell foods for infants and toddlers.

For this article, I examined 10 types of foods that are on the market shelves for infants and toddlers. I examined five types of milk based products and five types of non-milk based products. I examined the contents of these foods and how companies use the food to their advertising advantage.

Enfamil Prosobee Formula

This formula is milk free and lactose free for infants that cannot tolerate milk or the lactose that it contains. The formula claims it's fortified with all the iron the infant will need to meet his or her nutritional requirements. If a lactose/milk free product is needed, you'll be looking to spend about $25 for this mix. The price of this product does seem to be related to its nutritional content. The product, with its colorful eye catching label will be sure to draw in any parents that need to buy a milk free formula. The product claiming it contains all the iron the child needs will be sure to draw in any parent or caregiver that wants only the best for their child.

Similac Organic Infant Formula

This product claims it's completely organic and also claims it contains the two main nutrients found in breast milk; DHA and RHA. This product, unlike the product above, seems to be a bit cheaper. You can buy this for about $12 but the product size is a bit smaller. The organic nature of this product seems to make this a higher priced product. I am noticing however that it seems that the brand of the product seems to make higher priced products as well. The product look, and the fact that it claims to have breast milk nutrients appeals to parents that wish to give them the best start possible without having to breastfeed.

Good Start Supreme

This formula will also appeal to parents that want the best for their child. This also claims to contain RHA and DHA, the prime components in breast milk. The label claims that these 'proteins' are 'comfort proteins' and that they are best for the child. This product however, when compared to the other formulas is priced at a lower rate. This formula runs about $6 for a small canister. The nutritional content obviously is not playing a part in how much the product costs, which will definitely appeal to parents. Therefore, what the product claims to offer and how the product looks, it is sure to appeal to parents.

Parent's Choice

Parent's Choice formula is a milk based formula that contains iron. It is also supposed to give the child their recommend daily serving of iron. This formula costs about $10 for a medium sized canister. In this case, what the formula claims to provide is related to how much the product costs. Parents that see this contains a lot of iron will be more than happy to buy a product that gives their infant nutrient that they need so much. Parent's often do not pay attention to the price of a product, but rather they pay attention to what the product claims to provide. This is a good way to get parents to buy their product.

Parent's Choice Organic Formula

This formula claims to contain a lot of lipids as well as DHA and RHA, the main components of breast milk. If you are interested in buying this product, you'll be spending about $16 for a small sized canister. The price of this product definitely seems to be related to the nutritional content the product claims to have. Because this product is colorful, and the product claims to have a lot of nutritional content, especially for a young child, parents and caregivers will be more apt to buy the product.

Mixed Grain Cereal

This product really only claims that it helps children receive the amount of grain and the type of grain that they should receive, especially when they are starting to eat solid foods. A box of mixed grain cereal costs less than a box of cereal that adults and older children would eat. You'd pay about $2 for this product if you were interested in buying it. The box is rather plain and doesn't really appeal to parents and caregivers too much. The cost of this product does not seem to relate to its nutritional content at all. There are no additives in this cereal.

Gerber's Apple Juice

This apple juice is made by a popular baby food product company and claims it's organic and better for your child compared to the other brands of apple juice on the market. For a rather small container of juice, you'd be paying $2 when you can get apple juice made by other companies and pay far less. In this case, it seems that nutritional content and cost are related. There are no additives in this juice. If one looks at the label closely, one can tell the label is marketing the product specifically for parents and caregivers that want to provide only the best for children. It's almost too easy to bring parents in when you take a step back and really look at the labels of products.

Parent's Choice Sweet Corn

This product claims to be an easy and nutritious food for toddlers. If the product is emptied onto a plate or other surface, the child can easily pick it up. This product really only claims to be an easy food for children to pick up, and costs less than $2 if you are interested in buying it. The marketing techniques here seem to be a bit hidden to me, as I really can't see what would rope parents into buying this product other than its claims for easy self feeding at meal or snack times.

Pasta Pick-Ups

These are toddler sized meals that contain no preservatives, and are naturally flavored. They are supposed to be about the serving size a toddler would eat at a meal, and be easy for them to pick up and eat with their hands. The fact that parents can easily buy toddler sized meals and make them quickly is certainly a huge marketing technique on the company's behalf. With today's high paced world, what parent wouldn't love meals that they can easily and quickly prepare for their toddler without having to worry about measuring? This particular meal costs a little over a $1 to purchase. The nutritional value and cost doesn't seem to play a huge factor.

Lil Entrees Creamy Vegetables and Noodles

This product is another toddler sized meal that also claims to contain no preservatives but also says that the meal contains the child's daily serving of protein and vegetables. Once again, because parents like the idea of being able to purchase a toddler sized meal and easily prepare it in only a matter of minutes really appeals to those that may not have time to make a nutritious meal for their children daily. Some parents and caregivers may feel that these meals are more nutritious than anything they could prepare and readily jump at the chance to purchase them. Caregivers would probably find these meals a blessing because they may take care of several children daily and being able to plop a meal in the microwave and what not really lightens the load. The nutritional content of this meal seems to relate more to the cost as it costs about $2 for one of these meals.