06/02/2026
Puffs — processed grain, zero nutrition. I give them sliced banana or soft mango instead.
Rice cereal — first ingredient is refined rice. Linked to arsenic exposure in babies. I started my daughter on juicy, in-season fruit. Easy to digest, similar to breastmilk.
Pedialyte — sugar, artificial dyes, artificial flavors. When my kids are sick I give them coconut water and fresh fruit. Real electrolytes from real food.
Pouches — pasteurized, no fiber left, teaches kids to suck food instead of chew. I give them whole fruit they can hold and bite.
PediaSure — corn syrup solids, soy protein isolate, artificial flavor. Marketed for “picky eaters.” My kids aren’t picky because they’ve only ever known real food.
Juice boxes — even the organic ones are pasteurized, processed, and nothing like real fruit. I give them real, raw juice and whole fruit.
Gummy vitamins — sugar, gelatin, artificial colors. Kids don’t need supplements when they eat real food with real nutrients.
Fruit squeezes — marketed as “100% fruit” but it’s blended, pasteurized, and stripped of fiber. I hand my kids an actual apple.
Real food works better. It always has.
Save this list of swaps for later