Children generally love dried fruits such as apricot, apple, pear and raisins, and they make a great snack, helping kids consume their '5-a-day', but be aware that many dried fruits contain high levels of sulphites which could be detrimental to their health.  Sulphites (or sulfites) are commonly used on dried fruits to preserver them.  You can't detect them, but if they have been used then the list of ingredients should state this fact.

Sulphites can cause breathing difficulty soon after consumption and you should be especially careful with young children who suffer asthma and who may be more acutely affected by sulphites.  Whilst we don't suggest that you don't give dried fruit to children, it is good to be aware of symptoms should a reaction occur.  You may also want to shop specifically for 'preservative free' dried fruits - inspect the labels for such products.

According to research carried out by the British Heart Foundation, 90% of parents are being misled by food manufacturers who imply that children's foods are much healthier than they really are.   Approximately 1,500 parents were questioned, all who had children under 15 years of age, and most of them felt they were being misled when it came to the health claims made on the food packets.

Wholegrain: 76% of parents thought this meant a product was healthy, yet Nestle Honey Shreddies (which state wholegrain on the packet) contain more sugar than a ring dounut!

Vitamins: 'Source of Calcium, iron and vitamins' - 63% of parents thought this meant the product is healthy.  But, Kellogg's Coco Pops use this statement on their packet and yet the cereal contains more sugar than chocolate cake!

It's important to state however, these phrases are not untrue; they are just misleading!  It seems parents are being hoodwinked into thinking these products are good and healthy to eat, but this is not the case.  They are often full of saturated fats, sugars and salt that are way beyond what we'd serve at breakfast if presented with actual spoonfuls of sugar, fat and salt in front of us!

A clear food labelling system has been talked about, but who knows when and if this will ever be introduced.  It would certainly help when choosing which products to buy!