What’s Really in That Snack? 

Trying to make healthy food choices for your kids can feel like a full-time job. You flip over a package, scan the label, and suddenly you’re staring at a list of ingredients that sound more like a science experiment than something you’d want on your child’s plate. Between tricky marketing claims and hard-to-pronounce additives, it’s easy to feel unsure about what you’re really feeding your family.

You don’t need to memorize every ingredient to make better choices. Learning how to spot a few common additives and understand where sugar and sodium tend to hide can help you feel more in control at the grocery store. It’s a practical step that can make shopping and meal decisions a little easier, especially when you’re short on time.

Common Snack Additives to Watch For

Understanding ingredients doesn’t require a food science background. Identifying a few key additives can help you shop smarter, especially for kids’ snacks.

Sodium

Kids’ snacks can be surprisingly high in sodium. Too much sodium early in life can affect blood pressure and shape long-term eating habits.

Most kids get more sodium than they need, and it often comes from processed snacks and convenience foods. One review of multiple studies found that higher sodium intake was linked to higher blood pressure in children, especially those already at risk. That’s one reason it’s worth checking sodium levels, even in foods that don’t taste salty.

The American Heart Association recommends that children consume less than 1,500 milligrams of sodium per day. That means checking snack labels and aiming for options with lower sodium per serving. Choosing snacks like fresh fruit, unsalted nuts, or low-sodium crackers can help reduce overall intake without making major changes to your child’s routine.

Added Sugars and High-Fructose Corn Syrup

Sweet snacks and drinks are everywhere, and many are marketed directly to kids. But even snacks that don’t taste overly sugary can contain more added sugar than you’d expect. Common culprits include flavored yogurts, granola bars, fruit snacks, and drinks labeled as “juice beverages” or “fruit drinks.”

Added sugars contribute to excess calorie intake and have been linked to higher risks of weight gain, type 2 diabetes, and dental problems. A review published in 2010 found strong evidence that sugar-sweetened beverages contribute to obesity in children, especially when consumed frequently and in large amounts.

High-fructose corn syrup (HFCS), commonly used to sweeten processed foods and drinks, is one of the most prevalent sources of added sugar in kids’ diets. The American Heart Association recommends limiting added sugar to no more than 6 teaspoons (25 grams) per day for children. Many packaged snacks and drinks contain more than that in a single serving.

A few tips when checking labels:

• Look for ingredients like “corn syrup,” “fruit juice concentrate,” or anything ending in “-ose”
• Pay attention to grams of added sugar, not just total sugar
• Choose unsweetened versions of snacks when possible, and opt for whole fruits instead of fruit-flavored products

BHA and BHT

You’ll often find BHA (butylated hydroxyanisole) and BHT (butylated hydroxytoluene) in packaged snacks, especially those with long shelf lives. These synthetic antioxidants are used to prevent fats and oils from going rancid, helping foods stay fresh longer.

While BHA and BHT are approved for use in the U.S., their safety has been debated for years. Both have been studied for potential effects on health. BHA has been classified as “possibly carcinogenic to humans” by the International Agency for Research on Cancer. This classification is based on animal studies showing an increased risk of tumors when BHA was consumed in high amounts over time.

Some animal studies have shown that BHT exposure can interfere with thyroid hormone levels and gland function, raising concerns about its potential as an endocrine disruptor. While more research is needed to fully understand how these preservatives affect human health, some countries have taken steps to restrict or phase out their use in food products.

Parents who want to limit exposure can check snack labels for BHA or BHT and choose products that use alternatives like vitamin E (often listed as mixed tocopherols) for preservation.

Artificial Food Dyes

Brightly colored snacks may appeal to kids, but the synthetic dyes used to create those colors have raised health concerns in recent years. These dyes appear frequently in fruit-flavored gummies, cereals, chips, and even drinks marketed to children.

According to a comprehensive risk review by California’s Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA), synthetic food dyes may impact attention, activity levels, and learning in some children, particularly those with behavioral differences or ADHD-like symptoms. These effects emerged in challenge studies where children switched from dye-free diets to foods containing these additives.

Most health agencies, including the Food and Drug Administration, still consider these dyes safe within current intake levels. However, the California assessment concludes that older acceptable daily intake standards may not be protective enough, prompting some regions to require warning labels.

Because food dyes offer no nutritional benefit, choosing snacks made with natural colors like beet juice, turmeric, or paprika can be a helpful way to minimize exposure, especially during long-term or frequent consumption.

What to Remember Before the Next Grocery Trip

Knowing what’s really in your child’s snack doesn’t mean swearing off every convenience food or spending hours reading every label. But understanding a few common additives, like sodium, added sugars, preservatives, and artificial dyes, can help you make better choices without adding more stress to your routine.

You don’t need a perfect pantry. Just a little more awareness can go a long way. By focusing on the snacks your child eats most often and scanning for the ingredients that show up repeatedly, you can start building a healthier foundation that supports their well-being over time.

Want more practical ways to support your family’s health? Explore our Family Health section for helpful articles, snack ideas, and kid-friendly routines that actually work. Subscribe to our newsletter for curated content, product spotlights, and timely tips delivered straight to your inbox. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram for easy inspiration and real-life solutions from Healthy Living – Today.

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