Many parents struggle with feeding their children, and some may even resort to partial or total supplementation with Pediasure nutritional drinks. Pediasure claims that their products can be a total meal replacement for children who are having difficulty with growth and/or eating. While we appreciate a product on the market that attempts to help children gain weight, we worry about the ingredients used to create this product. Let’s take a look:
Pediasure ingredients (warning: this is an incredibly long list!):
- Water – not listed as reverse-osmosis, purified water, likely to contain neurotoxic fluoride and other contaminants
- Sugar – likely GM beet sugar, not to mention do we really want sugar to be the second ingredient in anything providing our children with nutrition?
- Corn Maltodextrin – likely derived from GM corn, a cheap and highly processed filler, can cause wheezing, rashes/itchy skin, asthma
- Milk Protein Concentrate – likely from cows treated with GM hormones and antibiotics, the milk protein casein is highly allergenic and consumptions can cause colic, chronic ear infections, allergies, asthma, sinus issues, arthritis, diabetes, autoimmune diseases, anemia, non-hodgkin’s lymphoma, and lung cancer
- High Oleic Safflower Oil – some think this fat is super healthy, others demonize it, the fact is that we need a balance of fatty acids in order to maintain wellness, and most get too much omega-6 and -9, while neglecting the intake of omega-3, it is very important for children to have healthy fatty acid ratios and these types of highly processed oils should be reduced overall
- Canola Oil – likely GM, creates an imbalance in the desired fatty acid ratio
- Whey Protein Concentrate – likely from cows treated with GM hormones and antibiotics, likely highly processed thus rendering the amino acids of the protein denatured which contributes to inflammation, often contaminated with neurotoxic heavy metals
- Soy Protein Isolate - likely GM, nutritionally-void, highly processed, contaminated with neurotoxic aluminum and carcinogenic hexane, upsets stomachs
- Short-Chain Fructooligosaccharides – possibly derived from GMOs, processed out of produce like soybeans or created in a laboratory, can cause gas, bloating, intestinal noises, stomach aches, and diarrhea
- Natural & Artificial Flavor – what are these? We don’t know, and you don’t either, but likely GM and potentially toxic/carcinogenic
- Cellulose Gel – highly processed fiber that humans are not able to digest, likely derived from GMOs
- Magnesium Phosphate – a bioavailable form of magnesium, however, likely derived from GMOs
- Potassium Chloride – can upset stomach and cause allergic reactions, likely synthetic
- Potassium Citrate – likely GM (made with citric acid)
- Calcium Phosphate – not bioavailable, can be harmful to the system
- Calcium Carbonate – not bioavailable, one of the cheapest forms of calcium supplements, can be harmful to the system, synthetic
- Potassium Phosphate - can cause headaches, dizziness, irregular heartbeat, seizures, upset stomach, diarrhea, and is likely synthetic
- Tuna Oil - per Pediasure, “this tuna oil is highly refined by processing, bleaching, and deodorizing”
- Salt - likely to be “table salt” which is chemically cleaned (eg toxic), can upset stomach, and overburden detoxifying systems in the body, dehydrating
- Cellulose Gum – highly processed fiber that humans are not able to digest, likely derived from GMOs
- Choline Chloride - likely GM and/or synthetic, toxic to lungs and mucous membranes
- Ascorbic Acid – likely GM
- Soy Lecithin - likely GM, nutritionally-void, highly processed, contaminated with neurotoxic aluminum and carcinogenic hexane, upsets stomachs
- Monoglycerides - essentially a trans fat that doesn’t have to be labeled, whenever you see “-glycerides” be sure to avoid
- Potassium Hydroxide – likely synthetic
- m-Inositol – likely GM
- Carrageenan – inflammatory and carcinogenic, adversely affects the gastrointestinal system
- Taurine – likely synthetic, typically found in energy drinks but possibly has a sedative effect on the brain (think: ADHD, read more here), associated with high blood pressure, strokes, seizures, and death in three consumers
- Ferrous Sulfate – a cheap and toxic iron supplement, leading cause of accidental child poisoning resulting in death
- dl-Alpha-Tocopheryl Acetate – likely GMO
- L-Carnitine – a healthy amino acid that can help turn fats into energy; however, the liver typically produces enough of this nutrient
- Zinc Sulfate – not highly bioavailable
- Calcium Pantothenate – possibly derived from GM ingredients, synthetic
- Niacinamide – the body typically makes its own niacin, niacinamide is “possibly safe” for use with children, this type of niacin is a combination between natural and synthetic forms
- Manganese Sulfate – synthetic, not found in any natural foods
- Thiamine Chloride Hydrochloride – synthetic
- Pyridoxine Hydrochloride - synthetic
- Riboflavin - synthetic
- Lutein – synthetic, not absorbed into the body like, lutein from natural sources, builds up and can cause difficulty breathing, cough, chest pain, dizziness, irritation of the eyes and/or skin, heartburn and digestive problems. It can also cause discoloration of the skin over time.
- Cupric Sulfate - mixed evidence on safety, used as a pesticide and fungicide, known to be toxic in high doses, likely safe in this dosage, but could throw off delicate copper to zinc ratio
- Vitamin A Palmitate – synthetic and/or GM
- Folic Acid - source not listed, likely synthetic
- Chromium Chloride - a known toxic ingredient, has estrogenic properties, in animal studies causes issues with male and female fertility in adulthood (even when exposed during pregnancy or lactation), aggression, sex behavior changes, inhibits liver enzymes, adverse liver changes, oxidative stress and DNA damage, genotoxicity, is carcinogenic, and adversely affects lymphocytes.
- Biotin - unclear source, likely synthetic
- Potassium Iodide - can be protective from damage due to radiation, can also adversely affect thyroid, always best to get from food sources instead of supplemented
- Sodium Selenate - not bioavailable, while natural selenium can help with a plethora of issues, this form does not and can be toxic in high doses
- Sodium Molybdate – chemically altered sodium, can disrupt delicate copper balance in the body and cause fatigue, dizziness, rashes, gout, low white and/or red blood cell count, anemia, and can worsen kidney or liver issues
- Phylloquinone - likely safe source of vitamin k1
- Vitamin D3 – source unclear, likely GM and/or synthetic
- Cyanocobalamin – synthetic and/or GM, not bioavailable
Phew… that was tough work! It seems that there are few safe ingredients and a plethora of potentially harmful ingredients – and this is supposed to be a formula for nurturing underdeveloped children who are in need of extra nutrition! Instead, why not make your own kid-friendly, whole (REAL) food, nutrient-packed super smoothie? Check out these recipes with organic ingredients, free from toxic pesticides and GMOs that is sure to deliver plenty of wellness to your little ones (bonus: you can enjoy it, too!). Just be sure to look at the required nutrient table (below) and then read your labels to make sure you add the correct amount of ingredients so your child is getting an adequate amount of calories, fats, carbs, proteins, and other nutrients. As usual, always consult your integrative health care practitioner before making any major changes to you or your child’s wellness plan.
First you’ll need to acquire the foundational ingredients. The quality of these ingredients is what sets these smoothies apart from the Pediasure. The products listed are all source from non-GMOs, are mostly organic, and free from common allergens. Feel free to switch up the ingredients as needed!
Purchase the following (read about the ingredients by clicking on the links):
- Meal replacement powder from Garden of Life
- Protein powder from Garden of Life
- Greens powder from Garden of Life
- Fish oil – there are several non-GMO brands that you can acquire, we like Garden of Life and for kid-friendly flavors Barlean’s is committed to sourcing from non-GMO ingredients (however, the ratios of fatty acids is not as balanced)
Chocolate Protein Punch
- Combine chocolate protein powder
- Greens powder
- 1 Banana (frozen, optional)
- 1 T Coconut oil
- ½ – 1 T Peanut butter (optional)
- Blend with a non-dairy, non-soy milk (almond, coconut, hemp, or a mix of these) and serve
- Don’t serve this recipe after 3:00 in the afternoon unless you change the flavor of the powders because the chocolate could keep your child awake
Blueberry Banana Love
- ½ cup frozen organic blueberries
- 1 banana
- One scoop greens powder
- One scoop meal replacement powder
- Large handful of organic walnuts
- Blend with non-dairy, non-soy milk (almond, coconut, hemp) and serve
Sweet Berry Nut Blast
- Greens powder
- Meal replacement powder
- Handful raw organic almonds
- 2 organic medjool dates, pitted
- 2 organic figs (optional)
- ½ banana
- 1 cup organic raspberries or strawberries (frozen or fresh)
- 1 T coconut oil
- 2-3 ice cubes
- Blend with non-dairy, non-soy milk (almond, coconut, hemp) and serve
Orange Sherbert Smoothie from Garden Eats
- 8 ounces vanilla or plain almond milk
- 4 ounces plain hemp milk
- 1 tablespoon hemp oil
- 1 scoop protein powder
- 1 teaspoon organic vanilla extract (optional)
- 1 tablespoon orange essence fish oil
- 1 cup blueberries
- 1/2 scoop greens powder
- 1 packet Trace Minerals Reds
- Blend and serve
In wellness,
Lauren
