Healthier alternatives to Zooper Doopers
Ice blocks are synonymous with Australian summer and one of the most popular brands is Zooper Dooper.
Zooper Doopers are handed out to kids in many different situations - school, sports events, playdates. Unfortunately, Zooper Doopers have no nutritional value at all and are basically composed of water, sugar and chemical additives. The exact ingredients list is water, sugar, food acid (citric acid), flavours, colours (122, 150d, 110, 102, 123, 133), preservative (202, 211, 223). Yum yum, sounds delicious, right?!
All jokes aside, each Zooper Dooper contains 3 teaspoons of sugar plus a concoction of chemicals that are harmful to our children’s health, including:
Artificial flavours - made in a lab and considered trade secrets so the manufacturers don’t have to disclose the ingredients
6 different types of artificial colours - derived from petroleum, chemically produced and many are suspected carcinogens
Adverse health effects associated with these colours include hyperactivity, behaviour problems, skin rashes, allergic reactions, aggression, asthma, digestive issues, headaches, insomnia
3 preservatives - also synthetically produced and derived from petroleum
Adverse health effects associated with these preservatives include asthma, hay fever, headaches, skin rashes, digestive issues, allergic reactions
I find it bizarre that Zooper Doopers are given out to kids at school and they are then expected to sit quietly in the classroom and concentrate. I would also not recommend giving Zooper Doopers to your child as a treat after dinner, unless you want them to be bouncing off the walls at bedtime!
I’m a big believer in everything in moderation but Zooper Doopers are on my ‘no go’ list and I am concerned about children eating them on a regular basis, particularly those who are more susceptible to the adverse effects of additives, for example, children with neurodevelopmental conditions (e.g. ADHD, autism), asthma, allergies and digestive disorders.
Why not try one of these alternative ice block options that will keep your children cool without affecting their health or behaviour:
Smooze Fruit Ice - made from fruit and coconut milk with no artificial additives
Juicies - contain real fruit and no added sugar, artificial colours, flavours or preservatives
No Nasties Sugar Free-zies - these would be better if they contained some real fruit but they are a healthier option than Zooper Doopers as they have no added sugar, artificial colours, flavours or preservatives
Twisted Licks - no nasties, low in sugar
Quelch 99% Fruit Juice Icy Tubes (Apple Berry Flavour only) - these do have preservatives but they contain fruit juice, no added sugar/artificial sweeteners and no artificial colours and flavours (make sure it is the Apple Berry one with no artificial colours or flavours as the Tropical flavour Quelch sticks contain artificial colours)
Peter’s Icy Pole - unfortunately these don’t contain any fruit and are relatively high in sugar but they have no artificial colours, flavours or preservatives
Proud and Punch - high in sugar but has no artificial additives
If you have time, you can make your own ice blocks using fruit juice or yoghurt. This is a great activity to do with the kids!
