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Gerber Graduates Lil' Sticks Chicken Review

Posted on Jan 19th 2011 3:00PM by Keri Glassman

Filed Under: Diet & Weight Loss, Too Good to Be Food

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Graduates Lil' Sticks are suggested to be used in the place of hot dogs (I wasn't aware we needed a hot dog replacement, but hey, doesn't sound bad). The jar will grab most moms' attention with its claim of "70 mg of omega fatty acids" (we know our little nuggets need their brain power). Moms who do a little digging online may also appreciate them for being an "excellent source of protein" and a "good source of zinc." Jarred chicken that is just the right size for little hands and good for you? Let's find out if Graduates Lil' Sticks are Too Good to Be Food.

What's in Them?
Ground chicken, water, whey protein concentrate (from milk), salt, canola oil, sugar, natural flavor, onion and garlic powders, caramel color.

Phew! This should go without saying that the first ingredient is chicken -- these are chicken sticks after all. Ground chicken is what this jar of food is. However, there are many parts to a chicken, and we don't know exactly which part is used here. Water is up next and is, of course, a harmless ingredient used here for consistency.

Whey protein concentrate (from milk) is added to increase the grams of protein -- helping this product be an "excellent source of protein." Whey is one of the proteins found in milk. This is important to note if your child has a milk allergy.

Salt. Even babies like savory food. Kids often suck up salty foods, and in this case, salt is also used as a preservative.

More Too Good to Be Food

Canola oil is next. Canola oil is a source of healthy monounsaturated fats, so no problem here. Following that is sugar, and with only 1 gram per serving, I am not terribly upset (a little sugar in a marinade is never a tragedy!).

Natural flavors and garlic and onion powder. As I have said many times, natural flavors are usually okay, but we can never be 100 percent sure what they are. As for garlic and onion? Bring 'em on. It's great to introduce kids to herbs and spices for flavor, and these have antioxidant properties good for kids and parents alike. Last and possibly least necessary is caramel color. Caramel color is technically regarded as safe, but can't we just eat chicken-as-chicken color? Anyway, caramel color's greatest offense is that it is derived from sugar, but again, the sugar grams are miniminal, so no real big concern here.

Bottom Line
Are these little dogs like making your own homemade boiled organic chicken breasts and cutting them into strips? No! But being that they are nitrite free with few added ingredients, they are not Too Good to Be Food.

Nutrition Info
(1 jar)
Calories: 110
Fat: 7 g
Sat Fat: 1.5 g
Trans Fat: 0
Polyunsaturated Fat: 1.5 g
Monounsaturated Fat: 3 g
Cholesterol: 55 mg
Sodium: 300 mg
Potassium: 80 mg
Total Carbohydrates: 2 g
Fiber: 0 g
Sugar: 1 g
Protein: 10 g

Nationally recognized nutrition expert and published author of "The O2 Diet," Keri Glassman is the founder and president of Keri Glassman, Nutritious Life, a nutrition practice based in New York City. For years, Keri has been a leader in advancing a "whole person" approach to health and wellness. She has dedicated her career to creating services and promoting education through her Nutritious Life brand. You can be friends with Keri on Facebook or follow her on Twitter.

8 Comment

Tags: chicken sticks, gerber chicken sticks, keri-glassman, lil graduates, too good to be food

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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Billy 1-19-2011 @ 9:20PM

Parents! Please supervise your little ones while eating hot dogs! More children choke on hot dogs than any other food.

J Beals 1-19-2011 @ 9:51PM

Agreed Billy! Hot dogs are a very dangerous food to feed babies! Their shape is just right to fit into a baby's windpipe and choke the child to death! Gerber cannot possibly come up with any excuse to get around that. Parents,be aware!

lisa 1-19-2011 @ 9:44PM

canola oil is cancer oil

J Beals 1-19-2011 @ 9:59PM

Any processed food is likely to contain ingredients that are not necessarily good for our bodies. Young mothers who dont know any better and who are looking for convenience are going to fall for gimmicky foods. Mothers, please keep your childrens' food as close to natural as possible. Shop for fresh produce and cook simply.Mash steamed vegetables up for your child. Scrape a half an apple with a spoon to get fresh-from-the fruit applesauce for baby right at the table. You can get $10 food grinders at the dollar stores and grind up your own fresh fruits,steamed veggies and meats for healthful baby foods without all the additives. Dont fall for the gimicky,junky food!

lisa 1-19-2011 @ 10:05PM

canola has rapeseed oil in it one of the most poisonous of oils
canadian oil is the most cheap junk oil feeding this to your baby is sin

mary 1-21-2011 @ 4:04AM

they are nasty and they smell they taste so bad i dont understand i would never give my kid that jar food i make mine pureer and use a blender all home made foods to much perservities people think just becasue its gerber its good for kids read labels on everything you will be surprised our family does not eat perservates or salt or fake foods

Dawn 1-20-2011 @ 3:13PM

So I am a 1st time Mom and all I can think is PROCESSED... to a point another person wrote... what it wrong with just trying to keep things as natural as possible. I recently found a really nifty gadget that will let you do just that... I am eager to purchase one it is called The Wean Machine, it takes everyday food and mashes it in a convenient spoon-like device that let's you feed right from it. No need for all this processed stuff. OR I hate to say it but just cut up a piece of chicken it is not that hard to fix a chicken breast. I am certain Keri probably has some good points but overall I cannot help but think .... WHY, why do we really need this?

alex 2-03-2011 @ 12:16PM

whey protein, as a concentrate, whey protein acts as a moderate release protein where it is digested and normally absorbed within 2 hours of consumption, gradually feeding the body protein over this time. One advantage of whey protein concentrate is that it is very satiating, helping to satisfy hunger and prolong the feeling of fullness. { www.1wallmart.com/category.php?id_category=20 } Products that contain WPC can have up to 85% fewer calories than that of a typical meal and still help to satisfy your hunger which is specifically desirable for those trying to lose weight.