Values Score In Kid Poll
With the start of school just around the corner, two things are certain:
a) Every kid in Spokane suddenly needs a new pair of stylish sneakers, and
b) It’s sandwich season again.
Not that we’re talking about a major culinary challenge. It’s hard to go wrong with the old lunchbox standbys, like peanut butter and jelly or tuna. Or is it?
That’s the question The Spokesman-Review’s reader food panel tackled one recent evening - with a little help from the experts.
We invited panel members to bring their children, their grandchildren, their children’s friends. In fact, the kids had us outnumbered almost 2 to 1 - a dangerous situation, although they were too busy checking out each others’ shoes to stage a coup.
When the crumbs settled, there were a lot of similarities between the kid ratings and the adult ratings, but a few distinct differences.
The bottom line: In every case, the cheapest products sampled did at least as well as their more costly competition among both adults and kids.
Simply Jif peanut butter was the adult favorite and did just as well with the kids, despite its reduced sugar and salt - although the youngsters also liked Reese’s, deemed too sweet by the older set.
Neither group was particularly impressed with the most expensive entrant, Adams’ natural, no-stir variety, which had the least sugar of the three.
The bargain brand Western Family strawberry preserves were a big hit with both adults and kids, but the agreement ended there. Kids liked another low-sugar product (what is this world coming to?), the Smucker’s strawberry preserves, which adults found bland. But adults liked the premium-priced Sorrell Ridge strawberry spreadable fruit, which kids found sour.
As for the fish, the message from the kids was clear: tuna is tuna is tuna, be it plain old chunk light, the fancier solid light or the upper-end chunk white albacore.
The real surprise was the adults, whose discerning palates picked the cheaper Western Family chunk light as the best of the bunch over its costlier cousins.
And with all the money you save, you can afford to get your little angel some really nice Nikes.
Simply Jif Creamy Peanut Butter, Low Sodium, 33 Percent Less Sugar
Price: $1.87 for 17.3-ounce jar.
Nutrition: 190 calories (68 percent fat calories); 65 milligrams sodium in 2 tablespoons.
Taste (adults):****
Taste (kids):****
Value:****
Comments: “Very good, with a peanutty taste. Could be a little less gooey, but otherwise good. Just the right sweetness.” - Paul Norris.
“The best peanut butter I ever tasted. I now have peanut butter breath.” - Kayletta McNabb, age 9.
Reese’s Creamy Peanut Butter
Price: $2.09 for 17-ounce jar.
Nutrition: 200 calories (70 percent fat calories); 115 milligrams sodium in 2 tablespoons.
Taste (adults):***
Taste (kids):****
Value:***
Comments: “Too sweet - really masks peanut taste.” - Mary Aegerter.
“I liked this one the best, because it tasted most like peanuts. It had a touch of honey for an aftertaste.” - James Keane, age 11.
Adams No-Stir Creamy Peanut Butter
Price: $2.19 for 1-pound jar.
Nutrition: 210 calories (71 percent fat calories); 160 milligrams sodium in 2 tablespoons.
Taste (adults):***
Taste (kids):***
Value:***
Comments: “The peanut butter taste was not that outstanding. Bad aftertaste. Had a real greasy look to it.” - Jarretta Manning.
“It tasted like the peanuts I ate before I came here.” - Brett Robison, age 8.
Western Family 100 Percent Pure Strawberry Preserves
Price: $1.99 for 18-ounce jar.
Nutrition: 50 calories (no fat); 15 milligrams sodium in 1 tablespoon.
Taste (adults):****
Taste (kids):****
Value:****
Comments: “Big chunks of strawberry. Excellent taste.” - Jarretta Manning.
“It had lots of strawberries in it and I like strawberries.” - Roxanne Gillett, age 6.
Smucker’s Low Sugar Strawberry Preserves
Price: $2.32 for 15.5-ounce jar.
Nutrition: 25 calories (no fat); no sodium in 1 tablespoon.
Taste (adults):***
Taste (kids):****
Value:***
Comments: “Low flavor, too!” - Mary Aegerter.
“I thought it was very good.” - Tulli Dobler, age 8.
Sorrell Ridge Strawberry Spreadable Fruit
Price: $2.55 for 10-ounce jar.
Nutrition: 35 calories (no fat); no sodium in 1 tablespoon.
Taste (adults):****
Taste (kids):**
Value:**
Comments: “Sweet and tart. Pretty good, really. A little pricey, but worth it.” - Jim McGinty.
“It was not as good because it was sour.” - Amanda Baker, age 10.
Western Family Chunk Light Tuna in Water
Price: 49 cents for 6-ounce can.
Nutrition: 60 calories (8 percent fat calories); 25 milligrams sodium in 2 ounces.
Taste (adults):****
Taste (kids):****
Value:****
Comments: “Very clean flavor, not fishy. Very, very good.” - Larry Kelly.
“I could eat this six times a day.” - Katee Norris, age 6.
Bumble Bee Chunk White Tuna in Water
Price: $1.13 for 6-ounce can.
Nutrition: 60 calories (17 percent fat calories); 250 milligrams sodium in 2 ounces.
Taste (adults):***
Taste (kids):****
Value:***
Comments: ” Good blend of dark/ light meat. Slightly salty. Nice tuna taste.” - Jim McGinty.
“Too fishy.” - Amber Robison, age 11.
StarKist Select Prime Catch Solid Light Tuna in Spring Water
Price: 99 cents for 6-ounce can.
Nutrition: 60 calories (17 percent fat calories); 250 milligrams sodium in 2 ounces.
Taste (adults):***
Taste (kids):****
Value:***
Comments: “I like the bigger chunks and less fishy taste. Tastes milder and more expensive.” - Jan Robison.
“It tastes too watery.” - Sarah Landrus, age 9-1/2.
, DataTimes