AIBU to think there is no difference health wise between Fruit Strings and Vimto Ropes?

[VivaLeBeaver]

DD normally takes fruit strings for playtime snack but yesterday I saw Vimto Ropes - not the shoelaces btw. They are in very similar packaging, small box of 5 packs to the Fruit Strings and say on the box "bursting with fruit juice".

The ingredients on the pack are virtually the same though Vimto ones are made with apple juice, raspberry juice and grape juice while fruit strings are made with strawberry juice. Nutitional breakdown is nearly the same.

Obviously I understand its not as healthy as a bannana but Fruit Strings are allowed and Vimto Ropes arent. DD was told today not to bring them in again.

YABU because both are sweets in disguise and even if they're not full of shite should be treated as sweets as a treat, because they taste the same and a kid (let alone an adult) will see 'a sweet tasty thing' regardless of the amount of crap in it, so if one's okay and ones not it will cause confusion.

If you want something packed with fruit, choose fruit. Even if the swet treat is 'healthy' on a scale of 1-10, its still not fruit.

Smoothies are full of natural ingredients, but you wouldn't send your child to school with 14 oranges, because it would seem too much.

YANBU, but I don't like these products purely because they taste almost as good as something a bit worse, I'd rather my kids have a sandwich, yoghurt, two pieces of fruit for lunch and a bag of sweets on a friday than these pretend fraudulent healthy snacks everyday.... but I ABU too.

If DD would eat any fruit I'd be over the moon but it just gets returned uneaten.

I think I might send the nutritional charts for them both into school. Just seems daft that one is approved and the other isn't. I don't mind sticking to the rules and buying approved snacks if the rules make sense.

This is DD's first week at her new school (Yr 6) and I've never been informed of these rules so I think that annoys me a bit. If there is a snack policy they ought to tell new parents. Maybe I shall ask them for an itemised list of what DD can take in as there seems to be no common sense applied.

you know they'll just ban fruit strings and other parents will hate you?

I was just thinking that myself. Ok will have to stick with the fruit strings then and not say anything. I just find it annoying that they get away with being so daft.

True - but then pretending that these things are in any way healthy (given the sticky sugar nature of them) is illogical for anyone - neither strings nor ropes are healthy!
(not saying I wouldn't give them to my child or that yours shouldn't have them at school for a snack - just that looking for logic or lack of daftness in any part is a wild goose chase from the outset)