See what the 300 Mumsnetters and their DCs thought of BEAR Paws - £300 voucher to be won for providing feedback! NOW CLOSED

[AngelieMumsnet]

This is the thread for the 300 Mumsnetters who were testing BEAR Paws with their DCs.

Here’s what BEAR say: "Hello we’re BEAR and we make healthy snack for kids, with absolutely no nonsense whatsoever. Our Paws are made from pure fruit that is gently baked and pressed into tasty paw shapes with no added sugar or concentrates and every bag contains 1 of your 5 a day. Grrr. Available in four tasty recipes, they’re great for little and big paws alike, perfect for grumbly tummies when you’re out and about or as a tasty, healthy snack at home. We’d love to know what you and your DCs think of BEAR Paws as a handy, healthy snack."

BEAR would love to know:

1. How old are the DCs who took part in this test?
2. Do you find it a challenge to get your DCs to eat fruit and veg/get their five a day?
3. What did your DCs think of BEAR Paws (taste, packaging, concept)? What did they like or dislike about them?
4. Do you think this snack was a suitable size for your child/ren? If so why, if not, why not?
5. Would you buy BEAR Paws again?
6. Would you recommend BEAR Paws to friends and family?

All testers who post their feedback on this feedback thread will be entered into a prize draw where one lucky Mumsnetter will win a £300 John Lewis voucher.

Thanks and good luck!
MNHQ

1. How old are the DCs who took part in this test?
   DD 3 and DS 5

2. Do you find it a challenge to get your DCs to eat fruit and veg/get their five a day?

Not fruit, quite the opposite. I have to ration it or they would eat the entire fruit bowl. My DD is very fussy with vegetables, DS will eat anything except mushrooms.

3. What did your DCs think of BEAR Paws (taste, packaging, concept)? What did they like or dislike about them?

They were really excited when we went to the post office to collect the box, as we had been on holiday and I had no idea what I was picking up. They loved the fact that it was 'treats' for them. They were attracted to the bright packaging and my son loved the taste and texture but my DD had a couple then sucked the flavour and spat them out. My Ds loved the stickers and started asking lots of questions about which members of the family'd had their 5 a day etc

4. Do you think this snack was a suitable size for your child/ren? If so why, if not, why not? I thought it was quite a big portion, especially for DD 3.

5. Would you buy BEAR Paws again? I think my son would go for them instead of a packet of sweets. Definitely not for my DD.

6. Would you recommend BEAR Paws to friends and family?
   Yes

1. DD is 4 and her 4 year old friend helped out too

2. some days are more difficult than others in persuading DD to eat fruit and veg. On a roast dinner she's happy to eat a variety but with other meals she only seems to eat the meat/carb content. She's a huge fruit lover though so always has at least 3 servings.

3. DD and her friend loved the packaging, they liked that the characters were named and were eager to check the other packs to see what the other animals were called. DD also recognised that they were made by the same people who make fruit yoyos which she loves.
   They loved the taste of all the flavours, as did my youngest (15 months old) they were intrigued to try the different flavours which was great as DD can sometimes be reluctant if she doesn't like the sound of things. They liked that the snack was actually paw shaped and played with them before eating which was absolutely fine by me.

4)Yes, packet was a good size, more than ample for a snack so my DD and her friend shared them between them. I wouldn't like the pack to be any smaller though as it's inevitable that she'll want to share wherever we are.

5. Yes I'd definitely buy them again, providing they were priced similarly to the yoyos.

6)I would definitely recommend them to friends and family, in fact I've already mentioned them to my sister as I think they would be ideal for my nieces lunchbox.

1. How old are the DCs who took part in this test?

1 and 3

2. Do you find it a challenge to get your DCs to eat fruit and veg/get their five a day?

They will eat fruit and veg but prefer carby snacks so 5 a day doesn't always happen.

3. What did your DCs think of BEAR Paws (taste, packaging, concept)? What did they like or dislike about them?

They found them very appealling - the bags are attractive, the range of flavours was good and the product itself was enjoyed. Both reacted positively when I suggested them as snacks. They are a desirable treat!

4. Do you think this snack was a suitable size for your child/ren? If so why, if not, why not?

Yes, just right I would say - enough to keep them going for a good snacking session but not enough to ruin appetites! Also good for taking out and about or lunchboxes.

5. Would you buy BEAR Paws again?

I would but probably not at full price!

6. Would you recommend BEAR Paws to friends and family?

Yes, they're an interesting addition to the snack range and a good alternative to sweets.

1. How old are the DCs who took part in this test?
   6

2. Do you find it a challenge to get your DCs to eat fruit and veg/get their five a day?
   With the sticker chart we realised we don't always manage it but with the sticker chart prompt we could make sure he had his 5 a day every day. He is happy to eat fruit til it is coming out of his ears but vegetables are a little more difficult.

3. What did your DCs think of BEAR Paws (taste, packaging, concept)? What did they like or dislike about them?

He said: They smelt very sweet, like sweets not like fruit. The bright packaging was great - it was used as drawing paper after they were empty. He loved the fossils on the bear paws and the colours of them. His favourite was Apple flavour. The idea that they are one of your 5 a day was great and because they were small and fiddly they lasted a little longer. He said he thinks of them as a sweet treat, but he also has this idea about apples.

4. Do you think this snack was a suitable size for your child/ren? If so why, if not, why not?
   Good size and as above the small size of each paw meant they lasted long enough.

5. Would you buy BEAR Paws again?
   Yes but not all the time - very high sugar content - as natural as it is I would still prefer he had an extra portion of brocolli.

6. Would you recommend BEAR Paws to friends and family?
   Yes

1. How old are the DCs who took part in this test? A: 5 and 8
2. Do you find it a challenge to get your DCs to eat fruit and veg/get their five a day? A: Yes
3. What did your DCs think of BEAR Paws (taste, packaging, concept)? What did they like or dislike about them? A: They liked the pictures on the front and that the snacks had paw prints on (although there was some discussion about how correct the dinosaur footprints were)
4. Do you think this snack was a suitable size for your child/ren? If so why, if not, why not? A: The packs were too big for the 5 year old but perfect for the 8 year old (in fact he would have guzzled two packs in one sitting).
5. Would you buy BEAR Paws again? A: Yes, this is exactly the sort of thing I buy for packed lunches.
6. Would you recommend BEAR Paws to friends and family? A: Yes.

I bought these today for my ds (6), dd(3) and my niece (7), my niece complained that they didn't have a card with animal facts like the yo-yos in the same range do. She wouldn't eat them as she was disappointed they had no card.

1. How old are the DCs who took part in this test?
   My DD's aged 2&3

2. Do you find it a challenge to get your DCs to eat fruit and veg/get their five a day?
   They love all fruit but vegetables are more of a challenge.

3. What did your DCs think of BEAR Paws (taste, packaging, concept)? What did they like or dislike about them?
   They absolutely loved them, and spent ages looking at the animals on the packets. They must have been good as they didn't last long!

4. Do you think this snack was a suitable size for your child/ren? If so why, if not, why not?
   I think they were a good size, just right for a snack without being too filling.

5. Would you buy BEAR Paws again?
   Yes, they were very successful.

6. Would you recommend BEAR Paws to friends and family?
   Absolutely.

1. How old are the DCs who took part in this test?
   DD is 3.9.

2. Do you find it a challenge to get your DCs to eat fruit and veg/get their five a day?
   Depends on the day. They like to have a bowl of salad on the table at mealtimes to pick from, and nursery give fruit at snacktimes and plenty of vegetables with lunch, so I try not to worry.

3. What did your DCs think of BEAR Paws (taste, packaging, concept)? What did they like or dislike about them?
   Liked the taste, liked the pictures on the package. Loved the sticker chart, this has motivated a discussion about portions of fruit and vegetables. If you were to include this with multi packs of the product it would be well received by this child.

4. Do you think this snack was a suitable size for your child/ren? If so why, if not, why not?
   Size seemed ok, possibly a bit big, but DD doesn't have a massive appetite.

5. Would you buy BEAR Paws again?
   Probably. I don't view them as massively better than sweets (but I do allow occasional sweets as snacks, so I don't see why not). Only thing against them is wider availability, one can get raisins or fruit anywhere, these are only in supermarkets. Could add as an occasional item to our shopping list.

6. Would you recommend BEAR Paws to friends and family?
   Yes, they make a nice change to dried fruit. DD was happy to have them.

1. How old are the DCs who took part in this test?
   7 yo daughter, ably assisted by two older daughters (aged 10 and 12).

2. Do you find it a challenge to get your DCs to eat fruit and veg/get their five a day?
   Not generally. They have different preferences about which fruit and vegetables that they like (and which can frustratingly still change at random intervals), but they all eat a variety at each meal, and easily eat 5 portions a day.

3. What did your DCs think of BEAR Paws (taste, packaging, concept)? What did they like or dislike about them?
   They took the whole test very seriously! They liked the packaging, thought the animal theme was good. They thought the stickers were good, though these had limited appeal beyond the initial novelty, and we weren't sure whether you'd get these in a normal packet that you'd buy. They commented that the colours of the packet and animal reflected the flavours in them. They liked the details on the packet showing the pawprints for different animals.

In terms of taste. They were all initially surprised that the sweets were flat like fruit leather, rather than gummy, but they liked them, and enjoyed how chewy they were. They enjoyed them all, and they were all eaten very quickly. They preferred the strawberry flavour the most, and probably the blueberry the least, though there was a split opinion and one liked the orange the most. The apple was deemed very nice, but the colour of it (khaki) offputting. They thought the pack should only have one flavour in, rather than two, so you can just have your 'favourite'.

4. Do you think this snack was a suitable size for your child/ren? If so why, if not, why not?
   This is a suitable snack for children, and the pack size was good (for my age children, perhaps too large for tinies). I asked my daughters if they thought this was a good snack for children, and they all agreed it was, though their views were interesting. All thought it was a very healthy snack (they buy in very heavily to anything labelled as '1 of your 5 a day'). As dried fruit, however, there is a high proportion of sugar in it which they were surprised about.

5. Would you buy BEAR Paws again?
   I would, dependent on the price.

6. Would you recommend BEAR Paws to friends and family?
   Probably, yes.

1. How old are the DCs who took part in this test? 5 and 3
2. Do you find it a challenge to get your DCs to eat fruit and veg/get their five a day? Sometimes it's hard to think how to get it into them without them having the same things all the time. But they love fruit and salad, it's cooked veg they're not too keen on.
3. What did your DCs think of BEAR Paws (taste, packaging, concept)? What did they like or dislike about them? They really liked them and they enjoyed seeing which shapes each one was. It sparked a lot of conversations about the paw prints etc. They kept asking for more and when we saw them in the supermarket the following week, they asked for them again. The packaging was great, colourful, etc. They talked between them over who was having which animal packet. The thing they liked the most though was the poster with the stickers to add when you've eaten one of your five a day. They loved high fiving the bear and it showed me when we'd had a good fruit and veg day and when not!
4. Do you think this snack was a suitable size for your child/ren? If so why, if not, why not? Yes it was a good size. They wanted move and probably would have eaten two packets in one go each if I'd let them!
5. Would you buy BEAR Paws again? Yes I would.
6. Would you recommend BEAR Paws to friends and family? Yes, I would.

Thank you for the Bear Paws...

1. DS is 7; his friend also tried them (age 6)

1. It's not normally a challenge to get DS to eat fruit - he's less keen on veg but will eat most things. We usually get 5-a-day.

1. DS loved these - the packaging was fun and they didn't last long. His only complaint was that he was expecting a collectible card like he gets in the YoYo bear packets. He liked all of the flavours.

1. Perfect size for DS. Ideal for keeping in a bag for a quick snack on the go.

5/6. Yes, I would definitely buy again and I would recommend.

1) How old are the DCs who took part in this test? 1, 3 and 7.

2) Do you find it a challenge to get your DCs to eat fruit and veg/get their five a day? No, all 3 eat their 5 a day. The 3 year old is the most fussy though, his fruit/veg options are more limited.

3) What did your DCs think of BEAR Paws (taste, packaging, concept)? What did they like or dislike about them? The packaging apealled to the younger 2, while the 7 year old showed more interest once we realised that the product could be matched with the pictures on the packet. The taste was a hit with all of them.

4) Do you think this snack was a suitable size for your child/ren? If so why, if not, why not? I expected them to be more '3D', sort of the size and shape of mini gummy bears and when I saw them I thought they might be difficult for the youngest to handle but I was wrong. Due to theirsize you get a lot in the pack. I think the pack size is a good single serving.

5) Would you buy BEAR Paws again? Possibly. I would pick these over crisps and biscuits but my first choice would be an actual piece of fruit. Although I could keep these in my bag for weeks, unlike a banana.

6) Would you recommend BEAR Paws to friends and family? Yes. They are fairly healthy and it's easy to keep an emergency pack in your bag.

1- my children are 20 months and 3 (10 year old wouldn't touch them)
2 my 3 year old will not eat anything but apple, my 20 month old eats anything she can! Nothing is refused.

3- both loved the packaging, was excited to see them. I though packaging was eye catching too. Taste was not approved by my 3 year old. 20 month old struggled to chew them, I thought the shapes were great really child friendly.

4- more than enough in a pack, we spread them out or used as a treat to keep children happy when out and about.

5- yes would recommend as my youngest would of eaten more if she chew them better ???? I will be buying them at a later stage for our youngest.

My 4 year old took part.

Absolutely no problem getting her to eat fruit and veg every day. She also enjoys dried fruit in most formats

Love the packaging, very nice indeed. Amount was ok she would always say more though as she has a big appetite.
One day she had two of the packets back to back.

Will definitely be buying again, we already buy yoyo bears for packed lunches and car snacks.

1. 5 and 7
2. Yes, especially veg. Will both scoff most dried fruit though
3. Loved the packaging, loved the taste. Pack size seemed about right.
4. No, too expensive for me, and too high in sugar, and over processed. If I wanted to give a dried fruit treat I would give lidl dried mango as its cheaper and less processed. I'm not convinced that this snack would have much at all in the way of nutritional benefit.
5. Maybe as an alternative to sweets.

Thank-you for including us in the product test

Hi, my 2 reviewers are aged 5 & 7, and are ok with fruit and veg mostly but definitely have their fussy moments! They both liked the bear paws, the 7yr old loving the "polar bear ones" (blueberry and raspberry) and the 5yr old the "dinosaur ones" (apple and blackcurrant)! For what it's worth, the strawberry ones were my fave - must be my sweet tooth.
The packaging was good, and they liked the animal packaging. Being knowledgeable about the various yo yo cards I'm not sure the bear paws had quite the same lure as the crumpled cards that come home from school each day (held together by an old hair band or more often retrieved as a soggy mess from the washing machine). Both of them say that is the biggest problem with them. Saying that they really enjoyed them and they are just right for a school snack / packed lunch and a bit of a treat. The size was also just right for them.

I would buy them again and recommend them as an alternative to yoyos but think yoyos remain their favourite (at least until some kind of extra like the card is included).

1. DD age 3 (almost 4!)
2. We maybe hit '5 a day' 3 days out of 7, as much as a try. Getting better at fruit but veg is still hit and miss. I have started trying to get creative with cooking to incorporate as much veg as possible.
3. Before this product test, dd had tried one packet before and really enjoyed them so was very happy when they box of different ones were delivered. She most enjoyed asking what the animal on front of her chosen packet was called! The names were a nice idea. She has now ate all packets and hasn't disliked any, in fact when we were out today, she spotted a packet on a shelf in a shop and asked for them 'as a wee snack'
4. Perfect size as a snack. We have been on a few outings and have taken a packet in with our picnic. She has either eaten them in the car on way or after lunch.
5. Yes I will buy again. On my next shopping list
6. Yes I would recommend to fellow parents

Thank you for letting us take part

BEAR would love to know:

1. How old are the DCs who took part in this test?

My boys are 3 and 6

2. Do you find it a challenge to get your DCs to eat fruit and veg/get their five a day?

Yes, they're fine with fruit but more difficult to get them eating vegetables.

3. What did your DCs think of BEAR Paws (taste, packaging, concept)? What did they like or dislike about them?

They love them, the name, colourful packets, that they're induvidual animal prints. Nth at we let RTFT eat in the car as not too messy :)

4. Do you think this snack was a suitable size for your child/ren? If so why, if not, why not?

Yes, just right. Enough to keep them occupied for a few minutes without being too much. Very portable.

5. Would you buy BEAR Paws again?

Yes, but I haven't seen them in many shops.

6. Would you recommend

Yes, definitely, thank you :)

1. How old are the DCs who took part in this test? 2, 4 and 7
2. Do you find it a challenge to get your DCs to eat fruit and veg/get their five a day? Not really
3. What did your DCs think of BEAR Paws (taste, packaging, concept)? What did they like or dislike about them? They loved the packaging and the game. They enjoyed most of the flavours but my 2 year old did choke on a couple.
4. Do you think this snack was a suitable size for your child/ren? If so why, if not, why not? Yes, the right size for packed lunches etc.
5. Would you buy BEAR Paws again? Yes
6. Would you recommend BEAR Paws to friends and family? Yes

1. How old are the DCs who took part in this test?

DD nearly 4 and DS 19 months

2. Do you find it a challenge to get your DCs to eat fruit and veg/get their five a day?

Yes, they'll eat fruit like it's going out of fashion but vegetables are a challenge.

3. What did your DCs think of BEAR Paws (taste, packaging, concept)? What did they like or dislike about them?

DD loves them. She hasn't paid much attention to the packaging yet but does seem to enjoy having a whole pack (apart from the ones she let DS try). She likes every flavour we tried.

4. Do you think this snack was a suitable size for your child/ren? If so why, if not, why not?

Yes, DD didn't leave any but didn't whine for more once the pack was finished. Usually a good sign with her! It would be too much for my little one but he's younger than the target age range I think.

5. Would you buy BEAR Paws again? Yes, not as an everyday snack though but it's a good addition to the snack range and easy to carry on days out. I'd rather she ate these than sweets and DD views them as favourably.

6. Would you recommend BEAR Paws to friends and family? Yes

1. How old are the DCs who took part in this test? DD aged 3.10 years and DS, 7 months had a couple too!

2. Do you find it a challenge to get your DCs to eat fruit and veg/get their five a day?
   No, not at all. We're very lucky that both children (so far!) love fruit and veg and eat a good range. DD has fruit numerous times a day for snacks and at the end of meals and veg with every meal.

3. What did your DCs think of BEAR Paws (taste, packaging, concept)? What did they like or dislike about them?
   
   DD was very excited to collect the parcel from the post office as we'd missed delivery the previous day. She loved the straw and is using it in her toy farm! She loved the different animals on the packets and that they were nice colours. She also liked the sticker chart, anything with stickers is always a hit! She demolished all the flavours and enjoyed them all, even flavours of fruit she won't normally eat. I also tried a couple and thought they tasted lovely, nice texture, almost licoricey and not artificial at all.

4. Do you think this snack was a suitable size for your child/ren? If so why, if not, why not?
   It was perfect, though DD ate them quickly and would happily have eaten more! There was a lot of paws in each packet.

5. Would you buy BEAR Paws again? Yes.

6. Would you recommend BEAR Paws to friends and family?
   Yes.
   .

1. How old are the DCs who took part in this test?

Main tester was 5 but she was helped by her siblings aged 10, 7 and 7

2. Do you find it a challenge to get your DCs to eat fruit and veg/get their five a day?

DD aged 5 is an avid fruit avoided. She will begrudgingly eat apple and very occasionally consent to a strawberry. Luckily she likes vegetables but snackwise this becomes a bit repetitive

3. What did your DCs think of BEAR Paws (taste, packaging, concept)? What did they like or dislike about them?

She was very taken by the packaging. She liked the colours and the fact it was the perfect size for her hands and pocket.

All the flavours were a hit. She shared them with her siblings who also loved them. The texture felt better than other fruit based snacks we have tried and much less sticky than our usual ones.

4. Do you think this snack was a suitable size for your child/ren? If so why, if not, why not?

It was the perfect size for my 5 yr old, good for lunchboxes and for ad hoc snacks. She was satisfied when they were finished and not looking for more.

5. Would you buy BEAR Paws again?

Yes although not as an everyday thing but as an addition to our snack menu and for occasional lunch box treats.

6. Would you recommend BEAR Paws to friends and family?

Yes

) How old are the DCs who took part in this test?

5 yo DD but aided and abetted by 8yo DS and 10 yo DD

2. Do you find it a challenge to get your DCs to eat fruit and veg/get their five a day?

Not really as we have plenty of veggies with meals and they have fruit for some snacks. DS is currently going through an anti fruit phase but will still eat fruit salad etc. It just takes a bit more prep

3. What did your DCs think of BEAR Paws (taste, packaging, concept)? What did they like or dislike about them?

Tester DD declared them to look cool and older DCs agreed that it was nice packaging. I liked that it wasn't a standard plastic pack. She liked the taste of all of them but the orange one was the least favorite as it was declared too orangy (go figure!). She liked that they were paw shaped although she said one looked like a rabbit but it was eaten before I could inspect it. Overall very favorable.

4. Do you think this snack was a suitable size for your child/ren? If so why, if not, why not?

Yes, I think for a 5yo it was fine. We tested when we were on a long car journey so good for that as an alternative to sweets. I can see that for younger DCs it might be too much. Older ones probably would want something else too - but maybe they're just greedy!

5. Would you buy BEAR Paws again?

I would. Sometimes I put something like this into lunchboxes and I think they'd be good for that, but they'd need to be at the right price point and I suspect these might be out of my price range.

6. Would you recommend BEAR Paws to friends and family?

Yes, but only for the younger age range I think.

1. How old are the DCs who took part in this test?

2.5 and 4.5

2. Do you find it a challenge to get your DCs to eat fruit and veg/get their five a day?

They eat a decent amount of fruit, but veg is much more difficult. It's a lot easier to get them to eat a packet of BEAR Paws than an apple or banana though!

3. What did your DCs think of BEAR Paws (taste, packaging, concept)? What did they like or dislike about them?

They love it. It's just like a packet of sweeties to them. They really like the pictures on the front and took ages deciding which animal they wanted. It's definitely the number one snack choice for them, above even biscuits. They liked all the flavours.

4. Do you think this snack was a suitable size for your child/ren? If so why, if not, why not?

Yes, enough to keep them happy and occupied for a while, but not too much that they can't manage the whole packet.

5. Would you buy BEAR Paws again?

Yes, I already have.

6. Would you recommend BEAR Paws to friends and family?

Yes, I think they're a nice treat type snack, not for every day, but something that is a real treat for the kids, but I don't have to feel quite so guilty as something which is packed with sugar, or 'real' sweeties.