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

hello there

1. How old are the DCs who took part in this test?
   my sons are 2 and 7.

2. Do you find it a challenge to get your DCs to eat fruit and veg/get their five a day?
   definitely fruit however for some reason my children love vedge !

3. What did your DCs think of BEAR Paws (taste, packaging, concept)? What did they like or dislike about them?
   my youngest child really did love them and the packaging was great we talked about which animal he liked which was the monkey i myself think they are very appealing to younger children and it helps to know you are giving your child some goodness and a treat at the same time.

4. Do you think this snack was a suitable size for your child/ren? If so why, if not, why not?
   very suitable we really loved theses and will be purchasing them from now on

5. Would you buy BEAR Paws again?
   definitely without a doubt they are tasty and a much better alternative to normal sugary snacks and treats.

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

without a doubt yes they are a fantastic way of giving a child a treat whilst knowing they are getting nourishment too i love these and highly recommend them to anyone wanting something healthy to give to there child there also vry fun we loved the little stickers and bear xx

1. How old are the DCs who took part in this test?
   2, 5 & 7

2. Do you find it a challenge to get your DCs to eat fruit and veg/get their five a day?
   Not really, they are little fruit bats and will eat most veg.

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

They loved the packaging. They liked looking for the different paws. However mixed reactions on tasting. 2 yo said yuk, 7 yo found them too sweet. My 5 year old devoted them though - ate hers and then her brothers.

4. Do you think this snack was a suitable size for your child/ren? If so why, if not, why not?
   Yes, ideal snack size and perfect for taking out and about.

5. Would you buy BEAR Paws again?
   Probably, if on offer as only 1/3 enjoyed them.

6. Would you recommend BEAR Paws to friends and family?
   Yes, if their children liked fruity snacks. Would be great for lunchboxes.

Thanks for letting us try them

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

DD is 2, although DD age 11 ended up mostly eating them.

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

Yes. I have 5 DC and a couple of them are great, a couple of them are fussy and one is a nightmare. It stresses me out.

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

I'm afraid DD didn't like them. I'm not sure why though. She seemed surprised when she looked inside the packet so I think she didn't like the way they looked, even when I laid them out on her high chair in a little paw prints trail. She'll eat raisins etc but I think she was maybe expecting sweets from the packaging. She did give them a go though and even after she didn't fancy the first packet, I persevered and tried her with the others too but by then she recognised the packaging and knew what was coming! I tried them myself and thought that they were delicious. They reminded me a bit of 'Fruit Winders' which I sometimes buy for my older children. The texture was surprisingly firm though and I wonder if this is what has put her off. I LOVED the packaging and I think that they are a super concept. My older DD who's 11 polished off the leftovers and enjoyed them very much.

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

I think the size is fine. I wasn't worried about choking and the pack size was just right.

5. Would you buy BEAR Paws again?

I wouldn't but only because fussy DD doesn't like them (she doesn't know what she's talking about!).

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

Yes - I think they're fab.

Also, DD is a bit young for the stickers etc but my DS's age 6 and 8 are using them. Thank you so much for choosing us to take part in this product test. We enjoyed it very much.

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

3yrs

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

No she loves fruit and isn't picky with veg. I really disliked the reward chart, I'm not a fan of reward charts in general, but I particularly didn't like the idea of being rewarded for healthy eating, the idea that fruit and veg are something you must suffer through rather than pleasant to eat. And I certainly wouldn't put a sticker on a reward chart for eating a bag of 'sweets'.

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

Really enjoyed them, liked the taste, showed me the different shapes and talked about them, liked that there were individual bags. I thought they were very tasty though some of the flavour combos weren't for me

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

Well I kept getting handed empty packets, possibly bigger packets so there are some left for mummy :)

5. Would you buy BEAR Paws again?

So long as they were a reasonable price. They're definitely something I'd steer family towards a a treat rather than buying her chocolate.

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

Yes though my friend and her 4yr old (who aren't big fruit eaters) both pulled yack faces after trying one.

1. How old are the DCs who took part in this test? 5 (and her 8yo brother)
2. Do you find it a challenge to get your DCs to eat fruit and veg/get their five a day? Not at all
3. What did your DCs think of BEAR Paws (taste, packaging, concept)? What did they like or dislike about them?

Love them. Dd had stopped eating yo yos because they made her hands sticky. These don't have the same problem. Difficult to open pack on her own. Like the size of paws - takes them a while to eat.
They also liked the prints and used the packaging to identify what they were eating. Good as a distraction snack - my kids will eat them like sweets.
We were late getting home for dinner and the small pack was good to tide them over and keep them busy.

They do stick in the teeth (like raisins) so I am wary of that.

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

I think the size is fine for a little snack or part of a lunchbox. For older kids maybe a bigger pack would be good.

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? My DCs are 5 and 7.
2. Do you find it a challenge to get your DCs to eat fruit and veg/get their five a day? They love fruit, veg can be more difficult to get them to eat enough.
3. What did your DCs think of BEAR Paws (taste, packaging, concept)? What did they like or dislike about them? They liked the pictures on the packets, they loved the snacks and said they would buy them in the shops.
4. Do you think this snack was a suitable size for your child/ren? If so why, if not, why not? Yes I do, to make it fair, they shared each packet but there were a lot in each one. I do like the idea that each pack contains one of their 5 a day. Perhaps Bear could introduce some nice tasting vegetable ones too?!
5. Would you buy BEAR Paws again? Maybe, depends on the price. Normally I prefer to buy the whole fruit as it's cheaper and in it's natural state. However, there is nothing I dislike about this product and my children loved them!
6. Would you recommend BEAR Paws to friends and family? Yes I would, but I would love to know the price - I'm expecting them to be a bit expensive.

Thanks Mumsnet and BEAR for sending us these, our children really enjoyed tasting them!

1. How old are the DCs who took part in this test?
   My DD is 3 and a half.

2. Do you find it a challenge to get your DCs to eat fruit and veg/get their five a day?
   No, she loves her fruit. And has a huge appetite, so it's never usually a problem.

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

She loved them! I was a little surprised - as she knows the difference between fruit and sweets! She would always go for the smarties etc. if that's an option. I let her choose her first packet straight out of the cute packaging box and she was all excited with the polar bear ones. And she loved them.

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

I think it was actually a smidgin too big for my DD, as she folded the packet and left some for 'da morrow'

5. Would you buy BEAR Paws again?
   Absolutely!

6. Would you recommend BEAR Paws to friends and family?
   Yes. I think it's a great idea. DD thinks they are sweeties! So to her it's a proper bribe treat. But I feel better about it as I know it's fruit

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

4 and 6.

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

Not really, but I struggle to get them to eat a wider variety of fruit and veg. They tend to get their five a day from the usual suspects.

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

They loved the packaging, the characters were very appealing to them. They also loved the sticker chart and immediately ate two bits of fruit each so they could add stickers. They loved the taste, although they couldn't always tell what the flavours were. Overall they were very popular and disappeared pretty quickly. They didn't dislike anything about them!

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

Yes, perfect size for a little healthy treat. Enough to keep them going but not so much it would interfere with mealtimes.

5. Would you buy BEAR Paws again?

Yes, definitely.

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

Yes, and already have. Thanks for letting us try them

Oh dear I've just read the thread and feel like I'm going to sound dead sanctimonious with my comments now...

1. How old are the DCs who took part in this test? 2 and a half and 6 years old

2. Do you find it a challenge to get your DCs to eat fruit and veg/get their five a day? No, not really

3. What did your DCs think of BEAR Paws (taste, packaging, concept)? What did they like or dislike about them? I really, REALLY disliked the whole five a day thing. I've put aside the fact that five a day as a concept isn't the best science ever These bags contain more sugar gram for gram than Haribo Starmix. Marketing these as a healthy snack and part of your daily nutritional needs is not really on when this is sugary treat food. I would like to see all references to five a day and any marketing suggesting this is a healthy snack removed from the packaging. Obviously my DC don't really care about this and you asked about dc's opinions, but it's adults that buy this stuff and I think marketing these as healthy snacks when they're not is irresponsible. My DC loved them as they do all sweets! They liked the bright packaging and taste. They did not understand why they couldn't just put all the stickers on the chart and themselves straight away and fought over the single chart but I guess that isn't usually an issue when buying off the shelf

As an alternative to sweets with all their additives and nasty stuff I prefer these and my children loved them; I can offer a bag of these over a sugary lollipop or mini bag of Haribo.

4. Do you think this snack was a suitable size for your child/ren? If so why, if not, why not? I think the size was fine. Big enough to share (my two shared a bag between them quite happily once they had finished fighting over the stickers ) and not so huge that you wouldn't give a whole bag to an older child. I probably wouldn't give a whole bag to my two year old.

5. Would you buy BEAR Paws again? yes, but only to give as treat food/an alternative to sweets

6. Would you recommend BEAR Paws to friends and family? Yes but not as part of daily dietary needs, only as one off treat food.

1. How old are the DCs who took part in this test? 3yr old
2. Do you find it a challenge to get your DCs to eat fruit and veg/get their five a day? Not really, but variety is a problem. He knows what he likes and wont eat other fruit or veg.
3. What did your DCs think of BEAR Paws (taste, packaging, concept)? What did they like or dislike about them? He loves them as a snack, at home andwhen out. He doesnt like the blue packet. Taste.
4. Do you think this snack was a suitable size for your child/ren? If so why, if not, why not? He doesnr always finish the pack but we just save it for later.
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? 3 and a half years old and one years old.

2. Do you find it a challenge to get your DCs to eat fruit and veg/get their five a day? I often do find it hard to get both my little ones to eat their five a day.

3. What did your DCs think of BEAR Paws (taste, packaging, concept)? What did they like or dislike about them? My Three year old daughter was excited when she came across the packet, she actually thought they were sweets! Ate the whole thing and commented on how 'yummy' they were. My one year old who is still exploring new foods only ate the orange ones but all of them. They didnt seem to dislike anything about BEAR Paws.

4. Do you think this snack was a suitable size for your child/ren? If so why, if not, why not? I can't fault BEAR Paws the size was suitable.

5. Would you buy BEAR Paws again? Yes.

6. Would you recommend BEAR Paws to friends and family? Yes, I will also be incorporating these into my childs snack time.

1) How old are the DCs who took part in this test?
4 and 8 (also offered some to 6 year old friend and 11 year old DC)

2) Do you find it a challenge to get your DCs to eat fruit and veg/get their five a day?
Dc3 eats loads of fruit and I have no problem getting her trying new things. Dc2 eats quite a bit of fruit, but doesn't usually choose to. Dc1 (11) is't great at eating fruit - she is very fussy about what fruit she will eat too.

3) What did your DCs think of BEAR Paws (taste, packaging, concept)? What did they like or dislike about them?
The DCs were really excited to receive the box of BEAR Paws and the way they were packaged was lovely. We really liked the little packets - the colours were great and the animals on the packs were fun. I found the blue packet difficult to get my head round as for some reason I related it to coconut flavour! At first the DC were unsure about the taste as I think they aren't very used to that kind of tangy flavour. They did seem to grow to like them more, the more they tried. The friend that visited also though they were lovely and I really enjoyed eating them too. None of us were keen on the orange flavour and we all really liked the apple flavour, especially when eating with a strawberry or blackcurrant one. We liked the little pictures on each fruit flake too.

4) Do you think this snack was a suitable size for your child/ren? If so why, if not, why not?
The pack was a good size I thought. We didn't eat them all in one go though as we had dipped in to all 4 packs at the same time.

5) Would you buy BEAR Paws again?
I might buy them again, depending on the price. I don't think my DC would ask for them again, but they could be useful in a packed lunch, so I probably would get them for that reason.

6) Would you recommend BEAR Paws to friends and family?
Yes - I would tell friends and family that we had tried BEAR paws and that they were a great, healthy snack for DC

BEAR would love to know:

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

DS is 3.5 years old.

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

DS guzzles any kind of fruit. Vegetables are a different matter altogether.

How about developing a BEAR paw product with a mixture of fruit and vegetables? Carrot/apricot, beetroot/strawberry, and/or figure out a way to add protein to future products?

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

DS loves most everything about BEAR paws. My only critique would be that he is not able to open the bags by himself. It would be useful to have a perforated corner to help little people be more independent.

Also, he loves the animal trading cards that come with the BEAR paw roll up things. If given a choice I would buy them instead.

I really dislike the reward chart thingy that came with the box of BEAR paws. Eating food should not be an activity that is rewarded. It sets a bad precedent.

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

The size is fine, it's the price that's an issue.

Also, could you figure out a way to make the packaging more friendly for the environment? One of the only reasons why I hesitate to buy
BEAR paws on a regular basis is the excess packaging. It makes me feel guilty. How about paper that isn't bleached? Or banana fiber paper?

5. Would you buy BEAR Paws again?

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

Yup.

Thanks for including me in the taste test!

1) How old are the DCs who took part in this test?
2,10,& 13
2) Do you find it a challenge to get your DCs to eat fruit and veg/get their five a day?
Dd 13, will eat all fruit and veg, ds 1 is a fruit refuser, ds2 will eat most things although sometimes goes through phases of refusing certain foods (he's 2 )
3) What did your DCs think of BEAR Paws (taste, packaging, concept)? What did they like or dislike about them?
Ds2 liked the bright packaging, and identified the creatures, he didn't eat many of the paws at a time, I think the flavours were a bit intense for him. DD thought they were tasty, liked the bright packaging but thought it was a bit young. Ds1 refused to try, "they're fruit!" so definitely picked up on the messages on the packet!
4) Do you think this snack was a suitable size for your child/ren? If so why, if not, why not?
Too big for ds2 (2), dd (13) would scoff the lot. Maybe a resealable package?
5) Would you buy BEAR Paws again?
Maybe as a treat, but still high sugar (because they're fruit) and very sticky, so not ideal for dental health. Perhaps for eg a plane journey as they wouldn't melt or crumble.
6) Would you recommend BEAR Paws to friends and family?
Possibly, but not routinely.

Moving - I had the same concerns about the sugar content of these snacks, but agree they would be a good alternative to sweets!

Glad it's not just me TheRachel :) I'm just a bit concerned that the packaging suggests eating one of these is just as good as eating a banana or a portion of runner beans. Which of course it isn't.

1- ds is 2 and also had help from a nearly 3yr old.

2- ds eats most fruit and veg but I find it challenging offering things on the go as banana will go off at the bottom of your bag but a bag of sweets/ dried fruit etc wont so wanted to try this as he loves fruit and would have liked to be able to offer this on the go.

3 he loved the bright packaging as it caught his eye ( even put it next to other sweets and he preferred this brand to others and I could do this as family owns a newsagents so took him there and picked a few bags of sweets and lined these with them and he picked out these which is its going a good job attracting the right market) how ever both dc spat them both straight out the older one even said tissue please put sweet in bin! Will try other flavours and come back with feed back!

4 I think they are the perfect size for little hands as dc can be independent and eat them himself which is what he prefers

5 I would buy them again if he eats them as the concept is brilliant

6 I have been raving about them evwr

Getting this on my threads as my box arrived today so I have not given them to the dc yet :)

Sorry on phone
I have been raving about them ever since as I love the whole concept of this product a fun and healthy snack for kids!
I have told a few parents about them and they are intrigued too and have said they will try them with their dc. I did leave out ds spitting them back out etc as I didnt want to put them off.

Will give it another go when hes hungry as that's when he tries something new and will post feedback!

Thank you for letting us test them

My children aged 5 and 7 tried the snack with their friends aged 5 and 2.

All but 1 liked them but he is not keen on any chewy, fruity sweets.

I have one who loves fruit and one who eats lots of veg but hates fruit. I'm keen for him to try fruit alternatives like these in hopes that if he likes fruit flavours he might grow to like proper fruit.

I thought the portion size was spot on.

I probably will buy the again as they seem and taste more natural than some of the alternatives.

On yes I would recommend these to friends and family.

Thanks for the chance to test these!

1. 3 year old son and 22 mths old daughter.
2. Son - no, he enjoys all fruit and veg. Daughter - fussy, will only eat certain fruit and veg.
3. My son absolutely loved BEAR Paws and had to eat a packet as soon as the parcel was delivered and opened. He ate every packet with gusto and didn't stop to offer his sister any unless prompted. He liked the packaging and asked which flavour he was about to eat before opening. My daughter didn't try any because she's fussy and refused. Big brother didn't give her much of a chance anyway. He loved them.
4. Great size for my children. Paws were a good size and packet contained a satisfying amount.
5. Yes definitely, will be buying next time we visit supermarket.
6. Yes without a doubt.

1) How old are the DCs who took part in this test?
DS1 is 5 and DS2 is 2.5
2) Do you find it a challenge to get your DCs to eat fruit and veg/get their five a day?
DS1 is great about veg, and even more so about fruit. DS2, another matter entirely. He eats bananas, spinach mixed with sweet potato, raisins. ANything else has to be either processed (like humzingers) or pureed and hidden in something else.
3) What did your DCs think of BEAR Paws (taste, packaging, concept)? What did they like or dislike about them?
Both kids loved them. DS2, who won't touch a Bear Yo Yo couldn't get enough. They both liked the packaging. DS2 is just starting to identify colours and animals, so the packaging was educational too. DS1 thought the packets were a bit hard to open. He liked the packaging, and the sticker chart.
4) Do you think this snack was a suitable size for your child/ren? If so why, if not, why not?
Perfect portion size. I won't use them as a snack: the high (natural) sugar content and sticky texture is a risk for tooth decay. But as an occasional treat or after a meal they are great.
5) Would you buy BEAR Paws again?
Yes, see answer to 5.
6) Would you recommend BEAR Paws to friends and family?
Probably, again see answer to 5.

1)How old are the DCs who took part in this test?
DS is 3 and a half

2) Do you find it a challenge to get your DCs to eat fruit and veg/get their five a day?
No problem with fruit. He's getting better with veg but we still have to bribe and cajole sometimes.

3) What did your DCs think of BEAR Paws (taste, packaging, concept)? What did they like or dislike about them?
He liked the different colour packets - he looked forward to choosing the colour he wanted to try next.
He told me he liked the taste of them and thought the paw print shapes were funny.
There was nothing he disliked.

4) Do you think this snack was a suitable size for your child/ren? If so why, if not, why not?
Yes, the packets were a good size for him.

5) Would you buy BEAR Paws again?
Yes. DS was very taken with them.
They are a good snack sized portion.
The bags were also very easy to open which is a plus point for me!

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

1. Tested with my sons aged 3 and 7.
2. No struggle to get them to eat fruit but a little trickier with veg. Having said that they would both go for a biscuit over a piece of fruit but I don't give them that option very regularly!

1. Surprisingly I thought my 3 year old would love them, but he didn't, wouldn't even put one in his mouth! I think the 'sweet' itself looked a bit boring and one dimensional. But my 7 year old absolutely loves them! I think we have a new snack for school tuck time. The packaging was great, massive brownie points for putting them in an easy to tear bag that's easy for children to open instead of a plastic one.

1. Perfect portion size for my seven year old but I wouldn't give my three year old a full bag, too much sugar. maybe you could bring out a small box of them like the size snack raisins come in?

1. Yes I will buy bear paws again for my eldest but stick to raisins for the youngest.

1. Yes I will recommend bear paws to my other mum friends, school are very strict about what children are allowed to bring in for tuck and these fit the bill perfectly.