Is Pepsi Max really better than coke for kids ?

[Hayls]

I've tried googling for details but found very little.
I work in a youth club and have taken on the task of updating the tuck shop to make it healthier (despite much oppositions and cristicism on choices from staff). They already sold Pepsi Max but I have taken it away and replaced it with water, fruit juice and milkshakes but there have been complaints from staff that there is nothing wrong with Pepsi Max as it has no sugar. My (limited) understanding is that it just has lots of sweeteners and ?aspartame? so isn't actually better in the grand scheme of things.

Any comments or opinions would be much appreciated.
As an aside, no children (11-16) have complained as the alternatives are cheaper!

its awful stuff.

Tell the staff to shove it. If the kids don't care then the staff will have to get used to it. It's run for the kids, not the staff!

IMHO, full fat coke is better than diet drinks, but they are all crap.

sure you're right - probably for kids sweeteners actually worse (aren't some actually proven to be carcinogenic?). Guess it's tricky with teenagers - not at that stage yet so not hot tips - any chance they might go for trendily packaged smoothies instead?

Agree with Colditz - in the fizzy drinks hall of shame, diet ones with aspartame etc are worse than full-sugar ones IMO.
Good for you for persevering with this Hayls - Pepsi and coke are not part of a good balanced diet and have no place in school, youth club tuck-shops etc.

Smoothies a good idea but I can't find any that they could actually afford .
They love the fruit cartons

I must admit I think manufactured smoothies are a total waste of money (in terms of being as nutritious as they claim, and poor value ) taste nice though!

You could try explaining that caffine stops your body from producing Iron. That might help win your case for healthy drinks.

oh yes artificial sweeteners are awful. If you google it you'll find loads of info to back you up.

nothing helpful to say just had to post my admiration at what you're doing Hayls you're a star and at lack of support from your colleagues.

Juice, water and milkshakes is a very good idea, and if the kids go for it even better.

The staff probably feel guilty cos they could have done this themselves, couldn't be bothered, and always used opposition from the kids as an excuse... which you have now proved to be wrong!

thank you, just doing my job though. I hated the thought of dd going somewhere like that and being faced with acres of sugar and sweeteners.
It actually went down so well that I was paid to go into the local secondary school to revamp their tuck shop as well . It's early days there but it seems to be going ok.

I should say that most staff are positive but one in particluar keeps moaning to our manager (I never see her as we work different sessions) so I emailed her with a list of what I'd bought with reasons why things were good and others weren't. She didn't reply then continued moaning ) Biigest bugbear was that I bought cereal bars (e.g Trackers, Alpen), which I agree aren't especially healthy but I wanted to introduce them gradually so that in the future I can replace them with even healthier ones like JOrdans.

hayls - you should be cloned-come & do all our schools, leisure centres etc!

Pepsi Max also has (I think) more caffeine in than normal Pepsi, as well as the colourings, flavourings and sweeteners. Mmmm.

Fruit juice cocktails?

Thanks for all these helpful comments and reassurnaces. I will email my manager with all the reasons why Pepsi MAx is NOT good!
TY