Talk to Humzingers about picnics and be in with a chance of winning a hamper of goodies

[TheOtherHelenMumsnet]

Humzingers have asked us to find out where MNers stand on picnics for the family, now that summer is just around the corner (surely it must be?!)

Here is what Humzingers have to say about their product: "Humzingers are designed to be convenient and offer variety - they're 100% fruit sticks with no added sugar and are foil wrapped for freshness. What's more, each fruit stick counts as one of your five-a-day!"

Humzingers want to make sure that they keep Mums' opinions in mind when they're creating new products so they're interested to know your thoughts on the questions below.

Everyone who posts on this thread will be entered into a prize draw to win a hamper of goodies worth £100.

~ When you choose snacks to take on a picnic, is giving your children their 5-a-day a factor in your choices or not? And do you usually choose what snacks your children get on a picnic or do they choose themselves?

~ Do you ever buy dried fruit snacks for picnics with your family?

~ What are your top tips on packing a healthy picnic?

~ How do you think companies can make dried fruit snacks more appealing to children?

Thanks and good luck with the prize draw
MNHQ

[glenthebattleostrich]

When you choose snacks to take on a picnic, is giving your children their 5-a-day a factor in your choices or not? And do you usually choose what snacks your children get on a picnic or do they choose themselves?

I like to make sure DD gets a good portion of her 5 a day at each meal. She chooses what fruit we take and what salady bits are packed (cucumber, tomatoes, peppers etc).

~ Do you ever buy dried fruit snacks for picnics with your family?

We have dried fruit but not a huge amount. Mostly yogurt covered raisins as pudding.

~ What are your top tips on packing a healthy picnic?

Make sure there is a good variety of foods from all the food groups and a few treats in there too. Make sure you remember the plastic plates / cups and forks (v cheap in ikea) so you can take pasta salad and chopped fruit.

~ How do you think companies can make dried fruit snacks more appealing to children?

I think they already are. DD is 3 but has started to ask for the dried fruit snacks because they look like sweets

[Blatherskite]

~ When you choose snacks to take on a picnic, is giving your children their 5-a-day a factor in your choices or not? And do you usually choose what snacks your children get on a picnic or do they choose themselves?

We have picnics so infrequently that I try to make what i put in them a treat but I do also try to include some fruit and veg in the mix. Thankfully, both of my children are pretty good with fruit so a fruit salad will always make it into the bag and I do like that this forms at least one of their 5 a day. I usually do the choosing because at 3 and 6, my children are a bit little to have too much of a say and would choose crisps and pepperami of left to their own devices.

~ Do you ever buy dried fruit snacks for picnics with your family?

I buy lots of fresh fruit normally bit we do have raisins too. My Sister offered DD a school bar a while ago which she loved so we've been getting them recently too. I did see Humzingers last time we were in the supermarket but didn't pick any up. Usually i shop online so would have missed them.

~ What are your top tips on packing a healthy picnic?

Make it look good. Sweaty cheese rolls wrapped in cling film turn even adults off whereas a beautiful bright fruit salad looks so much more appealing. Include a mix of staples and new tastes - children who are already eating are much more likely to try something new in my experience so get them going with the "normal" stuff then encourage them to try something less familiar.

~ How do you think companies can make dried fruit snacks more appealing to children?

Make them less sticky and easier to get into. DS takes a packed lunch to school and if it's tough to get into he struggles and loses interest (and there isn't always a staff member around to help) and anything that makes him sticky will get dropped before it's finished as he hates being sticky and will want to get clean more than he'll want to finish it.

[OrangeFootedScrubfowl]

You know I had forgotten about Humzingers. Might buy some for lunchboxes.

Anyhow...

~ When you choose snacks to take on a picnic, is giving your children their 5-a-day a factor in your choices or not? And do you usually choose what snacks your children get on a picnic or do they choose themselves?

I choose the food, and I don't really think about five a day but I will always take fruit because we like fruit. To be honest I am more likely to pack a box of strawberries than dried fruit. I think it's nicer to have something more fresh outside, IYSWIM.

~ Do you ever buy dried fruit snacks for picnics with your family?

No, but we always have dried fruit in the house as I cook/bake with apricots, prunes, raisins, cherries, dates, so sometimes we snack on them at home.

~ What are your top tips on packing a healthy picnic?

Hmm, I wouldn't want "a healthy picnic" specifically, a little of what you fancy does you good, I reckon.

~ How do you think companies can make dried fruit snacks more appealing to children?

I do think that maybe a bigger Humzinger would work better for older DC, as they are quite small. I used to get them for DD when she was 2-3 ish, to keep in my handbag for emergencies. I can't imagine them filling the tummy of a ten year old.

[BonzoDooDah]

Never heard of Humzingers or whatever they are. Seems like a lot of packaging for fruit - that already has a skin.

When you choose snacks to take on a picnic, is giving your children their 5-a-day a factor in your choices or not? And do you usually choose what snacks your children get on a picnic or do they choose themselves?

I choose usually (children too small to decide). I pick fruit, veg sticks, then sandwiches, sausages, - then it depends on how extravagant we are being, sometimes dips, tortillas, quiche, pork pies, sometimes just a bag of crisps each and a sandwich.

Do you ever buy dried fruit snacks for picnics with your family?

not for the picnic - yes for snacks and special packed lunches (like at holiday club)


What are your top tips on packing a healthy picnic?
Some fruit, sandwiches on wholemeal, fruit juice, some veg sticks in a tupperware tub, houmous, breadsticks, maybe presliced fruit like melon and pineapple.

How do you think companies can make dried fruit snacks more appealing to children?
Dunno, fancy boxes? Mixed fruit not just raisins? Maybe can use the boxes for something else afterwards? I don't think you need to they either like it or not.

[Beechview]

~ When you choose snacks to take on a picnic, is giving your children their 5-a-day a factor in your choices or not? And do you usually choose what snacks your children get on a picnic or do they choose themselves?

Yes, I do like to include fruit and veg and mostly I choose (kids are under 8) but I do choose things they'll like.

~ Do you ever buy dried fruit snacks for picnics with your family?

It depends. If its a planned picnic, then I'll make some food, lovingly cut up fruit and crudités but often, we see some good weather and will go on an impromptu picnics where grabbing some dried fruit snacks, crisps and a cheese roll will be fine.

~ What are your top tips on packing a healthy picnic?

lots of fresh foods and less of the sugary and/or processed stuff.

~ How do you think companies can make dried fruit snacks more appealing to children?

Kids love them if they look like sweets but I think companies need to appeal more to parents. Most parents would prefer no artificial flavours or sweeteners and ingredients to be kept as natural as possible.

[Theimpossiblegirl]

~ When you choose snacks to take on a picnic, is giving your children their 5-a-day a factor in your choices or not? And do you usually choose what snacks your children get on a picnic or do they choose themselves?
I aim for more than 5 a day so yes, snacks are usually fruit or vegetable based. I do balance it out with cheese, cakes, etc.

~ Do you ever buy dried fruit snacks for picnics with your family?
Yes, we will devour a bag of cranberries on a picnic. The DDs also like yoghurt covered fruit, dried mango and Winders. I do wonder if the high sugar content cancels out the benefits though.

~ What are your top tips on packing a healthy picnic?
A picnic is a meal, so the same rules/guidelines apply. I make sure a picnic is part of a balanced day's food.

~ How do you think companies can make dried fruit snacks more appealing to children?
I think they are appealing but I'm the adult and do the shopping so I tend to buy the least processed options with minimal packaging rather than the little boxes or artificial looking stuff. I just wish dried fruit was cheaper (although the same can be said for most food at the moment).

[Hellohippo]

I love picnics!
Lots of different items in small plastic boxes, cucumber, carrot sticks, grapes, strawberries, and little pots of pasta salad etc.

I think variety is key, whilst I don't use your products I do make my own fruit kebabs with cocktail sticks, I think variety is key, larger quantities of one food I think promote mindless eating where as small amounts of different food makes us feel we have eaten more.

[jojane]

~ When you choose snacks to take on a picnic, is giving your children their 5-a-day a factor in your choices or not? And do you usually choose what snacks your children get on a picnic or do they choose themselves?

I always chose fruit of somesort to be part of the picnic. Not necessarily to be a 5 a day but because we all love fruit! I choose mainly as kids young but if they mention they want so etching I often put it in too

~ Do you ever buy dried fruit snacks for picnics with your family?
I don't buy them specifically forma picnic but do for lunch boxes so if we have some I might chuck some in.

~ What are your top tips on packing a healthy picnic?
Yummy sarnies packed with salad, fruit salad, everything bite size, toss apples etc in orange or lemon juice to prevent browning. make banan cake, courgette muffins, or carrot cake.

~ How do you think companies can make dried fruit snacks more appealing to children?
Bite size, also for younger children not too sticky and chewy

[missorinoco]

When you choose snacks to take on a picnic, is giving your children their 5-a-day a factor in your choices or not? And do you usually choose what snacks your children get on a picnic or do they choose themselves?

I choose what we bring on a picnic. There is a fruit choice, and usually tomatoes/cucumber/carrots.

~ Do you ever buy dried fruit snacks for picnics with your family?
Raisins, but usually from a large packet rather than individual little cartons.

~ What are your top tips on packing a healthy picnic?
It's a balance. My picnics usually include a treat - a cake option and crisps/mini cheddars as the picnic itself is a treat. But there is also salad/vegetables and fruit. If you are too full for fruit then you are too full for cake. As it is a picnic I might buy grapes/strawberries rather than apples and bananas, and they are popular.

~ How do you think companies can make dried fruit snacks more appealing to children?

Dried fruit vs chocolate? I don't think you are onto a winner. My children would go for it if it was the only way to get a sweet option. I think you are aiming at the wrong people. Parents generally buy the food. If you want me to buy them put them on offer more, or sell them in larger better value packs. Also, market them as a sweet treat that is part of your five-a-day, although that wouldn't do it for me as luckily my kids eat non dried fruit.

[dahville]

~ When you choose snacks to take on a picnic, is giving your children their 5-a-day a factor in your choices or not? And do you usually choose what snacks your children get on a picnic or do they choose themselves?

We do make sure that at least one of the snacks we bring is fresh fruit and we usually have some raisins on hand as well. We choose the food to bring.

~ Do you ever buy dried fruit snacks for picnics with your family?

Just raisins so far, we've never bought any other types of dried fruits

~ What are your top tips on packing a healthy picnic?

Fresh is best - grapes, strawberries, and banana are all hits in our picnics

~ How do you think companies can make dried fruit snacks more appealing to children?

I think it is more appealing to parents they need to strive for - convince us that you are providing a quality product that is healthy for our children.

[Madamecastafiore]

Not make them poo shaped like the humzinger dried fruit bats I tried to feed my children to roars of laughter. They refused to eat 'fruit poo'.

Normally I would have told them off for being vile but had to agree with them!!!

[Hasitfallendownagain]

~ When you choose snacks to take on a picnic, is giving your children their 5-a-day a factor in your choices or not? And do you usually choose what snacks your children get on a picnic or do they choose themselves?
To me, a picnic is a meal, so the word "snack" doesn't really go, as I associate it as something to eat between meals. I do try to pack a balanced picnic - usually something like bread, cheese, ham/salami salad, fruit, cake or biscuits, possibly crisps or olives. I let my children choose what they will have in their sandwiches, what fruit we take etc.

~ Do you ever buy dried fruit snacks for picnics with your family? Not really prepackaged ones - but I have sometimes bought freshly shelled nuts and mixed dried fruit from the greengrocer for a picnic

~ What are your top tips on packing a healthy picnic? I don't really have any top tips. I just pack stuff that I fancy making at the time, or has caught my eye in the shop. I always use ice packs and an insulated cool bag to keep things fresh.

~ How do you think companies can make dried fruit snacks more appealing to children? My children quite like dried fruit anyway - especially those pressed bar things. I prefer them to have fresh fruit when they can - I'd say dried fruit was more for carrying a pack in the bottom of your handbag for an emergency kind of thing.

[LauraPashley]

~ When you choose snacks to take on a picnic, is giving your children their 5-a-day a factor in your choices or not? And do you usually choose what snacks your children get on a picnic or do they choose themselves?

I have 2 dcs- 1 would happily eat nothing but fruit all day long at the expense of everything else, 1 would happily never eat fruit again and has to be forced. So picnics have to try to be somewhere in the middle of that! My fruit refused thankfully will eat humzingers so thank you for that! I choose or else it would start a fight.

~ Do you ever buy dried fruit snacks for picnics with your family?
Yes, lots, both for convenience and shelf life, also for the fruit refuser mentioned above! Wary of the effect on teeth though. We buy humzingers, yoghurt coated raisins/flakes, normal raisins and dried apricots.

~ What are your top tips on packing a healthy picnic?
I can convince mine to eat healthier things by presenting them differently, eg I take little plastic bowls and put in eg apple slices, raisins and a few wee treaty things like a handful of haribo- they scoff the lot and don't moan too much, more exciting than having each component separately. Leftovers are also much more appealing when eaten eg out if tinfoil on the beach, so picnics can be a good way to get eg a quiche into them!

~ How do you think companies can make dried fruit snacks more appealing to children?
I don't think you need to, I think you need to appeal to parents! I picked up humzingers because they appeared to be nonsense free, ingredient wise. Agree they are quite hard to open though

[NaturalBaby]

Yes, I try to pack at least 1 item of fruit. I choose things I know they will choose, and the same for all my kids so they don't really have a choice or reason to argue!

Yes, mainly Humzingers

I go for different colours and food groups and try to keep things simple.

I try to avoid snacks marketed specifically for children, particularly with cartoons on the box. My kids just want to see what the product is or contains so they can choose the right flavour.

[Nigglenaggle]

~ When you choose snacks to take on a picnic, is giving your children their 5-a-day a factor in your choices or not? And do you usually choose what snacks your children get on a picnic or do they choose themselves?

Not necessarily the 5 a day as such, but I like to make sure fruit is included and generally choose healthier options. My son is too young to choose himself at the moment, but I would involve him when he can.

~ Do you ever buy dried fruit snacks for picnics with your family?

Dried apricots are a favourite

~ What are your top tips on packing a healthy picnic?

Keep it clean - choose items that wont cause too much in the way of sticky hands.

~ How do you think companies can make dried fruit snacks more appealing to children?

I think dried fruit is appealing - it appeals to my child anyway!!

[TotallyEggFlipped]

~ When you choose snacks to take on a picnic, is giving your children their 5-a-day a factor in your choices or not? And do you usually choose what snacks your children get on a picnic or do they choose themselves?

Yes. I try to make sure I include at least a couple of fruit or vegetable snacks. I chose the snacks, but I make sure they're snacks that will appeal and will offer a choice when the children are older.

~ Do you ever buy dried fruit snacks for picnics with your family?

Yes. Most often sultanas or raisins. Sometimes dried apricots. We also like dried apple and banana crisps.

~ What are your top tips on packing a healthy picnic?

Keep it as fresh as possible. Home made vegetable pizza is always a big hit. Lots of variety - small portions of ready prepared fresh fruit eg apples, strawberries, blueberries, cherry tomatoes and dried fruit etc to provide a range of colours & textures.

~ How do you think companies can make dried fruit snacks more appealing to children?

I hate to say it, but I think the packaging is important - small boxes of raisins are always a big hit, fruit crisps that look like real crisp packets, dried fruit that looks like sweets etc. The taste and texture are also important - some dried fruits can be very tough to eat. It doesn't matter how the product is packaged if it isn't visually appealing & doesn't deliver on taste & texture. It doesn't necessarily have to look like sweets with unnatural colours to appeal.

[BramblyHedge]

~ When you choose snacks to take on a picnic, is giving your children their 5-a-day a factor in your choices or not? And do you usually choose what snacks your children get on a picnic or do they choose themselves?

I always choose snacks - fresh and dried fruit features heavily along with a sandwich, crisps and bottle of water or squash. They love fruit so not a battle.

~ Do you ever buy dried fruit snacks for picnics with your family?

Two out of three of mine adore humzingers. The third is a bit meh and prefers an oat based bar. We always have them in the house so they feature in picnics.

~ What are your top tips on packing a healthy picnic?
Lots of tupperware to avoid too may packaged items. I use divided boxes so we can have a nice selection of fruit to cater for kids varied tastes. We also use their stainless steel school bottles so easy to stay hydrated throughout the day.

~ How do you think companies can make dried fruit snacks more appealing to children?
I hate to say it, but more pictures (bit like petite filous / frubes rather than branded). Also make them easier to open. My four year old can't open humzingers and even i ocassionally struggle.

[skyeskyeskye]

~ When you choose snacks to take on a picnic, is giving your children their 5-a-day a factor in your choices or not? And do you usually choose what snacks your children get on a picnic or do they choose themselves?

I would always take a banana and some grapes or strawberries. DD is 5yo, so doesn't get much say in what we take

~ Do you ever buy dried fruit snacks for picnics with your family?

I have never heard of Humzingers. DD hates sticky fruit things like School Bars and Winders. I buy Fruit Flakes and raisins

~ What are your top tips on packing a healthy picnic?

a picnic is a treat, so doesnt have to be healthy. I would pack Babybel, Pringles, strawberries, grapes, banana, Ribena carton and a sandwich

~ How do you think companies can make dried fruit snacks more appealing to children?

make them tastier

[IwishIwasmoreorganised]

~ When you choose snacks to take on a picnic, is giving your children their 5-a-day a factor in your choices or not? And do you usually choose what snacks your children get on a picnic or do they choose themselves? We try to include some fruit and veg with every meal and a picnic is no different but it is a treat so I don't worry if there's not as much as usual. The choosing of the picnic is mainly done by me, but with our d. Given some choices of a or b, c or d.

~ Do you ever buy dried fruit snacks for picnics with your family?
Not specifically for picnics, but we always have some in the house so they are often included in our picnics.

~ What are your top tips on packing a healthy picnic?
Variety - lots of choice and make it fun and a bit different to usual. Fruit kebabs, cheese and pineapple on a stick, that kind of thing!

~ How do you think companies can make dried fruit snacks more appealing to children?
Children like brightly coloured, easy to open packaging IMO. Parents like things that are good value for money and that get eaten!

[Melissakitkat]

~ When you choose snacks to take on a picnic, is giving your children their 5-a-day a factor in your choices or not? And do you usually choose what snacks your children get on a picnic or do they choose themselves?

Yes 5 a day very important in picnics as is fresh food, veg & fruit if possible. Weirdly dd will choose veg & fruit over crisps anyway. But for her a picnic is not a picnic without sandwiches!!!!

~ Do you ever buy dried fruit snacks for picnics with your family? Yes, we buy those small packs of apricots and occasionally fruit strings for a treat.

~ What are your top tips on packing a healthy picnic?

We tend to have strawberries, and those little mixed bags of veg - (broccoli, mange tout, runner beans - fresh not frozen) as snacks in picnics. Then we have yogurts for dairy and ham sandwiches for protein & carbs. Then a big bottle of water. Tbh dd is more excited about eating outside on a rug with picnic plates so does not worry to much about there being special food.

~ How do you think companies can make dried fruit snacks more appealing to children?

Free trial packs for kids to try - once they try them & like them kids will eat them again - a free sticker on the pack works every time as well. Fun shapes perhaps like 'oddities'. Facts on the packets as well, maybe about the fruit inside. Different cartoon personalities on the pack - Amanda Apricot then Andy apricot! :0) anything that interacts with the child. Make sure packs are small for lunch boxes and easy to open!

Mel xxx

[sharond101]

~ When you choose snacks to take on a picnic, is giving your children their 5-a-day a factor in your choices or not? And do you usually choose what snacks your children get on a picnic or do they choose themselves?
I factor in the 5 a day and give a choice of snacks they can pick from one of which must be fruit, veg or a smoothie.

~ Do you ever buy dried fruit snacks for picnics with your family?
we like prunes and raisins and sometimes buy those.

~ What are your top tips on packing a healthy picnic?
Bright colours make salad more tempting. Packing everyone a small portion of something healthy can be exciting for the little people.

~ How do you think companies can make dried fruit snacks more appealing to children?

Small interesting looking packets would make my DC want dried fruit.

[InnocentRedhead]

~ When you choose snacks to take on a picnic, is giving your children their 5-a-day a factor in your choices or not? And do you usually choose what snacks your children get on a picnic or do they choose themselves?

*It does factor in my choices. I generally choose at the moment as my son is only 15 months and would pack a picnic basket full of grapes if he could. He does generally prefer fruit, cucumber sticks, carrot sticks and such like to things like sausage rolls etc.

~ Do you ever buy dried fruit snacks for picnics with your family?

*I don't buy the individually packaged fruit snacks for picnics as they are generally a more expensive way of giving dried fruit to the kids. I generally just fill a small tupperware box with a mixture of dried fruit and put it in the picnic.

~ What are your top tips on packing a healthy picnic?

*I always try to keep it 1/4 unhealthy and 3/4 healthy. The children should be given a choice but like at home, I would generally try to make sure they are eating a balanced meal

~ How do you think companies can make dried fruit snacks more appealing to children?

*I don't know as my kids already love dried fruit

[MonsterBookOfTysons]

~ When you choose snacks to take on a picnic, is giving your children their 5-a-day a factor in your choices or not? And do you usually choose what snacks your children get on a picnic or do they choose themselves?

I do a picnic at least once a week with the dc. I choose what goes in it, we normally have grapes/bananas and raisins. I have never heard of Humzingers.

~ Do you ever buy dried fruit snacks for picnics with your family?

I buy the little boxes of raisins.

~ What are your top tips on packing a healthy picnic?

A sandwich, salad, fruit and juice with one 'treat' Normally cake with my two dc.

~ How do you think companies can make dried fruit snacks more appealing to children?

Make them 'cool'. Packaging, name, good unique flavours.

[Aethelfleda]

5-a-day is an artificial construct.

However my one-year old is addicted to humzingers and salivates Pavlov-stylee when he sees the box come out

we use them as snacks rather than part of a meal though as their packaging makes them convenient to stash in my bag so there's always a fruity snack to hand. Picnics are great fun but I'd include "real" fruit rather than fruit sticks, as standard fruit feels more like part of a meal.