Food on an assembly line.
Alright, kiddos, imagine you’re in a giant kitchen, like the one you have at home, but super-sized!
Okay, next, imagine all the different foods we see in the grocery store or at restaurants, like cookies, chips, and soda. Well, sometimes just a few really big companies make a lot of those foods. We call them “BIG FOOD” because they’re like the giants of the food world.
So when you hear the phrase “BIG FOOD”, it refers to big huge companies that make most of the foods you see in your grocery stores. It’s not just one person making a sandwich; it’s like a big team making tons of sandwiches, tons of cookies, and all sorts of snacks & drinks.
Orange soda on an assembly line in a food factory.
“BIG FOOD” uses huge machines like this one, to process and package a lot of the food we see in grocery stores. These machines can make millions and millions of items very quickly & efficiently compared to producing the same amount by hand.
Sometimes, you see these “BIG FOOD” companies on TV or at the store. They have colorful logos and pictures of the food they make to market their food to the masses. Lots of it is yummy, but remember, it’s important to eat a variety of foods, including fruits, veggies, and other healthy things. “BIG FOOD” can be a fun treat once in a while, but it’s always good to eat whole foods instead of processed foods to keep our bodies strong and healthy!
Some “BIG FOOD” products may be more nutritious than others, while a lot are high in processed ingredients, added sugars, salt, and unhealthy fats. Learn all about it here with Sizzle Kidz so that you can make the best choices for YOURSELF!
It’s important to read food labels and ingredient lists to make informed choices about what you eat. Remember also, the level of processing in certain “BIG FOOD” products can change their nutritional value. For example, a potato is VERY healthy while french fries are processed to be much less healthy.
Whole, minimally processed foods tend to be healthier than highly processed and packaged options.
McDonalds French Fries being made on a conveyor belt. These are mass-produced, frozen, bagged and shipped to the thousands of stores world-wide.
Ultimately, the healthiness of food from “BIG FOOD” depends on individual product choices and YOUR AWARENESS of nutritional information. It’s always best to choose whole, nutrient-dense foods, and limit highly processed foods, regardless of the brand or size of the food company.
Here are 3 “BIG FOOD” companies and brands you might recognize:
- Nestlé:
- Overview: Nestlé is a global food and drink processing mega-company. It is one of the largest food companies in the world, with a wide range of products, including baby food, bottled water, breakfast cereals, candy, dairy products, ice cream, pet foods, and more.
- Popular Brands: Nestlé, Cheerios, Corn Flakes, Gerber, Haagen-Dazs, Hot Pockets, Kit Kat, Lean Cuisine, Perrier, Purina, San Pelligrino, Smarties, Starbucks Coffee at Home, Stouffer’s, Toll House and many more.
- The Coca-Cola Company:
- Overview: Headquartered in the United States, The Coca-Cola Company is a global beverage company best known for its flagship product, Coca-Cola. It is one of the biggest beverage companies with many types of drinks, including carbonated soft drinks, juices, energy drinks, and bottled water.
- Popular Brands: Coca-Cola, Diet Coke, Fanta, Sprite, Minute Maid, Powerade.
- PepsiCo:
- Overview: PepsiCo is another American-based mega-global food and beverage company. It has many products that include all kinds of snacks and beverages and sells products in every single country the world!
- Popular Brands: Pepsi, Mountain Dew, Lay’s, Dorito’s, Tostitos, Ruffles, Cracker Jack, Cheetos, Gatorade, Dole, Pasta Roni, Cap’n Crunch, Ocean Spray, Lipton, Tropicana, Quaker.
It’s important to remember that these companies offer a mix of products, ranging from relatively healthier options to more processed items. You should be mindful of YOUR OWN choices and consider factors such as:
- nutritional content (carbs, fats, protein, sugar, sodium etc.)
- ingredient lists
- serving sizes
To learn what you need to know in order to make the BEST Choices for YOU , look for the
SIZZLE KIDZ ONLINE COURSE
“OUTSMART BIG FOOD, FAST FOOD & JUNK FOOD”
COMING SOON!
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- Sizzle Kidz Online Course Example
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- Sizzle Kidz Online Course Example
“BIG FOOD” companies evolve over time but here are the other 5 biggest ones in the world right now:
- Unilever: Has a lot of products, owns many popular ice cream, tea, and spread brands, among others.
- Mondelez International: Formerly part of Kraft Foods, a candy, food, and beverage mega-company. It owns famous brands such as Cadbury, Oreo, and Toblerone.
- General Mills: An American-based global food company known for its wide range of breakfast cereals, snacks, and baking products.
- Kraft Heinz: Formed by the merger of Kraft Foods Group and H.J. Heinz, this company is one of the biggest food and beverage companies in the world. It owns a variety of popular condiments, sauces, and snack brands.
- Mars: Known for its candy, pet care, and other food products. Popular brands include M&M’s, Snickers, and Pedigree.
Here are some PROS and CONS of “Big Food”:
PROS:
- Global Reach: “BIG FOOD” can ship their products all over the world, making these foods more accessible to many people.
- Innovation and Research: These companies spend a lot of money on food technology, packaging, and nutrition science. This can result in more efficiency, healthier or unhealthier food options and lots of variety.
- Reduced Costs: These companies can make more for less, so prices can be lower.
CONS:
- Processed and Unhealthy Products: Many “BIG FOOD” products are highly processed and may contain too much added sugars, salt, and unhealthy fats.
- Environmental Impact: Large-scale food production can have significant environmental consequences, including deforestation, water pollution, soil depletion and greenhouse gas emissions.
- Dominance and Competition: The gigantic size of these companies can force smaller companies out of business. This can result in less competition and lower quality.
- Labor Practices: These giant companies have gotten in hot water for bad labor practices related to workers’ rights, wages, and working conditions.
- Sneaky Advertising: Big Food is often sneaky with its advertising and promotes the consumption of less nutritious foods. Be on the look out for this!
IF NOTHING ELSE, REMEMBER THIS:
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YOU have the POWER to force “BIG FOOD” to make and sell healthier foods by using your MONEY!
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You have the POWER to vote for what kind of food YOU want for your MONEY by not buying unhealthy food!
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It’s YOUR Money….If YOU want healthier food….don’t give it to “BIG FOOD” until they make healthier food for YOU!
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They WILL do it, if YOU demand it with your DOLLARS!
GO MAKE YOUR VOICES HEARD KIDDOS!
PARENTS: Show this fun and interesting video to you kids to give them a really good look into a food processing plant, it’s fascinating!!
SEE YOU BACK HERE SOON FOR MORE FUN & INTERESTING FOOD INFO!
[…] Click here to learn “What is Big Food?” which is this lesson’s big sister!! […]