3 Gums you see in Kids Foods

Sometimes thickening agents in protein powders are unavoidable. People want their food to taste “processed” especially in America. These are the most popular gums you will find in some of the most popular kids foods (and adult foods too). When feeding your kids - we always recommend trying to stay away from these gums when you can, and we know it is simply not easy - but we do not put these ingredients in Yummi Kidz, because we know how hard it is for you to not find it in other foods across the country. These gums are everywhere.

Xanthan Gum: Xanthan gum is a popular food thickener. It is often used in a wide range of products, including lotions, sauces, ice cream, baked goods, toothpaste, etc. A lot of protein powders add this ingredient to add thickening or texture. Problem with this product is that some manufacturers make this product with corn, soy, wheat and dairy products - however you wouldn’t know that because it can just be labeled as “Xanthan Gum”. Which means if you have an allergy to any one of those then you may need to avoid xanthan gum and products that contain it unless you can figure out how the gum was actually made.

Guar Gum: Guar gum is derived from guar beans and is used to thicken and stabilize various food products, such as dairy products, soups, and sauces. Unlike Xanthan Gum, it is actually derived from actual food. However, what we don’t like about guar gum is that there are several studies that show inflammation in the gut. Not a huge fan of creating more issues with children’s growing bellies are you?

Locust Bean Gum: Locust bean gum, or carob bean gum, is obtained from the seeds of the carob tree. It is used as a thickener and stabilizer in a variety of food products, including ice cream, sauces, and salad dressings. Similar to guar gum, locust bean gum has been shown to have inflammatory properties, even slowing down the movement of food from stomach to slow intestine. It also may interfere with the absorption of vital nutrients like iron. We are just not here for the what-ifs on locust bean gum.