Go2Girlz Tested and Approved: Smart Growth Milk & Cheese Snacks!

As always, we at urbanmoms.ca don’t endorse a product unless it has been tested by our members and given the Go2Girlz seal of approval. This means any product we do feature has always been tried by other moms and their families with a degree of satisfaction that they would confidently recommend it to friends and family.

Our most recent product testing assignment was for Beatrice Smart Growth Milk and Black Diamond Ficello Smart Growth cheese snacks from Parmalat . These dairy products are DHA-enriched, but unlike some other DHA-enriched products, which have the DHA added to the milk (usually in the form of an oil), Parmalat went straight to the source with the Smart Growth line, feeding their cows DHA-enriched feed, so that their homogenized milk contains 20mg of DHA and the 2% milks (both white and chocolate) contain 10mg. The cheese snacks each contain 20mg of DHA.

What’s the Big Deal With DHA?
DHA is one of the Omega 3 fatty acids, which is critical for supporting the normal development of the brain, eyes and nerves (in adults, too!). Unfortunately, our bodies don’t produce DHA, so we have to get it from our food or other sources (e.g. supplements). The best food sources of DHA are oily fish (such as salmon & tuna…but not the canned kind). Since most children don’t like the taste of oily fish, they are generally getting much less DHA than they really need in their diets. According to dietitians, the average child should consume 70-80 mg of DHA daily.

So How Did We Like Smart Growth?
The Smart Growth products were a huge hit with the Go2Girlz and their families. Generally everyone enjoyed all of the products that they tested, and the overall consensus is that there was really no difference in the taste of the products over “regular” milk and cheese snacks. The cheese snacks specifically garnered the most feedback: they are 100% real cheese, and therefore don’t peel the way some cheese-product snacks do. This seemed to surprise some of the children at first, but the overwhelming feedback was that the cheese snacks tasted so much better than other cheese snacks (because they are 100% cheese), that the taste improvement easily compensated for the reduced peeling factor.

The only serious concern raised was the price of the products, although most of our testers did indicate that they would continue to purchase Smart Growth despite the fact that they are pricier.

Here’s What the Go2Girlz Had to Say About Smart Growth:

I was very impressed with the taste of both the milks and the cheese sticks – there was no aftertaste, no change in colour or texture, and the packaging and explanations of DHA were excellent. – Lori, mom of 3

I was absolutely thrilled that this product was available! I had been looking for ways to add DHA into my childrens’ diet. – Laura, mom of 3

…my kids love it and it’s good for them! – Irene, mom of 4

Everybody really enjoyed the new products. No one could tell that they were drinking & eating new brands. – Daniela, mom of 1

…my kids liked it all. My 2 boys were so excited they kept saying that they are going to be so smart!! – Nikki, mom of 4