If you have young kids, it just got a whole lot harder to keep sweets out of your house.
My kids have been obsessed with Kinder Surprise eggs since discovering videos of children opening the hollow chocolate eggs filled with toys years ago. It came as a big surprise to me when I found out these eggs were banned here in the United States. The eggs are banned because of the potential health risk of children biting into hidden, non-edible items, a FDA regulation from 1938.
The version that is set to hit the U.S. market is Kinder Joy, an egg that is split into two halves once opened. One side contains the candy and the other, the toy. No toy is hidden within the chocolate so it meets all FDA standards. Yes! And as for the toys, there are 40 different versions that focus not only on fun, but development, too. Yes, yes!
I got a chance to talk with Swedish Canadian actress Malin Akerman, who helped launch the candy stateside, about her first experience with the Kinder brand and how she balances healthy habits at home with her 4½-year-old son, Sebastian Zincone.
What was your first experience with Kinder?
The Kinder brand has been around a long time, about 50 years in Europe. Coming from Sweden I grew up with it. I got my first Kinder product from my grandfather when I was a little girl, and I remember just being elated about it and now they are finally launching over here—they are bringing Kinder Joy to the U.S. and now I get to share it with my kid.
Why do you think these candies are such a hit with kids?
Usually, in our home, my son gets to choose between a treat or a toy, if we are doing something special. But with Kinder Joy you get both. That two-in-one aspect is really just the best thing ever for a kid, when they don’t have to choose and get the toy and the treat. For me it was magical to get both two in one as a child.
How do you balance healthy eating at home with your son?
I think you just treat it as what it is, a treat. So I make sure that all of our meals throughout the day have vegetables involved and there are healthy fats. I make sure there’s a balance of veggies and fish and meat and healthy food. And then on special days and special occasions we get treats. So we try to make it a weekened thing or if something special is happening during the week then he will get a treat or if he’s done something special or is really good with helping out or listening he will get one.
Halloween just passed, did you do anything special with your son?
We ended up going trick-or-treating in our neighborhood. There are a couple of streets that are blocked off especially for kids and for trick-or-treating. We went on the earlier side because as it gets darker it just gets scarier. He’s been going for a few years, he doesn’t really understand the concept. He used to eat the candy right when he got it and he was done once he got a stomachache. But this year he understood that you can save the candy. But someone told me about this really great trick where you let your kid have a couple treats and that after there is a Switch Witch who comes and takes your treats and leaves a toy instead. That way you don’t have your kid eating sugar for a week after.
What is your favorite thing to do in New York City with your son?
I’m based here only half the year and I’ve been sort of moving around. The first year I was in Brooklyn, last year I was in Westchester, and this year I’m in Manhattan. But when it’s cold outside the Children’s Museum up on 83rd Street is great. Even in the summer they have the waterworks exhibit. It’s so easy to go anywhere, because he [Sebastian] can bring his scooter and just scoot around. We go to Chelsea Piers a lot, we’ve gone skating at the skating rink and he’s excited about the skate park, but he’s not going anywhere near that for awhile. I’ve taken him to the Whitney Museum and then to to a meal at Bubby’s afterward, which is really child friendly. I’m just discovering Manhattan right now. He does love going over to DUMBO for the carousel. DUMBO is really nice too because it’s along the water and you have the playground and you can go for an ice cream. But, the best thing we did this summer was go to Governor’s Island. We did all the playgrounds and they have the junkyard just for kids, which is only kids allowed, no adults, which is pretty fantastic. The kids have to work everything out themselves and play with hammers and saws and all that kind of stuff and you just have to trust that they will figure it all out.
RELATED:
Get Weekend Activities Sent to Your Inbox
Governors Island: Family Outing
Main image:Malin Ackerman, left, and President and CEO of Ferrero North America, Paul Chibe, officially welcome Kinder Joy at the Kinder Joy Launch Event at Current at Pier 59 on Monday, Nov. 13.
Diane Bondareff/Invision for Kinder/AP Images
