How much junk food does your toddler eat?
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Forum Name: Toddler Times
Forum Description: Is bubs growing up and getting into everything? How do you train them to use the potty? When do you start feeding solids? Share your tips and advice here!
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Topic: How much junk food does your toddler eat?
Posted By: Nikki
Subject: How much junk food does your toddler eat?
Date Posted: 06 April 2009 at 11:59am
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So, how much "junk" (and "packaged") food does your toddler eat?? I'm just curious / nosey (and have a background in food/nutrition so thats probably why I'm interested --- as most toddlers eat too much sugar/fat, but some people seem to have gone the opposite way and give their kids almost none now ....).
Age of Toddler: Lollies: Ice-blocks: Ice-cream: Chips/Cheezels etc: Hot chips: Chocolate: Biscuits: Cake/Muffins: Crackers: Fruit bars: Muesli bars: Fizzy drinks: Anything else you can think of? Thanks!  ------------- DS (5yrs) and DD (3yrs) |
Replies:
Posted By: Nikki
Date Posted: 06 April 2009 at 12:03pm
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I'll start ...
Age of Toddler: 21 months Lollies: 2-3 lollies every 1-2 weeks. Ice-blocks: On avg probably 1/mth (more in summer, less in winter) Ice-cream: Almost never (maybe 3x) Chips/Cheezels etc: once a week Hot chips: 2-4x / week Chocolate: Almost never (3-5x ever) Biscuits: A few a week Cake/muffins: 2/month Crackers: Almost daily Fruit bars: 1/wk Muesli bars: Never Fizzy drinks: Never I forgot jelly -- I have been doing that for dessert recently for him - twice a week every 2nd or 3rd week. ------------- DS (5yrs) and DD (3yrs) |
Posted By: arohanui
Date Posted: 06 April 2009 at 12:35pm
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Interesting.. I think my boy eats pretty healthily, better than I do! But alot of the 'junk food' he doesn't eat just cos we don't have it in the house cos we buy groceries on a tight budget.
Age of Toddler: Nearly 15 months Lollies: Only marshmellow type ones if we happen to have them (like at a party) Ice-blocks: He had about one a day in summer (home made, teeny bit of juice with water) Ice-cream: The odd mouthful if we're eating it Chips/Cheezels etc: Only had them once at a bday party Hot chips: Has a couple of chips if we get takeaways Chocolate: Every so often if we're having some (about 6 times) Biscuits: Not very often just cos we don't usually buy them Cake/Muffins: Hardly ever Crackers: Not often, just cos we don't buy them Fruit bars: Never Muesli bars: When Grandad gives them to him! About once a week Fizzy drinks: He has a couple of mouthfuls of ours if we're having lemonade (maybe once every few weeks) ------------- Mama to DS1 (5 years), DS2 (3 years) and... http://alterna-tickers.com" rel="nofollow"> 
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Posted By: Rachael21
Date Posted: 06 April 2009 at 12:38pm
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Age of Toddler: 21 months and 3 years
Lollies: one gummi bear a day about for TT Ice-blocks: about 3 times a week Ice-cream: about 3 times a week Chips/Cheezels etc: once a week Hot chips: once a week Chocolate: about once a month Biscuits: one or two a day Cake/muffins: hardly ever (at birthday parties and stuff) Crackers: Almost daily Fruit bars: never Muesli bars: a couple a week Fizzy drinks: Never but they do have a drink of juice with dinner each night We don't eat jelly here, usually an ice cream or ice block for dessert. I'm really lucky that their preschool provides food (even a cooked vegetarian lunch) so they do eat a lot better when they were at home full time. |
Posted By: Bobbie
Date Posted: 06 April 2009 at 12:47pm
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Age of Toddler: 15months
Lollies: none Ice-blocks: only frozen bananas Ice-cream: had her first one the other weekend Chips/Cheezels etc: none Hot chips: if we have takeaways she's right into them so about once a week. Chocolate: none Biscuits: plain ones at nana and granddads about one a fortnight Cake/Muffins: rarely Crackers: pretzels a few times a week Fruit bars: rarely Muesli bars: she has 'milky bars' almost every day Fizzy drinks: none This isn't really an effort on my part to have her eating a healthy diet it's more to do with the fact we don't have these things in our house because we're on such a tight budget at the moment. -------------  
 
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Posted By: Mama2two
Date Posted: 06 April 2009 at 1:02pm
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Age of Toddler: Nearly 2
Lollies: Never Ice-blocks: A few fruju's over summer but usually only a bite of two of ours. Ice-cream: Maybe half a dozen times so far Chips/Cheezels etc: Usually a small (her size) handful of plain potato chips 3-4 times a week Hot chips: Maybe once a week when we have them Chocolate: Never Biscuits: 4-5 times a week but they are the orgram everything free animal cookies Cake/Muffins: When I have baked them, maybe once a fortnight Crackers: Daily Fruit bars: 2-3 times a week Muesli bars: Never Fizzy drinks: Never Wow, I had just been thinking that Sam had been eating lots of rubbish lately, but looking at this it really hasn't been that bad afterall. Yay  ------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
http://lilypie.com"> 
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Posted By: katie1
Date Posted: 06 April 2009 at 1:05pm
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Age of Toddler: 28 months
Lollies: none really unless at a party where he may have a couple. Ice-blocks: none Ice-cream: has had once or twice in summer Chips/Cheezels etc: none unless at a party where he has probably had them the odd time Hot chips: has had but not regularly Chocolate: not really except for a choc santa someone gave him at christmas and the odd other time Biscuits: Maybe once a fortnight. Plain ones at Grandma and Grandads. Cake/Muffins: Homemade muffins two or three times a week. Sometimes a wee piece of cake if we are somewhere for afternoon tea. Crackers: Every second day maybe Fruit bars: None Muesli bars: None Fizzy drinks: None I am starting to become more relaxed about things now that he is over two. (not a conscious decision to wait until then but I just seem to have relaxed) If he is having sweet things I prefer them to be homemade things like muffins or pikelets rather than packaged things from supermarket. |
Posted By: Babe
Date Posted: 06 April 2009 at 1:12pm
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Interesting!
Age of Toddler: 23 months Lollies: about 1 a fortnight when we go shopping Ice-blocks: none Ice-cream: none Chips/Cheezels etc: occasionally chippies if his uncle is eating them but not a regular part of his diet Hot chips: once a week on takeaway night Chocolate: a couple of choc buttons every day with dad Biscuits: available daily (homemade anzacs) Cake/Muffins: available daily (homemade muffins so usually bran and fruit) Crackers: dont buy them but he munches out on plain or seaweed rice crackers at his grandparents whenever hes there Fruit bars: dont buy them but when we dry fruit at home he has some of that Muesli bars: available daily (homemade oaty bars) Fizzy drinks: rarely if we've got some for a treat I also make him jelly fingers so gelatine, water and tinned fruit (not the packet stuff). We eat healthily mainly because I have diet-controlled ADHD so everything is natural and made from scratch. Also helps us to keep in a tight budget  -------------   
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Posted By: thunderwolves
Date Posted: 06 April 2009 at 1:21pm
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Age of Toddler: Almost two and a half Lollies: used to bribe tt at the moment. 1 a day Ice-blocks: once a week Ice-cream: 3 times a week Chips/Cheezels etc: never cheezles, occaisonally chips Hot chips: once a week Chocolate: not often, only as a huge treat Biscuits: homemade one daily Cake/Muffins: montly perhaps Crackers: a few times a week Fruit bars: daily Muesli bars: 2 times a week Fizzy drinks: has soda water with a dash of lime juice Anything else you can think of? ------------- http://alterna-tickers.com"> 
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Posted By: sally belly
Date Posted: 06 April 2009 at 1:40pm
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Age of Toddler: Nearly 16 months
Lollies: None thus far Ice-blocks: Never Ice-cream: Maybe once a fortnight Chips/Cheezels etc: Very rarely but I will give him several if I'm having some Hot chips: Very rarely Chocolate: Never but I do have a small Easter bunny waiting for him Biscuits: 2-3x a week Cake/Muffins: Homemade muffins once a week Crackers: Pretty much every day Fruit bars: Never Muesli bars: Never Fizzy drinks: Never Anything else you can think of? Liam has raisins quite a bit & I'm sure they're pretty sugary  -------------    
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Posted By: fattartsrock
Date Posted: 06 April 2009 at 1:46pm
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I personally think never letting kids ever have "junk" leads them to have problems controlling themselves when they get bigger. Also, you can tell the kids that have no "junk" at birthday parties! They are the ones stuffing their faces full tilt then going on a HUGE sugar high a d mum saying thats why I never let them have it, lol! I think a small amount sometimes is ok and am careful not to label things as "good" and bad" as I don't want them to have hang ups, but we do have "sometimes" food and "anytimes" food. That said, my kids will choose rice crackers over choc bikkies any day!
Age of Toddler: 2 y and 2 m and 3 y and 10 m Lollies: About once a monthish - depends on Bday parties etc Ice-blocks: Often in summer, and the milky ones, too. Ice-cream: Once a fortnight or so if I have made pudding and they have eaten all their tea and been good. I don't use it as a reward or bribe, tho, so don't say if you eat... etc, will just offer them some if I think they have been good and eaten well. Chips/Cheezels etc: once or twice a fortnight, small amount Hot chips: Once a week Chocolate: hardly ever, although they both had a small bunny today form their caregivers for easter. They're not too keen on it. Biscuits: Not often, they prefer rice crackers, but will occasionally have a wine bikkie at mums Cake/Muffins: They don't like Crackers: Daily Fruit bars: Mother earth ones, about one or 2 a week, or Uncle tobys twists or things like that, most days they have one Muesli bars: They prefer the fruit cereal bars as above. Fizzy drinks: No, they don't like them and long may it last...Jake has watered down juice with is tea "like daddy" but Charlotte dosen't ------------- The Honest Un PC Parent of 2, usually stuck in the naughty corner! :P |
Posted By: CuriousG
Date Posted: 06 April 2009 at 1:47pm
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Re Lollies - I blame DH - he does the childcare and seems to feed her lollies ALL THE TIME! Its a grumping topic for me.
Age of Toddler: Nearly 3 Lollies: Every couple of days Ice-blocks: Only in summer 3-4 a week Ice-cream: Never Chips/Cheezels etc: Daily Hot chips: 1x a week Chocolate: 2-3 times a week but not much Biscuits: 2-3 times a week Cake/Muffins: Rarely Crackers: Almost Daily Fruit bars: Almost Daily Muesli bars: Almost Daily Fizzy drinks: 2-3 times a week if DH has bought some ------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
http://lilypie.com"> 
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Posted By: Nikki
Date Posted: 06 April 2009 at 1:48pm
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This is so interesting .... most of the answers seem to be pretty healthy (where are the mums of all those toddlers you see eating McDs and packets of twisties?! haha). One of my reasons for posting is that I think Jake eats enough "junk" food ... but my MIL always wants to give him cake/chocolate etc (making me look liek the bad guy when I say no)and when I said no to fizzy drinks gave me a lecture about not making the mistake she did in limiting that sort of food, and the kids pigging out on it when older and getting obsessed etc. My response was the hes not even 2, so I don't think he needs fizzy drinks or fruit juice yet, and he certainly does eat some sweet things and chippies etc, so doesn't need any more empty calories! I am going to hold off on sweet drinks as long as possible - its just not something we need to start now (he knows he can't have a sip of ours, if we start that he would want it all the time), and not good for his teeth either! I have a related question - so will do another post ..... ------------- DS (5yrs) and DD (3yrs) |
Posted By: busyissy
Date Posted: 06 April 2009 at 2:02pm
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Age of Toddler: 2 years
Lollies: none at all, doesn't know what they are Ice-blocks: home-made ones every now and then Ice-cream: none Chips/Cheezels etc: none Hot chips: Has had hot chips a handful of times Chocolate: none Biscuits: 3-4 a week Cake/Muffins: only on his birthday Crackers: Daily, 2-4 a day but they are the little Jax ones Fruit bars: none Muesli bars: watties baby muesli bars maybe 1-2 a week Fizzy drinks: none ever, doesn't know they exist. Dom just loves fresh and dried fruit mostly and is more a savory boy than a sweet tooth. I'm so sad that berry season is over, berries were Dom's lollies! We try not to introduce lollies and chocolate but most over stuff is just because we don't eat it so its not in the house. |
Posted By: cuppatea
Date Posted: 06 April 2009 at 2:08pm
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Age of Toddler: 21 months
Lollies: No Ice-blocks: rarely, maybe once a month Ice-cream: No (but he was allergic to dairy) Chips/Cheezels etc: only casava crisps, 3-4 times per week Hot chips: Has a few of mine now and then Chocolate: No Biscuits: No Cake/Muffins: have offered but he doesn't like Crackers: Yes is addicted to rice crackers, am trying not to give them but has daily still Fruit bars: Only mother earth ones and max 1 per day. Muesli bars: no Fizzy drinks: NO WAY, we don't even give juice, just his formula in the morning and then water the rest of the time. ------------- 
 
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Posted By: ElfsMum
Date Posted: 06 April 2009 at 3:37pm
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Wow interesting topic:)
Age of Toddler: 14 months Lollies: no Ice-blocks: rarely but will do in summer Ice-cream: no(mostly due to not being allowed dairy till recently) Chips/Cheezels etc: cassava Hot chips: occasionally will have a few of ours Chocolate: no Biscuits: orgran ones and rarely others Cake/Muffins: homemade often Crackers: often Fruit bars: no Muesli bars: milkies and mother earth Fizzy drinks: no nothing except water and milk ------------- Mum to two amazing boys! |
Posted By: lizzle
Date Posted: 06 April 2009 at 4:40pm
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well, mine aren't toddlers but anyway
Age of Toddler: 4 and 3 Lollies: whenever they go to my grandmothers (once a week) - one Ice-blocks: -in summer, often, but home made - i mash up fruit Ice-cream: - one scoop couple times a week Chips/Cheezels etc: rarely - once every two months or something Hot chips: maybe once a month Chocolate: not often (too bloody messy) Biscuits: - um, once a month? unless I've made some Cake/Muffins: rarely unless a birthday Crackers: once every two months Fruit bars: never Muesli bars: never Fizzy drinks: once a month well, i thought they ate much more junk food than that. than again, my father gave Taine ice cream for breakfast on saturday... |
Posted By: Daizy
Date Posted: 06 April 2009 at 5:04pm
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Age of Toddler: 3 1/2 and Age of Toddler: 1 I am sure we are worse than that... I think we used to be but have been a lot better the last few months. ------------- 
 
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Posted By: Brenna
Date Posted: 06 April 2009 at 7:57pm
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Age of Toddler: 29 months
Lollies: Hardly ever - only at a birthday party Ice-blocks: 1-2 over the summer Ice-cream: 2 times per week Chips/Cheezels etc: 2-3 times per month Hot chips: 2 -4 times a month Chocolate: hardly ever Biscuits: each day (plain one) Cake/Muffins: hard;y ever Crackers: every day Fruit bars: most days (1) Muesli bars: hardly ever Fizzy drinks: never -------------  My beautiful 2 girls...nearly 4 and 13 months
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Posted By: Bizzy
Date Posted: 06 April 2009 at 9:54pm
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my kids range in age from 5 yrs, 3.5 yrs and 12 mths.
i dont do chezels at all, chips and fizzy are for special occasions (but not for the baby) and i only do very diluted juice from about 2 yrs. in the heat of summer we would have an ice cream or ice block a day...its a good way to cool down after the walk from kindy and school. every thing else in moderation... |
Posted By: Nikki
Date Posted: 07 April 2009 at 8:59am
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Thanks for all the answers - very interesting!
To all those people whos kids eat hardly any junk/packaged foods ----- please see my other post re healthy snacks .... what, besides fruit, do they eat between meals? Thanks!  ------------- DS (5yrs) and DD (3yrs) |
Posted By: Peanut
Date Posted: 07 April 2009 at 9:32am
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[Age of Toddler: 16 months
Lollies: had them wine gums or marshmellows about twice Ice-blocks: once or twice Ice-cream: about 2-3 times a week Chips/Cheezels etc: never Hot chips: once a week Chocolate: never had Biscuits:2-3 times a week Cake/Muffins:once a month Crackers: daily Fruit bars: either that or a museli bar daily Muesli bars: either that or a fruit bar daily Fizzy drinks: sipped some the other day It might just be me being pregnant and hormonal (thus taking things to heart) but I don't consider museli bars, ice blocks, crackers, biscuits or fruit bars junk food (if you read the label and buy appropriate ones!), I do consider them convience foods at times! I am also one of those bad Mummys who lets them child have McDonalds every now and again so maybe its just me Anything else you can think of? Thanks! [/QUOTE] -------------  
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Posted By: Nikki
Date Posted: 07 April 2009 at 11:19am
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Thats why I said "junk" / packaged foods. I don't think of crackers, plain bikkies or ice blocks as too bad either. I was really just curious about how much of this type of food other toddlers are eating.
But crackers are generally high in salt and alot of muesli bars and fruit bars have a very high sugar content. Ice blocks are just sugar, colours, flavours and water so not great nutritionally. I think of hot chips as just a way of getting him to eat potatos with dinner and fill him up tho!! ------------- DS (5yrs) and DD (3yrs) |
Posted By: fattartsrock
Date Posted: 07 April 2009 at 1:07pm
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We have Maccas here, too, on Daddys "pub night" lol.
I tend to read labels and won't buy anything with sugar over 10g per 100gr or whatever, and only buy plain rice crackers with no msg etc. Although, Like I said, there are no "banned" foods in our house, tho, moderationis the key. Oh I lie, I won't feed my kids 2 minute noodles. ------------- The Honest Un PC Parent of 2, usually stuck in the naughty corner! :P |
Posted By: Glow
Date Posted: 07 April 2009 at 2:38pm
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Age of Toddler: 21 months
Lollies: 2 once weekly at Nanas Ice-blocks: frozen yogurt daily in summer Ice-cream: 3 x weekly Chips/Cheezels etc: 5x weekly Hot chips: 1 sometimes 2 x weekly Chocolate: only at easter Biscuits: 3x weekly Cake/Muffins: daily Crackers: daily Fruit bars: nope Muesli bars:1/2 weekly Fizzy drinks: nope ------------- Mummy of Two Boys B: 2004 K: 2007 |
Posted By: Maya
Date Posted: 07 April 2009 at 4:38pm
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Age of Toddler: 2 1/2
Lollies: once a week - once a fortnight Ice-blocks: Not at all in winter and alternate between Ice-cream: ice cream and ice blocks in the summer Chips/Cheezels etc: Once a fortnight Hot chips: once a week - once a fortnight Chocolate: Occasionally Biscuits: Plain ones daily, 1/2 a Cookie Time once a week Cake/Muffins: randomly depending if we bake Crackers: daily Fruit bars: Every few days Muesli bars:Never Fizzy drinks: Once in a (very) blue moon, usually from their grandfather ------------- Maya Grace (28/02/03)
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Posted By: SMoody
Date Posted: 11 April 2009 at 11:10pm
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Age of Toddler: 3 years 4 months
I dont really limit McKayla. She is great at doing it herself. At parties she tends to go for more healthy stuff even thought she will eat sweets she prefers the fruit and I think it is due to me not really limiting it. We are however cutting certain colorants out and planning to go as colorant free as possible. So we always have Natural confectionary sweets in the house. Fizzy drinks are like once every 6 weeks and then she has a sip but we get The Charlie stuff so no colorants. Ice cream she is not really limited on it. So if we have it in the hous eshe can have it every day. She eats a huge breakfast and prefers not to eat stuff like Ricies and chocolate covered chocolates. She prefers weet bix now and then but Oats and slappap is the best for her. She has a snack at morning tea and afternoon as well. She loves her fruit. But like I say if we have sweets and she ask she gets and she got in the habit to ask if there is any bad colors in it. ------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
http://lilypie.com"> 
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Posted By: peanut butter
Date Posted: 12 April 2009 at 9:19pm
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Age of Toddler: 20months Lollies: never Ice-blocks: once or twice. he has only finished one once Ice-cream: not fussed on it so he has yoghurt Chips/Cheezels etc: one or two chips every now and again. he doesnt like them but wants to have what we are having Hot chips: doesnt like them. uses them to lick tomato sauce with Chocolate: had his first egg this easter. never gets choc otherwise..I DONT SHARE Biscuits: milk arrowroot most days...but half is usually found later Cake/Muffins: LOVES these. when I bake Crackers: doesnt like Fruit bars: starts one 3x per week. leaves the sticky other half somewhere for me to find later Muesli bars: hardly ever Fizzy drinks: has had a couple of sips. Love the reaction. But he did seem to like ginger beer...so I dont drink it around him..or he begs...not cute Anything else you can think of? Thanks! [/QUOTE]
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