I think you will find "natural" products are designed in natural ways. Muted colors in blues and greens are consistent with "natural-ness". Just like children's products are designed in playful ways. Bright colors are consistent with playful and fun. It can be hard for parents to teach children to make smart choices. Just like it is hard for adults to choose the Ford over the Ferrari. Addressing the temptation is a teachable moment.

It gets easier as children will learn as they grow. Often school age children learn about the importance of sustainability and will begin to educate their parents on the better choices. For example, many 5-10 year olds will lead the recycling efforts in their households or police their families to turn off the water when brushing their teeth. And eventually you feel guilty for not making the smarter choices! :-)

Its all about who the target buyer is. A brand can't create packaging for multiple audiences it must create one design that targets the largest buying audience. Kids react to colors, characters etc.

It's the parent's responsibility to provide good quality foods for their kids and then kids will want it again if they like it. Regardless of the packaging

I remember a Mom telling me that she told her kids that McDonald's was closed when they would drive by in the afternoon after school, otherwise, they would eat every meal there. While we can't put blindfolds on our kids, there will always be something that they will want that is colorful, flavorful, and fun. However, educating our children starts at homed it is up to us as parents to only serve healthy foods and beverages at home.

Growing up, I remember my parents never allowed soft drinks in our house. If I came home and saw a six-pack of soft drinks on the kitchen counter, I knew company was coming. The only time they would buy soft drinks was when guests were coming over for a special party or event. To this day, I appreciate that rule so much because I never got addicted to soft drinks, which they definitely can be addictive for many people. It start's at home.

While your children may try unhealthy food and beverages as they grow up to be an adult, many times I have found that they will not feel good as a result. That can be a huge motivator for many and eventually all of your hard work as parents pays off.

You ask a good question and one that needs to be addressed by the marketing teams at packaged goods companies. Unfortunately, the advertising industry tends to lag behind trends versus lead...a fairly easy example of this is the portrayal of women in advertising. In advertising, women were the only ones in the kitchen for much longer than in reality.

Food companies are moving toward preparing and packaging healthier food options and today the packaging is speaking more to health-conscious adults versus children, as you are experiencing. As healthier food options become more mainstream, companies will design packaging to appeal to the mainstream buyers (and families). Color, fun, shapes and characters. Demand drives supply.

The colours, flavours and so on are deliberate. They take advantage of children's immaturity. The judgment centres in children's brains are still developing. Bright colours and strong flavours excite them. They want fun, and the packaging both makes them crave more fun, and convinces them that they can only have that fun by buying their product.