Tuesday, April 22, 2008

and we wonder why we are the fattest nation ...

When I go to the grocery store, I am notorious for keeping to the perimeter - home to the freshest and least-processed foods in the store. And when I do venture down the center aisles, it is usually for cereal, pretzels and canned beans. We don't really have traditional junk/snack foods in our house. There are no cookies or cakes, candies or fruit snacks (which are really candy in disguise). When I do purchase chips or cheese doodles, they are either organic or all-natural. My kids think that Fiber 1 bars are candy bars. M&M's are a HUGE treat, and when they get those it's only two or three at a time. My downfall - ice cream. I eat it EVERY day and the girls would do the same (if I let them). This is not to say that we won't or don't eat crap (because really it is nutritionless crap). We just eat it on special occasions and in MODERATION!!

But seriously, how can anyone question why we are the fattest nation when there are so many unhealthy options out there (and so many people who eat them)? And trust me, you don't need to eat at the drive-thru to eat poorly. It's just as easy to do at the grocery store.

Just the other day while I was in the checkout lane, I looked at what the person in front of me was purchasing. It was ALL processed crap!! With the exception of bananas, there were no fruits and even fewer vegetables. The only meat, Tyson breaded (and fried) chicken strips. The cart was full of snack cakes, chips, ice cream and boxed mac-n-cheese. And what really made me laugh was the diet soda to go along with it!

I know it can be expensive to eat healthy. But there are inexpensive choices that you can make that can make what you eat a heck of a lot healthier. Switch from white to whole wheat bread. Drop the fat content in your milk by switching to skim. Eat beans! They are full of protein, low in fat and super cheap! Small changes can make big differences.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I hear ya sista!! I had the a neighborhood boy over to our house and he wanted a snack. He asked where the goldfish was, if we had teddy grahams, or juice. The 'junkiest' thing I could offer him was peanut butter on whole wheat crackers. But Morgan thinks that is the best snack ever. I am proud of that! But because of these families who eat only junk, we need to give our kids those foods in moderation so they don't go crazy when they get in the 'real' world - like public school!