Remember you kind of secretly knew miniature chocolate chip cookie cereal was not an acceptable breakfast, but begged your mom for a box of Cookie Crisp anyway? For my sisters and me, it was a Saturday morning treat.
Remember slurping up Chef Boyardee Beefaroni so obnoxiously that it left you with a brownish-red sauce mustache? And were you shocked the first time you saw and tasted actual pasta bolognese? Or maybe you are like me and although you can spot authentic food, you still find comfort in canned slop on occasion.
I admit to eating and enjoying junk food sometimes. But even at a young age, I knew the difference between actual food and junk food. And we always had a variety of homemade dinners and fresh fruit and veggies in the house.
As a newish mom, I am really having a hard time with corporations trying to slip vitamins, nutrients and fiber into junk food, though, thinking they are going to win points with parents.
If you’re a parent and you think it’s OK not to offer veggies to your child anymore b/c the Chef is now putting a serving in their faux canned pasta, you’re wrong.
If you think you don’t need to serve your kids fresh fruits and whole grains because Kellogg is adding fiber to their sugary cereals, think again.
I’d like to give parents more credit than to believe they think it’s OK to use processed foods to supplement fiber/vegetable intake.
And for the parents like me that KNOW you can’t plop a dish of Beefaroni down in front of your kids and expect that to sustain them, don’t you feel a little insulted? Do we appear so lazy and ignorant that marketing people are going there?! And about the kids – is it wrong to teach them that veggies can taste good and shouldn’t be frowned upon?
If you’re truly struggling to get your child to eat real food, consider getting creative with food like this lady.
As always, I encourage everyone to vote with their forks, question the marketing hype and for goodness sakes, give your kids (and yourselves) a little more credit!
Mommy's Alright 