Food Fiction

I came across an article on a Mom blog today that concerned me.

It was a sponsored post for a snack item that, although described as “nutritious fuel” for kids, is clearly a treat. (“Chocolate-filled” doesn’t make me think “nutritious”… you?) The dip recipe that accompanied it contained an
entire container of Cool Whip Light. (This, alone, raises red flags for me; its two main ingredients are hydrogenated vegetable oil and high fructose corn syrup.

‘Nuff said.

It also listed a small amount of frozen fruit in the ingredient list, but it seemed almost token.

This product, with the dip, was described as being “a wholesome snack”.

I might sound like a judgey parent right about now, but here’s the thing: my kids have treats often.  I have no problem with that.

We practice the golden rule of food – everything in moderation, so they’re definitely not deprived.

But they also know the difference between ‘fun food’ and healthy snacks (unsweetened applesauce, fruits, veggies & dip, low-sodium pretzels, etc). I feel it’s important to make that distinction so they don’t grow up with a warped sense of what’s good for them.

Obviously the Mom who wrote the post thinks it’s a nutritious snack… and that scares me. With the steadily rising rates of obesity – especially childhood obesity – I can’t help but wonder if we are doing a good enough job of teaching our children by example.

If we don’t truly understand what healthy food is, how will our children learn?