May 16, 2006
While I grew up in a house with plenty of junk food, for some reason, Kraft Mac and Chesse was always heralded as a poor excuse for food. The Doritos, Pepsi, and Oreos comsumed on a daily basis were fine. Campbell's chicken noodle soup, loaded with MSG and salt, was not only okay, it was used as a cure-all folk medicine for any sickness that came our way. But Kraft Mac and Cheese? Too disgusting for us.I realize now, that my parents probably didn't have any lofty opinions on the nutritional value of mac-n-cheese from a box, they just didn't like it. However, their dislike for the stuff stuck with me over the years, and as I grew into a nutrition conscious adult and parent, my resolve to stay away from this over-processed, dayglow orange meal continued. For years, I have faithfully bought the much more expensive Amy's brand of frozen, organic macaroni and cheese for my children, and have used the extra space in my pantry for things like unsweetened applesauce and natural peanut butter.But the power of childhood comfort food runs deep, and my husband, like most of other children of his generation, grew up consuming the blue box mac-n-cheese on a regular basis. It was, in fact, the only meal his dad knew how to cook. As a result, my husband takes a certain amount of pleasure in eating his dayglow macaroni every once in awhile, and is more than happy to share with the kids. As time has gone by, the occasional blue box in our cupboard meant mostly for my husband, has turned into one or two boxes weekly meant specifically for the kids.They say in parenting you have to pick your battles. Healthy eating is a big-deal issue for me, and I do beleive that convenience foods have made it way too easy for us to put crap into our kids' (and our own) bodies. I find the whole notion that we are entitled to eat unhealthy foods because they make us happy problematic on a number of levels, but the truth is, we all have at least one, if not many, disgusting foods that bring us pleasure, and how much we choose to indulge in these foods is really a personal battle.Which is why I've decided to concede the battle of the blue box in my household for now. I'm out numbered, and I just don't think I can conquer the power of positive childhood associations. But all is not lost. I still have the whole wheat spaghetti, the 100 percent juice, and the jam that is actually just "spreadable fruit". I'll continue to keep up a strong front....until the kids go to bed and I can sneak a Pepperidge Farm cookie.
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gaiapapaya (anonymous) says...
Just one cookie? What restraint!
I've found that my kids like the simply organic mac-n-cheese best. So much so that if the merc is out, they don't want mac-n-cheese. I have bigger issues with the crap they dole out at school. My 10 yr old now loves iceberg lettuce. In fact, she askes me to purchase it every time I go to the store. Since all of New York school gets free lunch, she can always pick what she wants off the side dish bar. At least she still hates the disgusting smuckers pre-fab, no crust, wonderbread, sugar added PBJs.
We are trying a new deal where the kids can pick out one crap food item from the store. I've known families that kraft mac-n-cheese was the choice for the week. This includes things that are really wasteful like go-gurt or (shudder) trix yogurt. Does yogurt need to be able to be seen form space for kids to like it? No, it does not, but that didn't stop trix. Usually they want those little "fruit" snacks, like gummy bears that are "healthy with real juice". Yeah, right. They are fast learning that 5% juice means 95% crap that doesn't leave you full or feeling good.Letting them pick one thing has really helped with shopping complaints, and if that one thing is a donut at the end of shopping, well, then mom gets one, too. :)
May 16, 2006 at 11:23 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
beatle919 (Marcy McGuffie) says...
Let 'em enjoy it while they're young. The occasional boxed mac and cheese meal won' t hurt them. By the time they're through college...they'll hate that stuff (and ramen noodles too).
Gaia: funny you mention the school food. As a former teacher, I saw my share of that junk. The thing that concerned me most was that kids could buy little debbies, chips, etc ala carte.
Haha. School mac n cheese is so gloppy, kids would hold the bowls upside down and stare in amazement because the food defied the laws of gravity and didn't fall out...
May 16, 2006 at noon ( permalink | suggest removal )
narky (anonymous) says...
Mine is curly fries from Arby's and a Mountain Dew....sign. But I do bring them home and use organic tomato ketchup...I like my corn syrup where it belongs...in my mountain dew.
May 16, 2006 at 2:31 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Joel (Joel Mathis) says...
Mine is food.
May 16, 2006 at 4:47 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
gccs14r (anonymous) says...
When I was a kid, our "healthy" Mac 'n Cheese was American Beauty shells (either size, but the big ones were preferred because they held a bigger glop of cheese) and Velveeta. Back then, the blue box came with a packet of powdered cheese and called for milk to reconstitute it.
May 16, 2006 at 6:33 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
mitzibel (Misty Nuckolls) says...
Hey, don't knock the blue box. Ghetto helper is a staple around here. Granted, I throw out the packet of neon orange death and replace it with real cheese (okay, and some Velveeta for texture) and *real* butter, and throw in peas and tuna, but still. *Sniff.*
May 16, 2006 at 8:23 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Dazie (Aileen Dingus) says...
mmmmm.... daaaay gloooooowwwwww.....
The only thing better than day glow by itself is to add some cream of mushroom soup to it. Creamylicious.
May 16, 2006 at 10:19 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
rednekbuddha (Kelly Powell) says...
When I fed the football team I had to learn how to reverse engineer good wholsome food so it would taste like prefab crap....I have conquored the spaghettio sauce matrix and the k-fry gravy dillema.
I found the people who like soulfood loved homedmade mac&cheese while the latchkey children(and adults0 WANT their s to taste like I added strontium nitrate to it.
May 17, 2006 at 7:49 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
wbabbit (Will Babbit) says...
Heh it still comes with powdered cheese and uses milk to reconstitute it...and is damn good! I still have it once a month or so..like your dad, only thing I know how to cook!
May 17, 2006 at 10:46 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )