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Healthy food doesn't have to be complicated

Brenda Mallory's Spice of Life column.

There now, feeling more relaxed? Your children are off to the great halls of learning. New school stuff, new clothes that are a must just to be part of the “in” crowd.

Of course it goes without saying that a healthy lunch is part of the picture. Right?

I know every year I get on my high horse and rave about the junk I see offered in our stores at the beginning of the school year. Do you actually feed that junk to another human being?

You could, for instance, buy “Fruit by the Foot.” Betty Crocker and her gang have made this fruit thing just for the kiddies. It is low in fat for heaven’s sake. No mention in the flyer about the sugar content. I gather you could buy Gushers or Dunkaroos. Have no idea what any of it is.

If a sandwich is beyond your abilities you could send your child to school with a stackable treasure. Some meat, cheese and a couple crackers. Good grief.

So tasty, I am sure. Not to mention of course the extra plastic, etc. for the landfill.

Throw in a fruit juice thing why don’t you? Lots of sugar there to keep the brain cells in tip top condition.

The healthy aspect of the lunch could be made perfect by adding some cheese in string form. This might be 100 per cent cheese but the cost is higher than the cheese you would have to cut with a knife.

If the snack cracker idea is not for you buying actual bread might be the ticket. Mind you there is a pretty good chance a child will not eat actual grainy bread. Not to worry, that problem has been covered. Something truly wonderful can be done to brown bread to make it as white as the driven snow.

Don’t forget a cookie or two. You could make some yourself or buy those kind that you eat the middles first. Of course there seems to be a great variety of sugar laden granola bars. Dandy little treats since they are low in fat.

After trying to learn for the day with the sugar and chemicals in their bodies I would think a good dinner is in the works. Something with actual food would be nice. But I have to tell you I see the carts being pushed about the store with hamburger helper, pizzas and some frightful looking thing that has a picture of a wiener and some sort of stuff wrapping around it. Is that real food?

As an old school teacher that dates back to the day of real sandwiches, a thermos of milk or soup, fruit like mother nature produced, I feel it is time for more people to take a stand on this crap we feed our children. They are, don’t forget, our future. Well, maybe not mine, but still we must be aware that we are what we eat.

I was thinking as I read through the grocery flyers what my mother would have said. I was not allowed much in the way of sugar. Back in the day of no medical coverage bad teeth was an expense not necessary. A real soda pop was a treat I saw at Christmas or maybe in the summer.

We never saw such a thing as a pizza or other junk food. A big treat would be going out for Chinese food a couple times a year. I have to tell you I have eaten maybe four or five slices of pizza in my life.

When the fair came to town we did not eat something like deep fried pop tarts or deep fried banana bread. I saw on a news clip a tasty treat at one fair was deep fried butter. Can you believe that?

It would seem to me that our brains cells will be fried from all this junk.

Thanks for listening to this old lady ranting once more. I feel better having said all this. Give your head a shake when you are feeding your children. Healthy food does not have to be complicated.

I just know you have something to say about this topic. Feel free and call 250-846-5095 or just e-mail a note to mallory@bulkley.net.