Every few months I do something ridiculous like keeping reading the label after the nutrition facts. This always causes a moral dilemma for me as I try to pronounce things I've never heard of in the ingredients of food I'm feeding my precious, picky little princesses ( 3 & 4 y/o). I know what happens when I don't stop after the nutrition facts... I start researching what is in the food we are eating and long term effects of these chemicals. Then I start making switches to organic foods.
My latest debate was when I had a jar of organic peanut butter right next to the store brand "normal" peanut butter in my pantry after cleaning and organizing it. My oldest daughter says "Hey Mom, can I have a peanut butter sandwich please?" Sure thing! I grabbed both bottles and proceeded to compare nutritional facts. I'll be damned if for whatever reason I kept reading the label. The regular peanut butter consists of 10 ingredients- peanuts, sugar, hydrogenated vegetable oil (rapeseed, cottonseed, soybean oils), dextrose, salt, molasses, monoglycerides, preservatives. The organic peanut butter has two ingredients- dry roasted peanuts and palm fruit oil* The little star meant it was harvested by sustainable sources. Then the wheels started turning, I went online to Google search. 20 minutes later I've read 10 articles about foods banned in other countries but is acceptable in the US, what preservatives and artificial flavorings do to our insides... blah blah blah. The next thing I know we are eating almost solely organic foods.
When the phase first starts the kids will notice within a few days when they request Mac N Cheese or fruit gummies and it "looks different". Then I tell them it's organic food and it's better for your body. Then the "why" game starts.
Why is it better for you? Why do people put chemicals in food? Why would someone spray poison on fruit? and so on. I'm a firm believer that when my children ask a legitimate question out of curiosity that they deserve an honest answer as long as the question or answer is not inappropriate. I believe because I do this my children are more perceptive of the world around them, are learning it's okay to ask questions when you don't know, and that there isn't always an answer for everything.
The kids adapt well to the food switches. My oldest who loves to sleep in will wake up earlier and have more energy when she gets up instead of being a crabby 4 year old acting like a 16 year old pulling the blankets back over her head and saying "5 more minutes! I'm tired! Noooo, stop taking my blanket I don't want to wake up!" My youngest (born with respiratory illness, developmental delays- like a preemie but she was full term and has endured 2 1/2 years of therapies to end the developmental delay) will start improving dramatically and close in on the gaps. It's miraculous. But....
It's just NOT the same food. Organic food companies have come a long way in making nutritional organic foods/snacks that taste great but there are still some things that just can't be replaced. Doritos, Yoohoo milk, velveeta cheese, or a bowl of Golden Grahams cereal....
Then there's the next problem... all the knowledge about organic food, recycling, keeping our planet healthy crap I taught them blows up in my face. Set the scene: At a family barbecue last summer. Lots of cookies, brownies, pasta salads, burgers, hot dogs, coleslaw, corn on the cob, fruit platters, veggie platters... it's all there. I'm not the type of stuck up person that would NOT eat what's in front of me or complain about what is being served, I was raised that way and am raising my kids the same way. My kids love trying new foods and I'm blessed because they love fruit and veggies. My oldest could literally live on fruits and vegetable and never complain once. I'm in line with my plate, a plate for my youngest and have my oldest in front of me picking what she wants for her own plate... She reaches up to grab a celery stick off the veggie platter and turns around to me (this is in a room with 35 people at least) and says "Mom, is this organic?"
"I'm not sure but I know it tastes really yummy so if you want it then you should put it on your plate and keep the line moving please" I say. She inspects it and turns to the host and says "Excuse me, is any of your food organic? Because I only eat organic food." If I could have melted into the floor and not be seen I would have. I nudge my daughter tell her that's not appropriate, eat what is in front of you or don't eat. She pops her hand on her hip and puts her sassy face on and says "Chemicals and pesticides hurt your body and I'm not eating this crap." LORD PLEASE! HELP ME! REWIND! No such luck. The host turns back to us and says "Well we eat what we can afford around here." I don't remember how the rest of the party went, but I remember that mortifying feeling of embarrassment like it was yesterday. I remember questioning my parenting methods and questioning my choices for a while after that. I know we went home earlier than most at that party too.
Then we go into cost. My grocery bill is doubled or more when we go on these "organic" kicks. Sometimes it lasts a month, a few months... whatever. At one point I decide to just get what we love in the organic food and what we love in regular old, processed, made to last forever, fortified because it's not healthy enough alone, junky foods that taste so good.
We aren't currently on any organic kick, we eat healthy but it's not all organic. Until the next time I decide to stupidly read the entire back label, that is....
-SM
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