FoodBuzz

Monday, October 30, 2006

Lots of food news appearing in the papers lately - from a recent article about the new meat labels that are created to entice us to eat - animal compassionate, certified humane, and free farmed, for example - to news of the gathering of foodies in Turin, Italy for the Slow Food Terre Madre event, to the growing interest in ultra-premium fresh and frozen organic baby foods. For me, what is underlying all these issues is the challenge of bringing this information (and food) to the masses, because there is confusion and often a price premium.
Those meats that are labeled with animal welfare labels can be confusing for the average shopper - or even the well-informed shopper for that matter. And, they often come with a price premium that many consumers are not willing to pay. Likewise, the basis of the Slow Food movement is something that appeals to true foodies, but hasn't captured the mainstream consumer who is focused on price and convenience, often with little interest in where the food comes from (and in many cases, what is in it). As for the organic baby food end of it, price is also an issue, even though many new parents are focused on giving their children the best things.
I guess the bottom line is becoming an educated consumer. And becoming educated about the food offerings we have takes time - which many of us don't have. It is often too easy to fall into the habit of fast food, overly processed foods, or cheap food.
We have made a good transition to organic foods, buying most of our groceries at Whole Foods. This is the place our kids have come to associate with the grocery store. When I do go to Safeway, I bypass many of the aisle - soft drinks, candy, cereal, etc. because I don't need to deal with the marketing pressure. What they don't know about many of those foods will certainly be better for them in the long run.
Sometimes I fall into a rut where I am just looking for something quick and easy to prepare, and something my kids won't complain about eating. Some days they ask for apples and pears, others they want nothing to do with them. The same when I make a dinner. My son tells me that he wants something else - we'll it has been trying, but I let him know that I have served him what everyone is eating and if he doesn't want to eat it, then he doesn't have to. I also let him know that he won't have anything else - no snacks, no crackers, (no left-over Halloween candy) nothing. Most of the time he will eventually start eating, other times he won't and I just stand my ground. Granted there are things we make that the kids won't like, but I at least want them to start trying. And, I make sure we don't keep snacks in the house, and always try to offer a protein, starch and veggie at every meal. They might not all get eaten, but at least they know that this is the type of meal that they should expect.
with that said, I'm off to prepare lunch - who knows whether it will be a good eating day or a bad one - but at least I know I'm offering them will be healthy. If they choose not to eat it this time, they eventually will when they get hungry.
Until next time, enjoy Food, Family and Friends
Laura

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