An Apple a Day Keeps the Junk Food Away

Well, it isn't their fault or even your fault. Much of the food our children are eating contains Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs). Parents can't be blamed entirely because this is the kind of stuff that is carried in most of our markets. The colorful and appealing packaging catches our eyes but there is no real food inside plus your kids see faux food advertized on TV twenty four hours a day, so no wonder they beg you to buy it.

We have been told to shop the perimeters of grocery stores, because that's where all the healthy food is displayed. Yes, that's where the fresh fruit and vegetables, milk, cheese and meat are stored. Most of the faux food is in the interior aisles plus the "white food" such as sugar and flour. That's also where all the canned goods are displayed. So, to buy fresh you need to travel the outskirts of the store.

We have also been told that the reason that most obese people are overweight is because they are in a low income category and can't afford healthy food. It's as if the media is giving these folks an excuse for their food choices. However, it has recently been proved that junk food is often more expensive than the perishable food. This new evidence has found that faux food packaging usually contains a lot of air and settling of the product which means you get less in the long run. Fresh food is sold by weight, so you really are getting more for your money.

There are so many books on the market to help us in getting back to healthy eating, so I won't go into the basics when you go grocery shopping. However, here are a few quick rules of thumb. If there are more than five ingredients listed on the label then don't buy it. If most of the ingredients are not pronounceable, then don't buy it. If one of the first ingredients is sugar or hydrogenated corn syrup, don't buy it. There is no such thing as "Better Eating through Chemistry".

And yes, I know your children are going to complain and pout, and say there is nothing to eat in the house. I've heard it all, after raising two girls of my own, but if they get hungry enough they'll have no choice but to eat an apple.