Fast Food and a Grandmother's Power in Making Pure Food Choices

The grandkids are back in Maine and the house is too quiet. Their noise rocks the roof and keeps the dogs running up and down the stairs in pursuit and I love it. They are pure energetic joy. They hardly slow down to eat so I keep a tray of fruit and veggies and (thank you Hidden Valley and Ingle’s) organic ranch dressing for them to grab. I was beyond thrilled that they took to the meals seated at the dining table and even ate more of my “odd” food than I would ever have imagined. Thom has said more than once that dinners have been great lately. I keep telling him that these are the same recipes I’ve been using. The difference is the attitude with which I am creating them. His comments and the grandkids’ willingness to eat them have convinced me after only a month to continue my commitment to cook in a mindful way. 

Mindful cooking can’t overcome everything though. I now have confirmation that it is not just my imagination that fast food changes their tastebuds. An article came through my email the other day and all I could say was, “Ha! I knew it!” Of course, no one was around to listen, but it’s the feeling of being right that counts. Not like I needed it, but I now have more evidence that fast food/junk food is harmful to kids. Studies show and nutritionists warn that fast food/junk food is developed so the brain will release the chemicals and neurotransmitters (i.e. dopamine) that are responsible for pleasure and excitement and they are “addictive.” The taste of fast food/junk food trains children’s palates so healthy foods are comparatively bland. This explains why my grandchildren would turn up their noses at some of the things I made them. To add insult to my injured ego, fast food/junk food damages their bodies as soon as they eat it. We can’t ignore this or even downplay the significance as parents and grandparents. One in every three children will develop diabetes and 30 million children are obese. The CDC estimates that 1/3 of our children and adolescents are obese today. 1/3!!

I just ordered Silent Scandal to add to my reference library and so I would have something to pull out from time to time and wave in relatives’s faces who don’t always agree with my opinions about food choices. I have to say, there are fewer and fewer who disagree with me. I’ve been at this a long time. I no longer yell or get uncontrollably excited, but my passion will take hold of me from time to time if I’m not careful. I battled the fast food/junk food pushers when my children were younger and I firmly believe the problem is worse today. Fast food/junk food is more “addictive,” so I find it even more difficult to make things my grandkids will eat. Their mother cooks almost every meal for them, but the culture is so strong and the ads are aimed squarely at them. Some days I feel like I’m throwing handfuls of carrot sticks and apple slices at a tsunami of french fries, soft drinks, and golden nuggets. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed and I readily admit I’ve taken my grandchildren to Chick-Fil-A, especially on those emergency school pick up days when I didn’t have anything to bring with me to the car riders line. Being perfect isn’t the goal. Being reasonable and responsible is. 

In keeping with the changes I’m making to the Little Suzie Homesteader website, August will focus on fast food/junk food, the problems we face as grandparents (or parents) and what we can do to provide healthy choices and teach our grandchildren about eating well. As you’ll see, we are up against billions of dollars and millions of ads, but we have the honor of being role models and the guardians of their health so they always run through their lives with pure joyful energy. I firmly believe in the power of grandmothers and in the sacredness of eating pure foods.