Label Reading

FG and I were having a conversation this past weekend about food.  An old friend of mine works at Whole Foods.  I've told FG that I should go work there - trade a discount on toys for a discount on food.  The only problem is, I can't afford Whole Foods! She was telling me that their employees are given a discount based on health. The healthier they are, the bigger the discount (I think it's up to 30% off).  In our conversation, FG and I both agreed that 1) sure we want to feed us all healthier 2) I would need that 30% off to come remotely close to what I save now!

I don't think I do all that bad feeding the kids really.  While I would LOVE to feed us better meats,  I don't do that horribly.  That is probably the one area that I could really really improve but the better quality, orgainic meats are out of the budget as of right now.  Someday. 

What I do is read a lot of labels.  Here are just a few of the things I do that help us cut out the junk.

• Cereal. I do allow my kids the sugary, kid-crap.  BUT I have always always made them mix it with something with no sugar.  They want Lucky Charms, fine but they gotta mix it with Joe's O's (Trader Joe's Cherrios), Rice Krispies or Corn Flakes.  The ratio is usually 1/2 & 1/2 or sometimes I can get away with 1/3 - 2/3 (2/3 being the no-sugar, no color boring stuff).  This just law in our house and they deal with it.
• Yogurt.  I used to let DS eat Trix yogurt.  Until I read labels.  No more Yoplait for me either!  No more getting enticed by the fun flavor combinations, or the bright colored packages because I'm pretty sure the color they use to dye the cardboard box is the same junk they put inside the yogurt.  They match.  Ewwww.  Nope, I discovered that Danimals has no HFCS, no artificial colors AND the containers are recycleable.  What a great company!  The kids want to have what their friends have though and I am willing to let them try the new Simply Gogurt that has no colors or HFCS. 
• Fruit Snacks.  Again, the same colors used to dye the boxes of those ever-kid-pleasing fruit snacks in their fun shapes and characters are probably the same dyes on the inside.  Also filled with HFCS.  I found a couple of different options that don't break the bank.  For a giant box at Costco of Tree Top fruit snacks, I pay $10. 
• Juice Boxes.  If I pick up a box at the store, I get the Capri Sun.  Not my all time favorite option because they are sugar.  I prefer, and will need to grab a package this week, of the 100% Juice Capri Sun.  Again, Costco usually has a good price on the variety pack. 
• Lunchables.  Some of you may have read my post about making my own with my Ziploc containers. It has been successful.  I just use my own pizza dough recipe and bake up a bunch of them at once.  I put sauce, cheese and pepperoni (usually turkey pepperoni. Shhh, dont' tell anyone!) into the container and boom, my own lunchable!  The kids haven't seemed to mind either. 

Those are just a few of the many many things I do.  I make my own homemade waffles, freeze them individually and then use those for breakfasts.  Same thing with pancakes. I've started making my own mini-pancakes instead of buying them.  I know exactly what is in them and how long ago they were made.  I started getting Log Cabin syrup with no HFCS.  Still has sugar but I am a firm believer that our bodies can process natural foods better than artificial.  So yes, we still have sugar and fats but it's a compromise.  I'm not doing that horribly feeding the fam.  The kids don't feel like freaks when they eat these things in front of their friends.  One little boy in DD's K class was like that. I felt sooo bad for him too.  His mother sent him with a snack every day and it was usually some off the wall thing like tortillas made from a grain I had to go look up.  While the other kids were munching away on their pretzels, Ritz crackers or Goldfish, he was tearing off pieces of his tortilla with his dirty dirty little fingers.  (I don't think the parents were all that keen on bathing either, this poor kid was a gross mess every day!)

I'm always looking for ways to improve.  DD loves bagels but has never had anything but a 100% whole wheat.  She loves cereal bars but I only buy them from Trader Joe's where they are 1) cheap & 2) made with natural ingredients.  Since she will eat them like candy, I prefer that option.  Yes, they go get plenty of sugar, they do get some artificial colors and HFCS but I've cut it out where I can feasibly do so without upsetting the natives. I'll just keep reading labels and hope that major food manufacturers get the picture that we don't want all the additives!