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Ecomomics: Have Tough Times Brought Out Junk Food?

babysugar — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 11:00:15 -0800

In these tough economic times, many families are struggling with putting healthy food on the table. A nutrient-rich, vegetable-filled salad with meat often costs significantly more than a fatty meal from the McDonald's dollar menu.

Parents trying to curb their food budget find that cheaper food prices translate to higher saturated fats and food coloring. In a price war, Kraft macaroni and cheese will almost always beat out the organic wheat pasta and marinara sauce. While many tots may rejoice in the presence of junk food, mommies might cringe with every lil bite they take.

Has your grocery list changed since the economy started to tumble?
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Do You Save Your Favorite Part of a Dish for Last?

partysugar — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 06:45:16 -0700

The other day DearSugar told me how she always saves her favorite part of a dish for last. For example, when she eats her daily salad at lunch she eats her favorite part — the protein last. I confessed that I do the same! I love making my last bite be the best tasting. How about you? Source

Do You Save Your Favorite Part of a Dish for Last?

Yes! I always save the best bite for last.

No, I eat my favorite part first to ensure that I don't get too full before eating it.

I have no method for eating.

Other — share below.

Does Saying "Yuck" Make Your Kid a Racist?

babysugar — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 05:01:00 -0700

Britain's National Children's Bureau recently issued a 366–page guide to play leaders and nursery teachers with guidelines to help them identify and expel racism in their learning environments. Clearly some behavior can be identified as hateful or xenophobic but this report spells out incidents that are more common to the everyday child yet less obvious to those surrounding them.

Some are taking the guidelines quite literally and claiming that if a child says, "yuck" to a certain cuisine, it can be construed as racist. Giving the NCB the benefit of doubt, I'm going to assume that one particular line is being blown out of context. The UK's Daily Telegraph reports:

The guidance by the NCB is designed to draw attention to potentially-racist attitudes in youngsters from a young age. . . The guide goes on to warn that children might also "react negatively to a culinary tradition other than their own by saying 'yuk'".

If a child finds a certain culture and its cuisine disdainful, then it makes sense that caretakers would try to intervene and educate that child about the positive offerings of that culture. If, however, a child says, "yuck" to a plate of curry chicken, I wouldn't immediately assume the NCB would call the tot racist. If the youngster genuinely hates the taste of curry, "yuck" may be appropriate. If, however, the child simply says "yuck" because the dish is associated with Indian food, there probably is a lesson to be taught and learned.
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Baby Wellness: Kids Don't Like Veggies That Bite

babysugar — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 09:00:25 -0700

As a child I could never get enough crowns — not the kind other lasses loved, but artichokes. I hope my tot has a taste for them too. Though I may need to be patient as the majority of children have a distaste for bitter vegetables. A new study from Monell Chemical Senses Center in Philadelphia found:

A gene called TAS2R38 may be responsible for children's aversion to bitter tastes. . . The study included 143 children and their mothers, and over 79 percent of the children had one or two copies of the bitter-sensitive gene present. Interestingly, the presence of the bitter-sensitive gene made a bigger impact on the children's food preferences than their mothers. The mothers tastes seemed to be influenced more by race and ethnicity than the children.

If your youngster shies away from bitter greens, dress them up with butter and cheese or offer them sweeter veggies until the phase passes.
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Why Didn't Anybody Tell Me: Storing Food

lilsugar — Mon, 12 May 2008 08:00:49 -0700

A couple weeks ago, I took my kids out for ice cream.

As we sat in the crowded creamery eating our treats, my son said hi to just about everyone who came through the entrance.

To see what unusual eating habit he unveiled,

Do You Ever Wear a Bib While Eating?

partysugar — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 05:37:19 -0700

Do You Ever Wear a Bib While Eating?

Yes. If I'm wearing a nice top and eating something messy, I will definitely wear a bib.

No. Bibs are for babies.

Other — see my thoughts on adults wearing bibs while eating below.

Are You Stressorexic?

babysugar — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 08:00:49 -0800

Anorexia is an eating disorder that affects many young women. Those who suffer from it, often starve themselves in an effort to become "skinny."

Some believe anorexia is making its way to a demographic under a different guise – the overburdened, stressed out, multi–tasking mother. Unlike the anorexic that intentionally denies herself food, the "stressorexic" is so busy working, running errands and taking care of others that she often forgets to eat properly. To learn more about stressorexia,

Eating Quickly = More Calories Consumed?

FitSugar — Mon, 14 Jan 2008 15:30:00 -0800

When I sit down to a meal, I try to eat slowly, savor each tasty bite, and chew thoroughly. Not only is it more enjoyable to eat that way, but I thought it was healthier for my waistline. It's a common notion, that if you scarf down your food quickly, you'll end up eating more calories, which will make you pack on the pounds. Some diet experts will say that obese people eat faster than lean people. So is that true?

Scientifically speaking, there really isn't much evidence to show that eating slowly has anything to do with how much you weigh. We've always been told that if you eat slow enough, your body will have time to release the hormone that tells your body it's full. While it was thought that it takes your body about 15 to 20 minutes to get the message, it's now found that for some people, that full feeling won't come until an hour or more after eating.

So the pace you eat at may not affect how much you eat, but may have more to do with the kinds of foods you eat. Want to hear why? Then