Are We More Careful Feeding our Dogs than our Kids?

In the last few weeks I've been seeing a shocking number of pricey meals for dogs (and sometimes cats): organic, all natural, refrigerated or prepackaged fares are filling the shelves.  'Balanced' and 'wholesome' are the buzz words of this growing trend.

I'm not talking about a rare treat, a little wet food mixed with the dry, or any other vet-recommended diet.  So, let me first say that I love animals and I think they should be well fed, with food that is good for them and keeps them happy and healthy.  Second, let me say, give me a break!

Soda Tax Proposed

Yes, you read correctly.  A tax on soda.  Politicians are comparing soda to the "Big Tobacco" of old, pinning the blame for the obesity and diabetes epidemics on soda.  They draw parallels between the youth driven advertising and health problems in both.

Their plan includes: eliminating soda and candy from schools; placing a tax on soda and other sugared beverages to increase their price significantly; requiring tobacco-inspired warning labels about the sugar and calorie content; and creating a marketing campaign to educate the public on the evils of high sugar consumption.

Officials say that sugar consumption is much higher than it should be, which I don't think anyone can deny.  They say that part of the problem is the relative cheapness of unhealthy food and the relative expense of healthy food, like fresh fruits and vegetables.  They say that the proposed taxes could be used to subsidize fruits and vegetables, fund their marketing campaign and pay for health and nutrition classes in public schools.

Lead by Example: Eat Your Veggies!

There has been a commercial on lately for one of those fruit/veggie drinks to trick your kids (or spouse) into eating their veggies.  This commercial shows a family sitting at the table, and they pass around a delicious-looking plate of steamed broccoli, which no one (not even the parents) touches, before gulping down glasses of the advertised beverage.

And I don't like it one bit.

First of all, that broccoli looked really good!  But I won't get bogged down in details.  The real issue is bigger than this ad, so I'll look at the big picture.

The Number One Way to Get Kids (and grown-ups!) to Eat Their Veggies

The blog "It's Not About Nutrition" posted a great article, stating that new research suggests that the reason we don't eat more fruits and veggies is because we don't think of them.  Most people only buy from a relatively short list of possibilities, such as apples, bananas, carrots and oranges, failing to broaden their horizons to the many great options available.

The solution she suggests is to use this vegetable list on the US Department of Agriculture's site and make a game of it with your kids.  See how many veggies you can try.  I really like this idea, but it has one huge pitfall: what if you don't know a thing about mesclun or couldn't make something edible out of a hubbard squash to save your life?

You see, trying new vegetables isn't going to do you or your kids any good if they are poorly prepared.  And that's where my tip comes in: watch a cooking show.