Things You Should Know Thursday

I realize that not everyone who reads my blog has children, however I feel this is worth blogging about as we can all take something away from it, kids or no kids.

Joann Bruso, author of Baby Bites - Transforming A Picky Eater Into A Healthy Eater Book (a book I recommend for parents who are at their wits end with their picky children), has been blogging the half-life of a McDonald's Happy Meal that she bought a year ago. In the intervening year, the box of delight, plastic toys and food-like substances has experienced virtually no decay.

She says, "NOPE, no worries at all. My Happy Meal is one year old today and it looks pretty good. It NEVER smelled bad. The food did NOT decompose. It did NOT get moldy, at all."

Here's a photo of the 1 year old Happy Meal that has been left out, exposed to air, and not refrigerated for 1 year:

I have personally seen a Twinkie left out for more than 6 months do nothing but harden. No mold, no decay, just dust left on top. Hostess defends claims that Twinkies never spoil by saying they have a shelf life of just 25 days. 25 days...really?? Have you ever left a peach out for 25 days? Hardly a defense as nothing should be left exposed to air for that duration of time without spoiling, decaying, smelling or at least showing signs of being inedible.

My purpose isn't to make us all feel "parent guilt", to point fingers at those in line at McDonald's for Happy Meals on Wednesdays because they are cheap and easy or to blame Twinkies for our obesity epidemic. My point is that SEVERAL items that we are choosing to feed our children and ourselves contain hydrogenated oils that increase the shelf life of food. These hydrogenated oils are chemically altered fat that enter our bodies and can cause all sorts of problems.

“After closely scrutinizing data from scientific studies and
reviews, many European countries have either banned
hydrogenated and partially hydrogenated oils altogether
or have instituted future dates for elimination of their use
in foods. These government actions concerning the trans
fatty acids (hydrogenated and partially hydrogenated oils)
is directly related to studies that link trans fatty acid
(hydrogenated and partially hydrogenated oil) consumption
from processed foods to the development of diabetes, cancer
and cardiovascular disease.”The New England Journal of Medicine, June 24, 1999

Let's choose better for our kids. Read labels and get rid of foods the words hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils in the ingredients or trans fats on the label.