Whatever happened?
@GardenGerty (169461)
United States
November 25, 2015 7:23am CST
Many studies talk about our changed dietary habits and what they have done to our health. One thing in particular is snacks.
I am an American. I think we eat more snacks than any other country. And they are not healthy foods, either. Sweets, cookies, cakes and processed foods are the norm as are chips, pretzels and other salty foods, often high fat to go with those salty or sweet morsels.
When I was a child we were not well off. We did not often have snacks. I was thrilled when we had extra celey, or carrots I could munch on from the refrigerator. Apples and oranges were treats. On very rare occasions we might cook popcorn, on top of the stove, and watch television. No such thing as a microwave or those chemical treated popcorns.
That is not to say that I absolutely never had ice cream, cake or candy. Those were really rare treats.
I have left my celery in a convenient place to get to, and I really am enjoying it. I also have a big bag of bright orange carrots. They taste good. I wonder whatever happened to the skinny me. . . I think I know.
17 people like this
19 responses
@Jessicalynnt (50523)
• Centralia, Missouri
25 Nov 15
it also doesn't help that good food costs more now than junk
3 people like this
@Jessicalynnt (50523)
• Centralia, Missouri
26 Nov 15
@jillybean1222 and they are so bad for a person! Sad a bag of those is cheaper than a bag of carrots
1 person likes this
@jillybean1222 (6406)
•
25 Nov 15
so true! i am often buying things like chips to spread our food budget out a little further!
2 people like this
@GardenGerty (169461)
• United States
26 Nov 15
@jillybean1222 There were actually times we went without food when I was a kid. A cheap, and healthier stretcher is popcorn. I know of a family that was feeding three big athletic boys. They would top their chili with popcorn.
1 person likes this
@AbbyGreenhill (45490)
• United States
25 Nov 15
I cannot live by celery or carrots alone - I tried that years ago and it didn't work!
3 people like this
@jillybean1222 (6406)
•
25 Nov 15
unfortunately, i do not like raw celery and carrots. I do like them in other foods. I love veggies, but not the raw snack ones. put it in a salad or roast it in the oven, sure. :-)
1 person likes this
@Hatley (163772)
• Garden Grove, California
26 Nov 15
@GardenGerty oddly I cannot stand cooked carrots but raw ones and grated carrot and rasin salad i love the stuff.
@GardenGerty (169461)
• United States
26 Nov 15
@Hatley @jillybean1222 I like them both ways but I think the raw ones taste really sweet.
@gabs8513 (48686)
• United Kingdom
25 Nov 15
When I was little my Grandma was very much for fruit and vegetable like the raw Carrots which I still love now and I do still love my Fruit but I have noticed that Fruit is not as yummy any more as it used to be and I guess that is down to the Chemicals
2 people like this
@GardenGerty (169461)
• United States
26 Nov 15
The fruits and veggies have been bred to be shipped, so they are less flavorful but can be put on trucks and trains. I know they do not taste as delicious.
1 person likes this
@vandana7 (102698)
• India
25 Nov 15
I think hard times are blessings in disguise. I am lazy. If there were no hardships, I would have been the perfect couch potato, eating watching tv, doing little household work, and then sleeping. That would have sent me to hospital by this time. I know many who had heart attack much before they reached my age. So to that extent god spared my liver and let a few fat cells die away. As things turned for better, my snacking habits increased, and wrong snacking is harming me no doubt. But considering that I haven't got opening stock to build up on, I am safe for some more time. Thank god. :)
3 people like this
@GardenGerty (169461)
• United States
26 Nov 15
You are right, sometimes hard times are a blessing in disguise.
1 person likes this
@inertia4 (27978)
• United States
25 Nov 15
The american diet these days, I believe is designed to kill us young. It is all about the money. America is glutenous. And as a result, they can sell us anything and we will eat it. But the sad reality is that all these products of full of loads of sugar and salt Obviously they are not good for us. I guess eating real food and actually cooking it is way too much for people these days. But we do need to get back to some normal eating habits in this country. Our children are obese and have diabetes. That is sad. But remember, big corporations run the country. They feed us all this garbage. If we stopped buying this junk, they will have to remove it.
3 people like this
@GardenGerty (169461)
• United States
26 Nov 15
@inertia4 low quality food tastes better and is more shelf stable if you add fat, sugar and salt. We have to make better choices.
1 person likes this
@inertia4 (27978)
• United States
26 Nov 15
@Hatley That is a sad story about your husband. I guess he liked smoking too much. Lots of people do. I know it's not easy to quit. I let myself go at the point of my divorce. I had gone downhill for a few years there. And ever since I have been trying to get myself back on track. I am working on it slowly.
@inertia4 (27978)
• United States
27 Nov 15
@GardenGerty Yes we do. If more people ate real food, healthy food, we would all be better off. but I doubt that will ever happen now.
@dpk262006 (58679)
• Delhi, India
27 Nov 15
We Indians are also fond of snacks and besides Indian fried snacks, we now have outlets which sell pizza, burger, pasta, Chinese dishes, cakes and pastries. All these goodies taste good but they are not good for health because they are made of refined flour. I avoid eating fried snacks.
@allknowing (153530)
• India
26 Nov 15
There is a huge difference between what we got to eat as a child and the freedom I now have to go for anything that I want to . Although I do take care not to go overboard I jut cannot resist chocolates
1 person likes this
@GardenGerty (169461)
• United States
26 Nov 15
@allknowing I like all kinds, but have grown used to having the dark chocolate on hand all the time, others for a treat.
1 person likes this
@allknowing (153530)
• India
26 Nov 15
@Hatley I go for chocolates of all kinds as I am not a diabetic. I know about dark chocolate but am not quite fond of it.
1 person likes this
@GardenGerty (169461)
• United States
26 Nov 15
@Hatley and @DWDavis I agree. It was part of our programming to make us crave sustaining calories. Even when we were an agrarian society farm families had a hard time getting enough calories and the four food groups listed along with servings at that time were designed to maximize intake. Of course if you spent your days baling hay, chasing cattle, setting fence posts you could eat lots of things.
2 people like this
@Hatley (163772)
• Garden Grove, California
26 Nov 15
lving on a farm and grwo ing huge amouonts of all veggies and f uits we did n iot go hungry at all and this was during the depression years too
@Hatley (163772)
• Garden Grove, California
26 Nov 15
hi yes yo u said it we are a country of snackers but after having lost 25 pounds I find Im a bit more careful just what I do eat .We have had wonderful meals here but lately our desserts have been cakes with
frosting or sauces on them so tonight I was glad to see we got
peaches instead even if they were canned.I 'm a diabetic so I'm more careful now days so I do not gain back that loss.
@jillybean1222 (6406)
•
25 Nov 15
although we did have some junk when i was a kid, you are right, it was not as prevalent. i've often told my kids how we never had soda in the house except special occasions. (same as now for us, but the kids sometimes don't understand way). we often snacked on cereal which i know gets a bad rap, but i think compared to the other processed foods, it's not too bad.
@DeborahDiane (40846)
• Laguna Woods, California
26 Nov 15
I agree that the amount of snacking we do has probably contributed to the amount of weight American's have gained.
@Harley1988 (102)
• Philadelphia, Mississippi
26 Nov 15
In my house we just love to eat! I try and eat healthy, but the skinny me disappeared awhile back!
