Did you know that many foods have unnecessary sugar added to them?

I’m not talking about things that are already sweet, like candy, soda, canned fruit or boxed cereals. I’m talking about things like sandwich bread, bagels, crackers, yogurts and even canned beans.  If you’re like me you might be wondering, “Why?”  But the bottom line is because SUGAR SELLS!  If it tastes good we’re going to keep eating it and what tastes better than something sweet?

I’ve spent most of my life being “brand loyal”, after all I grew up with slogans like:

• “Celebrate the moments of your life” (General Foods)
• “Make today delicious” (Kraft)
• “Cooks who know trust Crisco” (Proctor & Gamble) 
• “Shouldn’t your baby be a Gerber baby?”  (Nestle’ Foods)
• “Have it your way” (Burger King)

The list is endless!  

What I, and many other consumers, fell for was not fresh, healthy, whole, or good-for-you UNPROCESSED foods, but an IDEA…an ideal that was American as Apple Pie (made in a factory by machines, not from apples grown on your Grandma’s farm, peeled and baked in a pie, with crust she made and rolled out herself)!

I kind of get why I fell into that…it’s what I knew…and when I became a mom–first, a new mom, then a busy mom, then an insanely busy mom–it was “easier”, more “convenient”, less “time-consuming” to just keep buying all the stuff I’d been buying all along. As long as my kids were eating fruits and vegetables, why should I care if my canned beans or my hamburger buns had sugar in them?

The crazy thing is, I never really thought about it!

I know “milk does a body good” but I wasn’t thinking about what else might be in it that didn’t! I knew what I ate was important, but I didn’t think about the chemicals and additives that served no other purpose than to keep bugs from infesting my food or allowing my salad dressing to last an entire year! (Seriously, have you ever thought about that)?!

I thought I was ahead of the game because I cooked all our meals at home and treated fast food as an occasional treat or a life-line after a particularly rough day that involved cranky toddlers and a traveling husband.

Now that I know better, I want to do better and I have to admit, it’s not as hard as I thought it would be.

*Want to do better for your family, but don’t have the time to figure it out all by yourself?  Take a look at my “Ditch The Junk” Done-for-you Guide

I’m not perfect at it.

I get busy, I get tired, and some days I’m just not in the mood, but I also know that the responsibility for change lies heavily on my shoulders. Although I do my best, there are still 6 other people in this family besides me and well, you can’t please all of the people all of the time. So I keep doing what I do–trying my best, getting my children to think about what they put in their mouths, and doing my part to provide them with healthy options so they can learn what it means to make healthier choices.

 Check out the video “What’s in my fridge” to learn more about what “Healthy Eating” is all about or use the Search Tool and enter the Key Word “Healthy Eating” for more posts to help you on your journey!  

Struggling with Sugar Addiction? Then you won’t want to miss my FREE “Ditch the Sugar” Challenge! Just check out the sign up box below!!!!