More Processed Food Please

I don't usually consider myself a health freak.

Trying to provide well balanced, colorful meals for my kiddos that they will actually eat is a constant struggle. But I do try. Because nutrition is important. You know, "you are what you eat" and all that.

So, this week I've been the Test Tube Treat leader at my church's VBS. If you're not fluent in churchese, that means I'm in charge of snacks for about 120 kids at a bible camp.

I have endeavored to provide tasty and healthy treats for them. I threw out the suggestions that the VBS curriculum provided, which were things like:

-green cake frosting on top of a sugar cookie with M&M's on top
-ice cream float
-cool whip with M&Ms on top

They might as well open up a main line vein in the kids arms and inject the sugar directly!

So, (mean Mom that I am) I decided on things that are mostly real food: cheese, crackers, fruit, yogurt, pretzels, goldfish, trail mix...etc.

You would think I asked the kids to poke their eyes out!

"I don't eat yogurt"
"Bananas - Yuck!"
"Can I have something else?"

Do any of these kids eat real food? Ever? Are they so used to processed, sugary foods that they can't tolerate a piece of fruit? What's the deal? I mean, cheese and crackers - they're not even that healthy. I think they're yummy.

Some of the little darlings even brought their own snacks today because they "don't like the snacks here".

Can you see the steam coming out of my ears? Are you imagining my bewildered and perplexed expression?

Oh how I look forward to Friday when we are serving fruit cups. That'll go over great! And I won't feel bad about the hundreds of dollars the church spent purchasing these snacks. I won't take it personally when we find the garbage cans full of fruit cups. No......

Oh, I'm probably exaggerating a teeny weentsy little bit. Though I have heard those comments. But the truth is that no matter what you serve, with that many people, about half of them will like it, and half will hate it (or their parents will).

So, as long as I'm Marge in Charge, I'm serving (semi) healthy food.