Backfire

Sometimes the things we teach our kids can backfire on us!

Several months ago I attended a MOPS meeting at my church that was on Women's Health. The guest speaker brought in a hamburger and french fries from McDonald's and passed it around for all of us to look at and guess how old it was. I checked it out and it looked like a cold hamburger and french fries that maybe you had put in your fridge and forgotten about it for maybe a week - there was no mold, it hadn't broken down - it just looked kind of old and maybe a little stale. Well, come to find out, it had been purchased in January of 2005 so it was over 3 years old!
The point the lady was getting at was that the food we consume nowadays is so overly processed and has so many additive and chemicals in it to keep it "fresh" longer and all of these things are hurting us in the long run. A hundred years ago, people were dying from more natural causes and widespread diseases that we now have immunizations for, but we are now dying from things that we cause our selves because of the lifestyles many of us lead and the chemicals and additives we feed our bodies. Years ago, you consumed mostly foods that were from the ground and not overly processed. They were foods that broke down easily and wouldn't last more than a couple of weeks. Think about fruits and veggies and how they go bad so quickly...
So anyway, I was so disgusted that I wasn't able to eat fast food for a while, especially McDonald's. I think I can count on one hand how many times I have eaten McDonald's since then - and this was probably a weekly trip of ours before this MOPS meeting. I have eaten Burger King a couple of times, but I'm actually not a HUGE fan of Burger King. Other than that, I think I've had DQ and Wendy's a couple of times. If I'm in a hurry and in a pinch I will drive through Culvers - I'm sure it isn't too much better, but I don't feel AS bad.
I never really said anything to Olivia about it, but you know how kids pick up on what you say. There have been several occasions where Brian has said, lets just go to McDonald's and I say, "NO WAY!!! That's disgusting and we don't need it!" We have really tried to limit our eating out, especially when it comes to fast food! Not that we are on a strict diet or anything, just trying to eat a little healthier AND not spend so much money on eating out.
So, yesterday I was craving a Big Mac - I have no idea why - I really don't even like them. I can't even tell you the last time I've had one - probably several years! But you know how it is when your pregnant, you crave weird things and you HAVE to have it!! So, it was lunch time yesterday and I told Olivia we were going to go to McDonald's - and she protested. I even tried to bribe her telling her that the new happy meal toy is the Littlest pet shop - she was interested in the toy, but didn't want the food. So we didn't go and we ended up eating at home. Well today the craving is even much greater. This is the conversation that took place at lunch time.
Olivia: I'm hungry
Me: Okay, let's go to McDonald's for lunch
Olivia: I don't want McDonald's, I want to eat at home
Me: Well, you can get a happy meal with the littlest pet shop toy
Olivia: Is it the pet with the field journal?!?
Me: (not knowing what the heck she's talking about) well, I don't know what kind it will be, but I know it will be some kind of pet
Olivia: I don't want to eat there, can we just buy the toy and eat at home?
Me: No, I want to eat there. You can even have a Hi-C orange pop! (A HUGE TREAT!!!)
Olivia: I just want water at home
Me: Why don't you like to eat at McDonald's?
Olivia: Well, because it's fast food. It's just fast and it yucky. We can just eat at home, what do we have?
So she settled for a PB&J, fresh pineapple and some water and I haven't eaten anything! I'm just not in the mood for anything else, but a Big Mac, but I know I shouldn't have it and that it is fast food and it is yucky! I just hope the craving stops, or I might be making a midnight run to McDonald's!
I AM glad that she is like this though - if anything it will help her grow up making healthier choices than Brian and I have AND she'll keep us in check when we feel the urge to eat not so healthy.