Kids Are What They Eat, Alright.

Maybe I'm just a health nut

But does it annoy you as much as it annoys me when commercials try to sell crap to your kids? 

It's annoying enough for women like me to watch chocolate commercials with stick skinny models and feminine products featuring women on their "time of month" who look happier than I did on my wedding day (so unrealistic!).

Anyhoooo to hear companies say that processed junk is good for kids-or anybody for that matter- is just insulting to me as a mother. Sorry, but it is! & don't even get me started on anything labeled "multi-grain".

Take the Pediasure Sidekicks crap, for example.

The commercial is quick to announce that it's loaded with protein and fiber yet, they leave out how much sugar (and other junk) it has. 

Yes, it's clever marketing, I know. We all fall for it, one product or another.

Still, I couldn't help but google more info about this poison just to satisfy my hate for Pediasure. Here is a list of ingredients. All 47 of them:

WATER, SUGAR (SUCROSE), MILK PROTEIN CONCENTRATE, SOY OIL, SHORT-CHAIN FRUCTOOLIGOSACCHARIDES, SOY PROTEIN ISOLATE; LESS THAN 0.5% OF: CELLULOSE GEL, WHEY PROTEIN CONCENTRATE, POTASSIUM CITRATE, NATURAL AND ARTIFICIALFLAVORS, POTASSIUM CHLORIDE, MAGNESIUM PHOSPHATE, CALCIUM PHOSPHATE, SALT (SODIUM CHLORIDE), POTASSIUM PHOSPHATE, CELLULOSE GUM, CALCIUM CARBONATE, CHOLINE CHLORIDE, ASCORBIC ACID, CARRAGEENAN, SOY LECITHIN,MONOGLYCERIDES, m-INOSITOL, POTASSIUM HYDROXIDE, TAURINE, FERROUS SULFATE, dl-ALPHA-TOCOPHERYL ACETATE, L-CARNITINE, ZINC SULFATE, CALCIUM PANTOTHENATE, NIACINAMIDE, MANGANESE SULFATE, THIAMIN CHLORIDE HYDROCHLORIDE, PYRIDOXINE HYDROCHLORIDE, RIBOFLAVIN, CUPRIC SULFATE, VITAMIN A PALMITATE, FOLIC ACID, CHROMIUM CHLORIDE, BIOTIN, POTASSIUM IODIDE, SODIUM SELENATE, SODIUM MOLYBDATE, PHYLLOQUINONE, VITAMIN D3, AND CYANOCOBALAMIN.

47 ingredients.

Some of them I can't even pronounce.

Really, now...would you want your child to consume this? 

And don't you just love how they said it contains 'less than .5% celloluse gel'? Oh that's reassuring.

If it said 'less than .5% tobacco', would parents still give this to their kids?

I know we are all busy, busy, busy.

But what ever happened to making your kids real food? 

The kind of food where you know (and can pronounce) all the ingredients. 

I'll be honest.

As a busy momma who hates cooking, I'd love to surrender to the convenience of processed foods too.

But I know the efforts I put into preparing real meals for my family will all be worth it.