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Prepackaged Snack Foods
Tuesday, November 08, 2005

As much as I hate to go public with this addiction, I have to admit that I have a guilty pleasure that I always turn to when I'm hungry. I love prepackaged, processed snack foods that are most commonly found in elementary school lunch pails. Even though I'm well past that age, every time I go to the grocery store, I still find myself throwing boxes of fruit snacks, fruit cups, granola bars, cheese and cracker combos, and similar items in my cart.

I think my love for these foods is partly nostalgic. They're the things I remember my mom packing in my lunch so many years ago. In the case of fruit snacks, they're usually in fun shapes or forms that bring out the kid in me.

I think that another reason I've never outgrown these snacks is their sheer convenience. I've worked as a classroom teacher and a substitute teacher, and there's nothing easier for packing a lunch way too early in the morning than to toss an assortment of packages in a lunch bag. Now it would also be just as easy to toss a frozen dinner in the lunch bag, but school lunch times are often so short that it's usually not worth waiting in line for the microwave and then taking two or three minutes to cook the food. Now that's not to say that I don't feel a bit self-conscious when everyone else in the lunchroom is eating a Lean Cuisine or leftovers from last night, and I'm laying out my assortment of packages that are better fit for the students in the cafeteria. But I've decided that I don't care and happily munch away on my lunch of choice.

Now for all that I like fruit snacks and their kin, I also realize that these foods aren't the healthiest options. Instead of eating a syrupy fruit cup, I should just eat a fresh apple or pear. But there are times when I just crave something sweet, and these snacks fit the bill while being better for me than the cookies or ice cream I might have otherwise eaten. And by eating a single, pre-divided serving, I'm consuming fewer calories. But as with all foods, they're best in moderation. Nobody should make their diet consist of entirely one type of food.

Another downside to prepackaged snack foods can be the cost. Like it's been said numerous times, you pay for convenience. But I try to lessen the economic impact of my splurges by only buying them when they're on sale and combining sale prices with coupons whenever possible. I also try out store brands from time to time since they're often just as good as the more expensive namebrand products.

I've heard that as you get older, your tastes change as your senses dull. That may be true, and it will probably lead to healthier food choices for me, but I hope I never completely get over my love for the fun foods of my youth.

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