Kale Chips are Gross

Tommy Ryman is not alone in stating, "Healthy is Gross." There is a lot I can relate to in his video Kale Chips and River Crystals (although I own the crystals, not my Mom). I can tell based on the food choices that were common in my house while I was growing up. We ate puffed rice, corn, and wheat cereals, whole grain cereal, and plain Cheerios for breakfast—no cereals with sugar, Pop-Tarts, or Toaster Tarts, etc. On weekends, we went crazy and had oatmeal, cream of wheat, or pink grapefruit. White bread was a hard NO.

How Carob Traumatized a Gen X

Any combination of apples, raisins, sunflower seeds, yogurt, carob, and peanut butter was acceptable for snacks and lunches at school. What is carob? I was pitched the idea that it was a healthy substitute for chocolate. I think chocolate is healthy—healthy for my soul. Read How Carob Traumatized a Generation by Jonathan Kauffman if you subscribe to The New Yorker. I can’t wait to read his article on ToFurky. SOFT DRINKS NEVER, EVER, entered our house for any reason.

Embarking on a Sugar-Fueled Adventure

In my teenage years, I embarked on a sugar-fueled adventure when the opportunity arose. I discovered Peanut Butter Captain Crunch during a week of dance camp and ate it daily while I could. I also tried Krispy Kreme Doughnuts. I will never forget my first bite of the soft, sugar-glazed miracle. Later in life, my husband and I went to get doughnuts so often that my young son pointed at the Krispy Kreme sign and said his first word: "Dough."