War on S’mores

Yesterday I saw an opinion piece about S’mores. Yep, that’s right – the beloved summertime cookie-like treat that makes you feel like a five-year-old again. 

The author was clearly poking fun at the USDA’s suggestion to ditch the sweet treat for a fruit alternative. I kind of agree with him.

Regardless of my daily diet habits, I believe in everything in moderation. As a peanut butter addict and recovering choco-holic, I fully support someone’s right to get their S’more on. Have you ever melted a peanut butter cup instead of straight chocolate to make a s’more? I dare you to try it. I also encourage s’more and sweet eaters everywhere to eat in moderation and find alternatives when necessary.

If you plan on s’more-ing out with a bag of marshmallows once or twice this summer, I hope you enjoy that bonfire and soak up the company. If you have multiple s’more occasions this summer, maybe you figure out other fun alternatives like yogurt parfaits that have some chocolate or sweet component. Maybe it’s scaling back on the mac salad or leaving the cheese off the burger to accommodate the indulging of the chocolate-y melty goodness.

There are so many factors that cause obesity and it does come back to overall eating habits. If your daily habits are to over eat or not have balanced nutrition and even under -eating, you’re guaranteeing that you’re not going to have a healthy life. A body needs so many vitamins and macro-nutrients to meet daily needs for proper function. 

As for a war on s’mores, I can see where the USDA is coming from because obesity is a concern in America. However, there needs to be better education about nutritional needs, which means individualized discussions. Everyone’s body is different, everyone needs a different amount of vitamins and macronutrients. What is served in schools isn’t good enough and shouldn’t be a standard. Pizza and fries are not vegetables. 

Many parents feed their children what is easy because as an industrialized society we need easy and we need fast, but that’s why I meal prep. It’s the best way for a fast, healthy meal during the work week. There are also many Americans who believe that eating healthy is expensive, well yeah, it can be, but you don’t need organic everything. You also can shop sales and make your meals accordingly to those sales. That’s what I do. I would also ask people to think about Thor insurance claims. The medications they take for blood pressure? Paying a little more for real food will pay off in the long run. 

So if there’s going to be a food fight, there needs to be a different focus. It’s not a s’more or Oreo or pizza that is the real issue. It’s the education about nutrition and how to make healthy eating a lifestyle priority. It’s education to empower people about what they put in their bodies.

I’m a proud supporter of flexible dieting and s’more consumption. Balance is everything. We’re human and we mess up sometimes, but overall if you’re aware of what you’re eating you should be fine. 

❤️ Cristina