99 cents fried crunchy cheese sticks......

"It's only 99 cents, and it is so tasty!" A son of my dearest friend, who is 12 years old, joyfully exclaimed as he snatched a bag of cheesy snacks out of the pantry.  He loves this deep fried crunchy sticks coated with yellow coloring and cheese flavors.  His mom looked towards me and said, "Na, read the ingredients".  So, I did.  As I was reading them out loud, I shook my head and said, "Oh,  wow, hmmmmm."  I felt he was a bit embarrassed while I was reading them out loud.  My question to him was, "Is your body's nutritional value only worth 99 cents to you?"  He said, "No".  "Do you see any ingredients that are good for you in this snack?"  He said, "No".  He did not say much after that.

A couple days later, his mom informed me that he will no longer buy or eat this fried crunchy cheese sticks.  He came to this decision on his own.  I was surprised, and at the same time I was delighted.  I admire his decision.  He gave up something he LOVES and WANTS by recognizing the fact that there is no nutritional value in the food he was eating .

As I was thinking about this 12 year boy's decision, I realized that good eating habits start at home.  We need to be more aware of what ingredients are in our food supplies.  When parents become more educated and aware of what goes into their food, their children will become more aware of it as well.  Yes, no doubt there will be resistance and will hear comments like, "I don't care or I don't like it".  Setting good examples by the parents will go farther than a classroom nutritional education.  Perseverance will paid off  in a long run.  Don't discount your children's ability to change or think that they are not "listening".  They are more adaptable than you think. 

One dear friend said, "Changing one bad eating habit per month, you can change 12 bad eating habits a year."  Small baby steps are also important.   Trying to change everything all at once will overwhelmed you and make you more likely to give up.  This 12 year boy made a small step by giving up that 99 cent fried crunchy cheese sticks, but it is a giant step toward a healthier body.