Save me from the Swedish Fish!

[Doran]

Okay, folks -- here's the cold, hard truth. There are moments when I grow weary of knowing that I should be eating "well". Sometimes, when I'm trying to come up with dinner plans, I'm completely uninspired by the pure pasta sauce I made by hand this summer and the rice noodles in my cupboard, the locally grown radish sprouts, or even the grass-fed lamb out in the freezer. Dangit, I just want to drive to the store, pick up a pre-cooked, highly processed chicken, some frozen tater tots, a jar of canned pears, and call it dinner. I don't WANT to have to think about whether it's on someone's diet, or whether it was shot full with antibiotics before it got cooked up so beautifully, whether my tots are tainted or my pears plump with pesticides. I watch other shoppers happily filling carts with all manner of Boyardees and Manwiches, and I want...I want to...go there.

Wouldn't it be easier if I didn't know what I know about food, if I was still blissfully unperturbed by the prospect of all that I might ingest? I know that some of you will just shake your heads and think me a complete nut-case, but I ask you, are they organic nuts?

The Swedish Fish taunt me, I tell you, with their snazzy red dyes and sugary fins. And, I want to want them.

Doran

[Chris in VA]

Wait, Manwich isn't dinner?






Just kidding--ds hates sloppy joes. lol

[Happy2bhome]

...you too? I love Swedish Fish! Their yummy, raspberry, chewy goodness is the best! They were my favorite penny candy as a kid and now I see that Wal-Mart sells them in big bags..a pound maybe? Ya just gotta have 'em sometimes. It's okay. At least they are fat free. :p





http://kauahifamilyinhawaii.blogspot.com

[KAR120C]

LOL!!

I have to say... as much as I do know about food, first it has to taste good. Even if that means it's not the healthiest, most perfect, organic, homemade meal in the world. My major strategy for maintaining my health is to avoid stepping in front of buses in the street... so an occasional tater tot (or several!) doesn't bother me.

[Amy in Orlando]

Swedish fish ARE good for you and you'll never convince me otherwise. ;)

[Lucy in Australia]

OK, now that I know what Swedish Fish are (thank you, Wikipedia - they even had I photo!) I can join the conversation ;)

For what it's worth, my strategy with dealing with this type of crisis is to just go for it. Yep, I just stuff my face with whatever it is I think I've been missing. The reason it seems to work is that we eat so little of it now, that we sort of O.D. on it, well, we feel like we're going to die. Nausea, headaches, the whole parade.

I've found it works best with the burger places. My sons were feeling very hard done by because we hadn't eaten at Hungry Jacks (I think it's Burger King in the States) for so long, so I decided we would all go and have the complete experience: burger, fries and drinks. That was about 4 months ago and my 8-year old still feels a need to share exactly how his body reacted, in great detail, every time we drive past one of those places. :D

[Janna]

Do you remember not too long ago, I had an intense hankerin' for a McDonald's fish-fil-a? I haven't eaten at McDonald's in 2 years or more. Oh, it was agony. Agony, I tell you!

I know exactly of which you speak (except for the swedish fish, which I don't like because they get stuck in my teeth, as do all gummy things - gummy bears, DOTS, etc...shudder). http://www.mysmiley.net/imgs/smile/sign/sign0137.gif (http://www.ladies-shoes.biz/ladies-shoes/63889-1.html)

Anyway, usually, the thought of the hormones, or knowing about the pesticides or the high processing so that it's not even considered food, is enough to slap me back to my senses. I am not too tempted anymore for things like that (except Jr. Mints, which I love with a handful of popcorn -kernels from the local orchard, air-popped, of course. NEVER microwave popcorn..again, shudder). Even with this pregnancy, with the exception of the bizarre fish-fil-a craving, I have not had cravings or aversions.

At times like you're describing, I would be baking. Make a pie, or a choc. cake or something. Even though it's still not good for you, it is homemade and better than the tainted tots or the swedish fish.

Stay away from the fish. It's not food and full of red #40!! Ahhhhhh!!! Run, Doran, RUN!!!

[Alexandra]

otoh I think that when buying Swedish fish it is important to look for the non-farm raised Swedish Fish. If you can find them (and it is difficult) you should try to buy the ones that come from a school of fish that used a 4 year classical rotation.
hth
Alexandra

[KAR120C]

otoh I think that when buying Swedish fish it is important to look for the non-farm raised Swedish Fish. If you can find them (and it is difficult) you should try to buy the ones that come from a school of fish that used a 4 year classical rotation.
hth
Alexandra
ROTFLOL!!!!!!

The Well Educated ones are tastier. :p

[Doran]

otoh I think that when buying Swedish fish it is important to look for the non-farm raised Swedish Fish. If you can find them (and it is difficult) you should try to buy the ones that come from a school of fish that used a 4 year classical rotation.
hth
Alexandra

This totally cracked me up! Non-farm raised Swedish fish...classical school...I think you are completely correct!

Now, about those tots. :rolleyes:

Doran

[RegularMom]

Yes, and the red ones are the equivalent of having a nice healthy oily fish, like salmon or tuna. :)

[Carol in Cal.]

I have to admit, though, that when I saw your subject line my first reaction was, Huh, lutefisk? I thought lutefisk was Norwegian?

[Doran]

I have to admit, though, that when I saw your subject line my first reaction was, Huh, lutefisk? I thought lutefisk was Norwegian?

Ummm....Carol??? I never mentioned lutefisk. Is there something you need to tell us? :p

Doran

[Carol in Cal.]

But I know enough Norwegians that when I saw the phrase "Swedish fish", lutefisk is what leaped into my head!

[WTMindy]

and fish is protein, right?!? (That is my story and I'm sticking to it!)

[Doran]

...lutefisk is what leaped into my head!

SWAM? Okay, obviously I've slipped over the edge of sanity. This is what happens when you've spent 36 hours nursing sick kids and trying to not eat their Swedish fish while they are disadvantaged. :rolleyes:

Doran

[Doran]

At times like you're describing, I would be baking. Make a pie, or a choc. cake or something. Even though it's still not good for you, it is homemade and better than the tainted tots or the swedish fish.

I don't want to have to work that hard for my junk fix. It's not that I really LIKE the food. It's just there. And easy. Sooooo easy.

Doran

[JennifersLost]

I'll tell you - I buy plenty of packaged stuff, but also eat plenty of good 'ol fresh food as well.

Still, I can't help but feel on some days (like, uh...today) that I'm being forcibly shoved into the all-natural raw foods way of life. Pretty soon I'll be wearing that darned denim jumper and baking my own bread from homegrown wheat (so that it's not processed with any stupid nuts, you know).

Gaaaaah!

We had just been all excited that allergy-boy was going to be able to eat with us at restaurants on our cross-country jaunts this year. Sigh....

As for Swedish fish. Yuck. If you're going to blow your healthy diet, at least eat something with chocolate and caramel in it. Or at the very least, something slathered with fake butter.

Of course the thing is, if you don't eat that stuff for long enough it all tastes as bad as it is!

[imeverywoman]

I won't even attempt to add my two cents cause you already done made a dollar.

Preach it, sister!!!