Providing these alternatives is a microcosm of our decision- making capabilities. We have choices: to offer or allow, to forbid, or to provide very occasionally the sweet and treats they desire. Since I’m clearly not alone in moving from a generation raised on Hohos and Twinkies, to one trying to support local farmers and reducing our petroleum footprint, the junk food market has compensated with an abundance of above-average junk. Some of this stuff is not only tempting, but is, in truth, somewhat less “junky” than its ancestors. This is where the lines begin to blur. Is microwave popcorn made with “better” oils and no salt still junk food? Is chocolate junk food? What about cheese puffs made with real cheese?

I try to view junk in two columns: sweets and treats, and snacks. Snacks are, for me, an easier battle. If my kids are hungry, they will happily munch apples or cheese or yogurt (the one who isn’t dairy sensitive), or have a bowl of cereal or some nuts. Sweets are somewhat more troublesome. For those moments when they’re not really hungry, but just wanting something to nibble or suck on, it can be hard to say no to a lollipop offered for free at the bank, or popcorn at that big box store.

Some days it would be easier to have the quick fix. So to help with the hard moments, I have come up with a series of “buying values” that make my shopping decisions easier. Once the worst of the junk food is out of the house, and there are reasonable alternatives in the house, it’s easier for adults (and children) to make good decisions. (Then I just have to remember to bring snacks along when we go out!)

First, I minimize buying anything with high fructose corn syrup, colorant (usually, but not exclusively, FDA dye with a #) and, as often as possible, genetically modified organisms (GMOs). I look for organic corn and soy to eliminate the GMO versions. These three elements account for almost all of the junk food on the market. In looking at the list of ingredients to deter- mine whether an item contains these ingredients, I also look for products sweetened with agave, stevia, honey, sorghum, molasses or maple syrup, rather than cane sugar.

Second, I try to provide a variety of homemade treats — fruit and fruit compotes, wheat and chocolate-based products (like cakes, brownies and cookies), and pies and puddings. This forces me to limit the number of pre-packaged processed desserts and sweets that we buy.

Last, I talk to my kids. They are real team builders, and it’s wonderful to have them help choose products that they like. Discussions about the locality of products, their colors, richness of nutrients, variety and the ability of our earth to sustainably produce them, makes shopping trips whip by, and I honestly feel like my daughter is taking some of it in!

Junk food choices are often more about compromise than absolute rules. Judgments weigh in the emotional needs of the child on that day, what else went into their systems, whether they are weathering a cold or fighting off some other infection. I keep track loosely of the amount of junk food that their little bodies take in so that I can make good decisions, ones they feel are fair and I feel are smart.
Stopping to read that list of (mostly unpronounceable) ingredients on so many snack food wrappers is part of a process for us. Hopefully my children are learning how to make good food buying and eating choices in tandem, so that their physical and emotional needs are met, their global footprint is as small as possible, and I can rest easy that some of all that “mother speak” was worthwhile.