Felt A Little Like I Was On Candid Camera

[Heidi]

Ok, really not trying to judge people, but I was in Walmart Saturday. The woman behind me had a 4 ish year old with her.

I glanced at what she was loading on the belt, then my 15 dd made eye-contact with me like .

First I noticed the "uncrustables" yeck...ok, whatever.
Then I noticed everything else:
poptarts
gogurts
cheese nips
chips
frozen chicken sandwiches
frozen bagel pizzas
frozen waffles
those cheese-and-cracker things
more frozen "entrees"...the kids meals ones
chicken nuggets
cookies
more crackers
candy
more candy
juice boxes....the "fruit punch" kind, of course
soda
much more along those lines. A cart full of chemicals in bright packages, pretty much.

There was not one fruit, one vegie (fresh or frozen), no milk, no meat (except the meat-like substance in the frozen foods). There was no REAL food at all!

I wanted to ask "Are you trying to poison your kid?"

But I didn't...I DID have a box of cheese nips in my cart...

I could not bear to stay and watch to see if she paid with her food-stamp card...

[Oneluckymom]

This is "normal" for many families today. Many of whom are totally lost as to what normal meals should be or look like. Sad.

[Heidi]

ok, maybe candid camera was exagerated...but it was hundreds of dollars of crap..

[Play Care]

Ok, really not trying to judge people, but I was in Walmart Saturday. The woman behind me had a 4 ish year old with her.

I glanced at what she was loading on the belt, then my 15 dd made eye-contact with me like .

First I noticed the "uncrustables" yeck...ok, whatever.
Then I noticed everything else:
poptarts
gogurts
cheese nips
chips
frozen chicken sandwiches
frozen bagel pizzas
frozen waffles
those cheese-and-cracker things
more frozen "entrees"...the kids meals ones
chicken nuggets
cookies
more crackers
candy
more candy
juice boxes....the "fruit punch" kind, of course
soda
much more along those lines. A cart full of chemicals in bright packages, pretty much.

There was not one fruit, one vegie (fresh or frozen), no milk, no meat (except the meat-like substance in the frozen foods). There was no REAL food at all!

I wanted to ask "Are you trying to poison your kid?"

But I didn't...I DID have a box of cheese nips in my cart...

I could not bear to stay and watch to see if she paid with her food-stamp card...

I did crack up a little reading this. A few months ago we took a vacation to Disney world. We were flying in, using Disney transportation the whole time and not able to drive off property. So rather than be held hostage by Disney prices, I went shopping at home and filled one large suit case with boxed convenience foods that could be heated with water (I smuggled in a hot pot too) no fresh fruits, no liquid milk, no meat, etc. I also filled my cart with special snack foods like Smart Food popcorn, chips, etc. because its a vacation, right?
The entire time I was shopping I was hoping no one was looking in my cart or that I wouldn't run into my dc families. ::
Even though it was much cheaper the eating out at Disney I was still surprised at how much my bill was that day- we rarely buy those kinds of foods and they are pricey.

[Evansmom]

I had a DCK who's family ate like this. The DCM was so proud about the fact that she had no idea how to cook.

Poor DCG always had a vacant stare on her face and she was a total sweetie but man, not all the lights were on upstairs! I always thought it had to have something to do with her diet. How can you live on non-food?!

[e.j.]

There was not one fruit, one vegie (fresh or frozen), no milk, no meat (except the meat-like substance in the frozen foods). There was no REAL food at all!

I hear what you're saying about all the junk food but feel the need to point out that she may purchase the fruit, veggies, milk and meat at another store. I don't like the quality of produce at my local Walmart so I buy it somewhere else. The milk is cheaper at another store and I usually buy meat in bulk at a wholesale store. I've often wondered what the people behind me think when I walk out of Walmart with groceries but no fruits and veggies.

[snbauser]

I hear what you're saying about all the junk food but feel the need to point out that she may purchase the fruit, veggies, milk and meat at another store. I don't like the quality of produce at my local Walmart so I buy it somewhere else. The milk is cheaper at another store and I usually buy meat in bulk at a wholesale store. I've often wondered what the people behind me think when I walk out of Walmart with groceries but no fruits and veggies.

I'm the same way. My walmart shopping is typically a "fill in the holes" trip. I do a lot of shopping at Costco for milk, produce, and meats.

[Cradle2crayons]

Same here, I get my meat at the local mom and pop up town, my regular stuff at Walmart, and my produce at Kroger. But you still won't see all of that in my buggy other than the bagel bites and pop tarts... All my kids get those for treats sometimes.

[LaLa1923]

I will be the odd ball here, I do buy some of those things you listed. Times have changed and it's all about convenience foods. I do try and balance things out, it's a work in progress......

[daycarediva]

I use Walmart for filler foods-oatmeal, cereal, whole wheat pasta, brown rice, that sort of thing. I rarely buy milk, produce or meat there.

I have never purchased 99% of the things on your list.


I see people like that all the time here, my dh won't even go into Walmart because he can't stand how terribly people eat. Once we saw a similar cart, and the woman was buying a months worth of slim fast & lean cuisine. I just wanted to honestly, lovingly pull her aside and tell her that she can eat cheaper, healthier and lose weight without buying 90% of what she was.

Most of it is just convenience, lack of education and 'this is what's easy' mentality.

I have a dck who eats like that at home, and he is already overweight at 3, he didn't know what an APPLE was a year ago, and now he is my best eater, even if he does come with cheeto stains on his hands every morning.

[hope]

A new dcb I have started last week. In my kitchen I have a huge bowl of fruit. Dcb had never eaten a real orange by the age of 5!!!!! He asked what the "round thing" was on my counter.....a melon? He is so excited to try all these new foods. Boogles my mind.

[JenNJ]

I think its pretty rude of you to judge someone knowing nothing about them. :confused: And to throw in the food stamp comment is just really disgusting. How does their economic status have anything to do with poor food choices. I know families on food assistance who eat welland well off familes who eat McD's every night.

When I shop at Wal-Mart, its usually pantry or freezer trips. I don't buy produce there - I grow my own or buy local. I don't buy meat there because I buy that in large packs at Costco.

[Heidi]

I do get what some of you said about not buying produce or meat from there. But that particular WM actually has decent produce. Not so much the meat, though. ugh.

I guess it was just the sheer volume of junk, not the idea of a few junk items. Like I said, I had a box of cheezits myself (for my 12 year old). Then I stopped at Aldi and bought produce, milk, eggs, cheese, and lunchmeat.

Someone mentioned slimfast. She had some sort of "ready shake" in a can, too, although it wasn't slimfast.

I don't know why I noticed, except that there was just SO MUCH of it.

[Unregistered]

Hi have a DCB who eats like this. The lunch he brings everyday is sugar, sugar and more sugar!!! No veggies ever. The kids is always tired, REALLY crabby at times, and would take a 4 hour nap if I let him.

I feel bad for him.

[countrymom]

I think its pretty rude of you to judge someone knowing nothing about them. :confused: And to throw in the food stamp comment is just really disgusting. How does their economic status have anything to do with poor food choices. I know families on food assistance who eat welland well off familes who eat McD's every night.

When I shop at Wal-Mart, its usually pantry or freezer trips. I don't buy produce there - I grow my own or buy local. I don't buy meat there because I buy that in large packs at Costco.

judge, well let me tell you, these same people who fill their carts full of junk are the same people who are overwieght and have naughty children and they can't figure it out. My sister is a cashier at a cheap food store here and when they get their cheques they fill their carts full of crap. You never see fruit or veggies in their carts. Its rare people who are on food stamps buy real food. Its like last week when I saw the hugely obese women (and she had her fat hanging to her knees) buying a whole cart full of pop, really what did you want me to think. Buying junk is such a norm its not even funny anymore, and its reality, people just don't buy healthy anymore.

several of my families live around my, explain to me how they all have less than 1 garbage bag every single week and its not even full. Yet their recycle bins are full of frozen boxes of all sorts. Its now a joke with us, but when I hear what they all eat for dinner and on the weekends I'm so shocked but not that shocked. Its convience. I had a dcb who is 7 and he has never seen a green apple till he saw my bowl of fruit on the counter.

how did we all grow up, we rarely ate out, and dinner was always made. Why can't people do this now. I'm glad that my children get to come home to a home cooked meal instead of junk. I want them to know that dinner doesn't have to be complacated or take long to make, thats why I involved them when I make dinner.