{"id":2503,"date":"2014-11-14T23:25:30","date_gmt":"2014-11-14T23:25:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pantryparatus.com\/wpmigration\/?p=2503"},"modified":"2016-01-07T12:52:11","modified_gmt":"2016-01-07T18:52:11","slug":"group-snacks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pantryparatus.com\/articles\/group-snacks\/","title":{"rendered":"Group Snacks: When the Cool Mom Crowd Causes Compromise"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Group Snacks: When the Cool Mom Crowd Causes Compromise<\/h2>\n

(& Why I Won’t Next Time)
\n<\/em><\/h3>\n

\"Group<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Have you ever provided, exclusively, the group snack for the team, for the club, or school party?\u00a0 I mean, have you been the only one bringing food to a gaggle of children?\u00a0 <\/strong><\/p>\n

In most cases, we attend gatherings where everyone brings something, and so we feel free to take food that we will personally eat as a family\u2014in fact, we feel required to do so since it\u2019s likely that my corn-allergic kid will only be able to eat what I personally bring.\u00a0 I figure, with other options available they can take it or leave it, and I really don\u2019t care.\u00a0 They can wrinkle their nose and I can feel all the pious-pity for them that I want, declaring that they do not understand real food and are the truly unfortunate ones.\u00a0 Then, when the parents like it and ask for the recipe, I can simultaneously indulge in that \u00a0praise even while feeling sorry for those who don\u2019t understand real food.<\/p>\n

Okay, I\u2019m not as bad as all that.\u00a0 At least, I never let on that I\u2019m not as bad as all that.\u00a0 <\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

It was our week to bring the team snack to the soccer game.<\/strong>\u00a0 I spent 2 weeks\u00a0 making a complete issue out of a non-issue.\u00a0 Yes, I\u2019m that mom.<\/em> \u00a0 All of the snacks thus far have been pre-packaged, nothing homemade.\u00a0 Is this the social protocol? Is there room for homemade snacks on the soccer field?\u00a0 I felt pressure to get this right and still hold to my values.<\/p>\n

You see, food for me is a moral issue<\/a>.<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 I placed pressure upon myself to find something:\u00a0 1)prepackaged in portion size, 2) appetizing\/appealing to 2nd<\/sup> graders, 3) non-gmo and healthy, and 4) affordable enough to feed the entire team.<\/p>\n

To quote the Princess\u2019 Bride, \u201cI don\u2019t believe they exist.\u201d\u00a0 <\/em><\/p>\n

I was shocked when my husband found prepackaged baby carrots in the same container that those fake-cheese & crackers come, but in the cheese section was ranch dressing.\u00a0 Okay, I can do this, I thought.\u00a0 Sure, the ranch dressing had all kinds of stuff we don\u2019t eat.\u00a0 I really felt like I was compromising for the sake of imagined peer pressure, but I was willing to do it to keep my kid from feeling \u00a0like he had \u201cthat mom.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

He\u2019s going to have a lot of that in years to come.\u00a0 <\/em><\/p>\n

The game was close, we lost by one, hands were slapped in typical good-game fashion, and they made a run straight for me.\u00a0 Snack Mom.\u00a0 One by one, \u201cno thank you.\u201d<\/strong>\u00a0 They were polite, but only the moms took the snacks, not a single kid of his own volition accepted.<\/p>\n

Perhaps this falls into the category of \u201cFirst World Problems\u201d\u2026okay, it totally does.\u00a0 There is, however, a deeper, more sensitive issue at play: when every lifestyle choice you make is deliberate and you are forever getting strange looks and probing questions from others, sometimes you lack the strength to do it again.\u00a0\u00a0 I can answer for my own weirdness all day long, but I do not want my kids to be forced into answering for it.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Those who have been reading this blog over the last three years know I have a bad habit of shrinking myself (previous occupational hazard), and this is the question I ultimately have to ask\u2026which moral stance has the greater value: eating ethical food that is healthy and nutritious, or keeping my kid from a potential sideways glance from another child?<\/p>\n

My children are healthy and strong inside and out.\u00a0 Next time, I won\u2019t compromise:<\/strong><\/p>\n

*I won\u2019t because if these kids are going to see these ethics as valuable, they must see them as consistent , first.<\/p>\n

*I won\u2019t compromise because part of being a caring adult means that I would not feed someone else\u2019s child food that I know is unhealthy\u2014regardless of their parents\u2019 own decisions on the matter.<\/p>\n

*I won\u2019t compromise because if my kid does get that snicker or sideways glance, it\u2019s a monitored learning tool that we can utilize to guide family discussions towards things like leadership, handling peer pressure, resilience, and standing up for what is right.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

And so, next time, I think I\u2019ll follow the lead from other moms who have had this First World Problem, and conquer it with homemade gelatin.\u00a0 Here are some suggestions:<\/p>\n

*Best post ever on homemade granola treats:<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

\"30<\/p>\n

Here is a place I can go to when I’m feeling weak (and a place to send other moms who need the encouragement to keep consistency): https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/spoonfedblog.net<\/a><\/strong>
\nThese homemade fruit snacks<\/a> look irresistable!<\/p>\n

\"Homemade<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

AnnMarie Rossi is an expert at this sort of thing, and so I’ll point you to her work on the Untrained Housewife<\/a>, like her healthy cookie dough bars<\/a>, for instance.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Healthy<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Yup, that’s all I got…but what is your go-to snack for group snack duty?\u00a0 <\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Comments:<\/p>\n

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Rebecca | LettersFromSunnybrook.com<\/h4>\n

posted on Tuesday, September 30, 2014 4:06:25 PM America\/Denver<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Oh, that’s a tough situation! I have corn allergy as well and cannot eat any prepackaged or processed foods. While I try to get my family to eat more from-scratch, healthy food, I feel I am competing with all the “fun, more interesting” foods they are bombarded with in advertising. My son’s 14th birthday is coming up and I suggested that I could make homemade pizzas or tacos for him and his friends. He said, “Mom, I really like your pizza best, but I’m not sure my friends will know how to appreciate it the same way, so I think we should get it from Pizza Hut.” I was glad he was honest and able to express himself. So, for his party I will cough up what I see as a lot of money on someone else’s pizza so he can fit in with his new friends. Other times I will serve my homemade food. It is a tough call though.You know exactly what I’m talking about! First of all, serious props for raising such a mature kid, that he can express himself clearly yet gently. And he’s probably right–his friends won’t know how to fully appreciate it.<\/em>As an aside, and in the light of compromise (which this entire blog is saying I won’t do)…we did discover that this a corn-free option at Papa Murphy’s (the take-and-bake)…you will have to check their online menu, but you can get the alternate crust and sauce to make it completely corn-free. We discovered this while we were on vacation at someone’s home who was ordering pizza. So yeah, there are just times we have to make the best of the situation. Thanks for the comment!<\/em><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Marcia Little<\/h4>\n

posted on Wednesday, October 1, 2014 2:01:16 PM America\/Denver<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

I make homemade granola cereal, granola bars, and fruit and grain bars. My whole family chows down on them, and I know what went in them.Marcia, great example–we love the idea.\u00a0 We were half tempted to do just that<\/a>, but fear of Urban Myths drives “the standard” which seems to be individually packaged portion sized serving.\u00a0 Kinda the same standard for Halloween candy, if it looks homemade there is a 0.0002% chance of a razor blade being in the apple, so throw it away.\u00a0 <\/strong>But, I do love the idea.<\/strong>-Wilson<\/strong><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Libby Kuhlmann<\/h4>\n

posted on Wednesday, October 1, 2014 9:57:42 PM America\/Denver<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

When my youngest daughter was in Brownie and Girl Scouts – years ago, I’m a granny now \ud83d\ude42 – I found the one thing that was absolutely irresistible to the girls and it was something that they all looked forward to when it was my turn for snacks – once a month on a rotating basis. I would make a turkey sized platter of cut up veggies with a couple of bowls of homemade ranch dressing. It was always a big hit and there was never one bite, or even a sliver of vegetable, left on the platter and most of the time the bowls would be “wiped” clean of dressing and no matter how much I piled on the tray I was usually asked if I had more to share. When she was older and playing softball, I did the same thing with the vegetable tray and it still was a treat for the girls and I never returned home with anything but an empty tray and bowls. It seems I was the only mother who brought this for a snack and it turned out to be something the girls really liked and always looked forward to Crystal’s mom bringing the “good stuff.” Just an idea someone might like for a daughter in sports or Scouts. I doubt this would go over with a bunch of ruff and tumble boys (it wasn’t too popular with most of the boys when my sons played ball, but I had to try, but my sons loved it) but it most likely would be a hit with the girls.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Sheila<\/h4>\n

posted on Thursday, October 2, 2014 5:47:44 AM America\/Denver<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

First I’d like to say, my daughter made fun of me a little for insisting on buying normal, healthy, organic food. Yes, they are more expensive but well worth it. She told me yesterday that since she has been going to farmers market, buying organic foods, eating less processed foods and drinking whole, unprocessed milk, she feels a lot better. Score one for Mom. As far as Halloween, I wanted to make wholesome treats too, but the way it is now it’s no longer accepted. I had out the fruit tummies made from fruit with no additives.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Sheila<\/h4>\n

posted on Thursday, October 2, 2014 5:48:52 AM America\/Denver<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

First I’d like to say, my daughter made fun of me a little for insisting on buying normal, healthy, organic food. Yes, they are more expensive but well worth it. She told me yesterday that since she has been going to farmers market, buying organic foods, eating less processed foods and drinking whole, unprocessed milk, she feels a lot better. Score one for Mom. As far as Halloween, I wanted to make wholesome treats too, but the way it is now it’s no longer accepted. I had out the fruit tummies made from fruit with no additives.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Heidi @ PintSizeFarm<\/h4>\n

posted on Friday, October 3, 2014 10:46:33 AM America\/Denver<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

This is really hard. We have had a few people bring healthy options and a couple homemade – but they usually bring a pre-packaged thing too.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Group Snacks: When the Cool Mom Crowd Causes Compromise (& Why I Won’t Next Time)   Have you ever provided, exclusively, the group snack for the team, for the club, or school party?\u00a0 I mean, have you been the only one bringing food to a gaggle of children?\u00a0 In most cases, we attend gatherings where […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2504,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"footnotes":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false}}},"categories":[229,503],"tags":[509,382],"yst_prominent_words":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/pantryparatus.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/group-snacks.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p9Fvks-En","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pantryparatus.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2503"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pantryparatus.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pantryparatus.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pantryparatus.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pantryparatus.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2503"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/pantryparatus.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2503\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pantryparatus.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2504"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pantryparatus.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2503"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pantryparatus.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2503"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pantryparatus.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2503"},{"taxonomy":"yst_prominent_words","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pantryparatus.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/yst_prominent_words?post=2503"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}