Last night my daughter had one of the most epic meltdowns of her life. Between failing attempts to comfort her, my husband and I exchanged mystified glances–what’s going on? Is this about coronavirus, is she feeling ignored, is she missing school and her old routine? All plausible. But then I read the ingredients on the snack she had just eaten a couple hours earlier. You know me well enough to know I didn’t buy this junk, but these days when you order a “mango” on instacart, sometimes what they bring you instead is a box of dried mango with added sugar, sulfites, preservatives, and food coloring. I don’t know who needs to hear this, but sugar, preservatives, and food coloring are a one-way-ticket to ADD, mood swings, and meltdowns. If you’re struggling with any of this (in yourselves or your kids), be on the lookout for these ingredients in your food, and swiftly chuck that crap in the trash. I don’t mean to make life any more stressful than it already is by taking away our beloved snacks and comfort foods, but in my experience, the stress of mood swings, meltdowns, and hyperactivity outweighs the stress of having to cut open a piece of fruit for a snack instead of reaching for processed garbage. When it comes to kids, offering real food helps kids stay stable and calm, rather than swinging between sugar highs and meltdowns. Orienting our lives around eating real food is not just a precious snowflake Portlandia-esque affectation–it’s a radical act of love for ourselves and our families.
