Thursday, July 2, 2015

Here today, Kale tomorrow

Let me just tell you, this article made me laugh out loud. Can you picture it? I’m sitting on a plane, reading an article to myself, laughing hysterically.

The article is about fads, by definition: an intense and widely shared enthusiasm for something, especially one that is short-lived and without basis in the object’s qualities; a craze.

Reading it made me reflect back on fads that I have experienced, and the fads that may be present in my life today. The article focuses on food, so let’s talk food!

Starbucks, bottled water, and prepared foods are perfect examples for me. It boggles my mind why someone would spend $5 for a fancy cup of coffee when you could buy the same coffee in a 1-lb bag? It also pains me to spend $10 for prepared spaghetti in red sauce at a restaurant when I could make the same thing at home for less money and in 10 minutes! 

As a child I remember drinking Tang. Now, I’m sure some of you weren't even born when Tang was created, but it was the powdered drink that they took into outer space. When I was around the age of 4 I LOVED the orange color, so naturally that meant I loved the drink too.

Tang is long gone, but today adding powders or flavors to your water is a constantly evolving and thriving business.

When I was little, my mother used to tell me about her favorite childhood memory of enjoying an Egg Cream. I don't think I have ever had one, but she’s told me it is in the ice cream family. It is with a combination of beaten eggs, vanilla, and very cold milk.

Another thing that fascinates me today is the stuff people put on their pizza. Now, pizza itself was a big deal when it was introduced in the United States with the wave of immigrants from Europe. However, I can safely bet you they weren't putting pineapple and ham on those babies back in Rome!

From Paleo to carb heavy, sugar-free to high fructose corn syrup we will always see fads in our diets. People trying “the next best thing” to satisfy a craving to help them be healthier.

So, I want to know, what food fad did you enjoy? Did it past the test of time and is still around today?  

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

WHAT? There's no more Tang? LOL

Jill said...

I drank so much Tang when I was little I do not miss it lol! Egg Creams are great you should try one!

megan said...

When I was little I loved Dunkaroos. It was always a challenge to even out the cookie to frosting ratio! As a kid, I just remember eating SO MUCH sugar. For a few years, my family and I went to Cape Cod for whale watching with our school and I remember all three of my sisters and I getting a HUGE jaw breaker candy that took us each months to get through. Never again...

I'm definitely paying for it all now as an adult though! I've replaced my craving for Rice Krisipie Treats with rice cakes covered in organic, natural peanut butter and sliced banana.

Oh to be young again :)

Roseann said...

Does anyone remember Koogle? It was a peanut butter "spread." It would be generous to call it actual peanut butter. It was mixed with banana flavor or chocolate and was very yummy for lunch. I can still remember the taste. I'm sure if I tried it today, I would find it disgusting, and there was probably not a single natural ingredient in it. I can't believe my mom let me eat it as a meal, but I wouldn't mind the opportunity to have one more taste someday, to see if it was as great as I remember.

Stephanie Hand said...

As a kid in Brooklyn, one of my favorite things to do was go to the local candy store, where there was always a counter with stools so you could order a soda or ice cream, and get a chocolate egg cream. It was served in a Coke shaped glass and consisted of half milk, half seltzer and a generous squirt of chocolate syrup. It was delicious! My age is showing when I tell you that I could get an egg cream and two stick pretzels for 25 cents!

Anonymous said...

I remember a creamy marshmellow spread in a jar! It was called Fluff I believe. Sounds really disgusting now but it was a treat back then! Also I loved Ovaltine as a kid and they still make it today.Also pretty healthy too!