The arrest of a mother whose 14-year-old son tipped the scales at over 500 pounds  made national news this week, and touched off a firestorm of debate:  is the mom guilty of child abuse for letting her son get so unhealthily large?  Some argue this is a result of poverty, and eating cheap but calorie-empty food.  Others point to an education issue: in a culture that equates food with all kinds of emotions (you eat if you're bored or sad), maybe this is how you show love: lots of food.

I tend to believe that if parents learn healthy eating habits, those habits will pass on to their children, so I land on the side of more nutritional education.  As we say here, good food is for everyone, and it does't have to cost a lot, either. Eating fresh, eating foods in season, and learning basic cooking goes a long way in putting together a satisfying diet that stays with you for life.  Taking chances on new-to-you foods that you might never have tasted can develop into lifelong obsessions (like me and eggplant...but I digress...).  There is a wealth of information available through web sites, libraries and food professionals at our stores who can help with tempting, yet healthy food choices.

All this is not to say, of course, that you should avoid ice cream on a steamy summer afternoon, or  never indulge in a bacon cheeseburger with a side order of fries.  Those just shouldn't be your daily bread, but treats you put into your food choices, and then balance out with the grilled chicken, the tofu and vegetable stir fry and the yogurt and fresh fruit in the afternoon.

So I'd vote in favor of giving people lots of information about how to eat well on a budget, and trust that the delicious food choices they make will keep them traveling along the good-for-you path.  

One more thing:  I'm thinking it's late afternoon snack time.  I have a fresh, so juicy I can hardly touch it peach, plus some almonds.  What's your favorite nosh in the afternoon?  I tend to be seasonal, so by the winter months, it will change to something a bit more substantial.  But for right now, the sun is shining brightly, and the peach is perfect.