To Ruminate: Champ, chaw, chew, chomp, clamp, crunch, crush, cut, eat, gnaw, masticate, munch, nibble, many words to describe snacking!

Two situations:

One. It is later than you thought ? your boss needed that report done today; you almost didn?t make it to day care to pick up the children; everyone is tired and there is at least a 45-minute commute home. You rush into a convenience store and pick up a few juice boxes, a few bags of chips and a bag of Cheese doodles. You think to yourself, it is only once in a while. Reality, this is happening more and more; the end result, the children have little or no interest in (or taste for) real food upon arrival home.

Two. Close friends, exhausted looking mothers, both are pushing two food carriages around the supermarket, three small children in one, two in the other. In their baskets are frozen pizza, canned soup, baby necessaries, and assorted boxes/bags of chips, doodles, soda, and cookies. The children clamour for more. No real protein in sight ? is this a rash judgement on my part? No, because we all see this more than we would like and we do it ourselves.

It?s big, big business, the selling of snack food. Those little crunchy orange cheesy squares Cheezits (the downfall for almost everyone in our household) are completely addictive. Factory production is a sight to behold, acres and acres of orange-looking carpet (so you think) until a bar comes down and millions of tiny Cheezit squares start bounding down the conveyor belt , on their way to you and I!

It?s probably no coincidence that the publication date of this article is April Fool?s Day. Are we being fooled by the food industry into buying high profit items for them, not nutritional items for us? Thousands of food ads in media and print bombard us every year. Food is portrayed as an experience. Not much attempt is made to appeal to your body-fuelling routine to keep you from falling on your face when you have literally consumed your caloric intake. Triathletes, who really care about good body harmony, call this hitting the wall. They are in the business of best food fuels for high productivity.

Are we unwittingly paying extra for shorter life spans? What does a child know about nutritional content or the cost of food? They just know that they want something that tastes ?good? and they want it right now. Endless articles have been written by dietitians, nutritionists, and medical doctors warning of the effects of poor diet: early diabetes and high blood pressure seen in children as young as seven, poor muscle coordination, higher incidence of tooth decay, decreased learning power, all contributing to the higher future cost of health.

And what about the cost? I do not even pretend to be one of the health professionals listed above, for whom I have the greatest respect. But, I do know that these recreational ruminants (more aptly referred to as junk food) are costing you dearly. How many times have you had a discussion with someone about purchasing an Angus steak at $15 per pound, or fresh Wadsons Farm spinach at $7.99 per pound? Way too expensive, you say. Really? What about that assiduous shopping to purchase the latest outfit or pair of shoes, at a discount? Is the same enthusiasm used to compare food nutrient costs?

In the chart, compare the cost per pound of ?junk food? to one pound of lean hamburger or an ounce of ?real? cheese. Add that cost to the number of times, in a week, a month, or a year, you pick up a few snacks to tide you over. Still think you can?t afford steak?

Food for Fuel. By the time children reach school age, they are very much conditioned by their peers, who are also persuaded by powerful snack food ads. As adults we succumb to temptation, too ? it is too easy. I tried to limit junk food in our household, and my children told me I was a mean mother. Somewhere along the line, we settled for some sort of compromise, such as snacks on weekends only.

Serving good food is not easy. It requires planning, just like a vacation or a shopping trip. You can make good food choices, but I warn you they are not exciting. How do you want to achieve your goals? Simple living, plain food to provide you with fuel to use your intellect to grow your career and a successful family life.

At this point, some readers will put down this article feeling that I am infringing upon your right to choose to ?have a food experience?.

I really don?t want to tell you what to eat. It is far more important (and personally satisfying) to me as a financial specialist to help you allocate your hard-earned dollars to where they will benefit you the most: ? into appreciating assets ( a home, an education, a growing investment account) that will provide you with comfort and security long after the ?snack food experience? is over.

Which would you prefer? Paying for a lifelong positive experience of reaching financial goals, or paying for the momentary experience, for the refuge from boredom/entertainment value/distraction value or whatever? You decide.

Stay tuned next month for the Foodworthy Quotient Score update and interactive help on eating better cost/fuel efficient food.

@EDITRULE:

Martha Harris Myron CPA CFP? specialises in providing Moneywise financial solutions for individuals and their families. Confidential email can be directed to marthamyronnorthrock.bm The article expresses the opinion of the author alone.