2017Issue4_Alabama_v3_COVER_Proof

MOMMY BLOGGER

Nu t s Abo u t Nu t r i t i on

LARA BALDWIN BLOGGER

Today’s parents are under pressure to be more nutrition-conscious than ever.

discussions at book club to salivate over the newly released flavors from their favorite brand of seltzer. We are suckers for organic and local . Just slap an organic label on that lollipop and my mom-guilt is slightly lessened. We visit multiple stores. daily growing up, my approach is much more fragmented. I visit the bulk grocery store once a month, buy my fish and produce each week from another, and get all my kids’ favorite snacks at yet another store. A highly scientific survey conducted on my Facebook page confirms that I am not alone – we need very specific products and we are willing to be highly inconvenienced to get them. The modern obsession with nutrition has been both a blessing and a burden for parents. We’re looking for a particular combination of quality and value that meets precise nutritional profiles, and that pressure has been passed on to retailers to meet these diverse demands. ■ 4 5 While my mom is still loyal to the local market we stopped in almost

it was encouraged. Our fridge, and that of my friends and grandparents, were always stocked with a buffet of soda options. My kids? They don’t know what soda is.

If you’re blissfully unaware of the madness of our generation, let me educate you: gluten is bad. Dairy is frowned upon (both are banned from my son’s preschool classroom). Sugar is a no-no. If there’s anything worse than sugar, it’s artificial sweetener. And don’t even say the words high fructose corn syrup, artificial food dyes, or partially hydrogenated. Make no mistake, this has affected our shopping habits in ways I’m certain are uniquely millennial. increased by approximately 50 percent between 1997 and 2011 and is only growing. Many schools are now nut-free. Milk, eggs, wheat, and soy are other hot-button areas of concern as varying levels of intolerance affect policies not just at school but also for sports, camps, and playdate etiquette. I can sleuth out a precautionary allergen label faster than you can say liability lawsuit. 1 We have to be allergen- conscious. According to the CDC, food allergies among children

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Instead, there’s another bubbly beverage that has taken soda’s place: seltzer water. The calorie- free, sugar-free, sodium-free, artificial sweetener-free magic has assumed saintly status, with steadily climbing sales. The same moms who would never dream of letting their kids drink a cola will derail group 3

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We don’t buy soda. I grew up with parents that wholeheartedly believed lemon-lime soda could fix

any ailment, from a headache to a broken heart. Drinking soda wasn’t just allowed;

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ALABAMA GROCER |