"Can I eat _____ ?"

I never considered myself to be one of those health-nut mommies. I mean, both of my kids had eggs and peanut butter before they turned 1 and I allowed them to dig into a legitimate sugar cake for their first birthday. I do *try* to steer them towards food that are "good for their bodies" even though there are chicken nuggets and pizza that do make it in on occasion.

It's been Claire's begging of late that has gotten me thinking that I have turned into a food nazi. They don't drink juice or chocolate milk and most things have a healthy slant - like whole grain bread, lots of fruit, veggies are required, milk or water only to drink, low sugar cereal, etc. The peer pressure has arrived in full force for Claire at school - "so and so" has pop tarts, "so and so" has fruit loops, "so and so" has chocolate milk/juice box/cookies/gummy snacks, etc etc etc.

I am worried about food nazi tendencies backfiring. I grew up with a friend who's family lead a very healthy whole-grain-only type lifestyle - before it was trendy. Let me tell you - she would put away some red steak and au-gratin potatoes when she would come to dinner at my house. I know that she is still a healthy eater at this point in her life, but I still saw that glimpse of "Yahoo, freedom!" when she came to our house.

Sorry mom, but I can't build from my own experience. My parents did provide healthy and balanced meals, but there were also the yummies that were always around: pizza on Friday nights, donuts on Saturday mornings, the 12 pack of tacos from Taco Bell, Little Debbie swiss cake rolls in the fridge, frozen corn dogs and toaster strudels (you know, those ones with the lovely icing to drizzle over??) in the freezer. Mmmmmm.

Jason told me this week that I needed to lighten up. Would a pop tart really cause lasting damages? Today I was feeling particularly guilty because I was having a bad week at work and Jason was out of town - which meant my kids got to turn on the lights at school in the mornings, and shut them off as they were picked up at night. Add that to the fact that I did not do my normal Sunday grocery shopping, and I had to pick them up and take them to the grocery store tonight at the time when experts say not to go - when we were starving. Claire started in on her requests as we walked the aisles of the store - and me in my guilty frame of mind and Jason's "live a little" mentality in my head ... I gave in. We left with: Easy Mac bowls, Scooby Doo Graham Cracker bones, hamburger helper, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, French Toast Sticks, Pop Tarts (with frosting), and non-low-sugar yogurt.

My kids are happily eating microwave corn dogs and boxed mac and cheese as I type. For my own sake, we did bring home some apples, cantaloupe and bananas - it's all part of a balance.