I’ve had something I wanted to get off my chest for some time now, but I wasn’t sure of exactly the best way to address it…. so I’ve hemmed and hawed, and avoided it altogether. I sensed it would be one of *those topics* that might upset folks. But today I’ve decided to put on my big girl pants and tell you what’s been eating me for awhile.
For lack of a better term, I’m calling it Food Snobbery.
What is Food Snobbery? It’s that condescending, judgmental, and down putting attitude some people have towards others who eat differently than they do. Their way of healthy eating is the ONLY way, and anyone that makes different food choices is somehow wrong, ignorant, or worse, “less than.” Why am I bringing this up? Because on occasion, I see comments left here on the blog and on my Facebook page that reflect this attitude, and it saddens me.
Some examples (these are hypothetical):
- Someone shares a recipe for meatloaf and a person comments that they’d never in a million years feed their family such a meal.
- I post a deal for some sort of cereal and a person comments wow, did you know how terrible that crap is for you?
- Someone leaves a comment stereotyping couponers as people that only eat “boxed stuff” while they only eat whole foods.
Do these people have a right to their opinion? Of course they do. Are they probably healthy eaters? Sure. But they’re often also rude in their approach!
No One Likes a Lecture
It seems that many people out there consider themselves evangelists for the healthy, whole food movement. And while I agree that most of us could improve our diets through more plant-based, whole-food eating, let me now tip you off to a secret: NO ONE LIKES A LECTURE. (Unless of course, they’re in college, and even there, it’s not always the case.)
How effective is it, really, to look at what someone else has put in their shopping cart and go “wow, you feed your family THAT? You really should buy more vegetables.”
I’m not saying there aren’t moments when we can be honest and speak our minds, but do you see the condescending attitude implied in the statement above? Growing up, my dad (who’s been a licensed marriage & family therapist even before I was born!) always told me to avoid using the phrases “You need to” or “You should.” That takes away people’s choice, and does nothing to help the situation. In fact, it can have the opposite effect, making the person feel defensive or withdraw.
So What’s the Alternative?
First off, remember that people are not sub-human if they eat at McDonalds or buy a jar of Skippy’s Peanut Butter or eat meat or eat dairy or eat whole grains or just eat differently than you do! Remember it’s about respect!
“But Angela, I feel it’s my job to ‘bring awareness” about all the bad eating choices out there!”
Well, OK. I get you’re concerned that people are pumping their bodies with non-organic, GMO, antibiotic-laden meat, or what have you. So what could you do about it? (And “DO” being the key word…) How about this – win folks over by sharing how awesome you feel for making good choices! Maybe start a blog about your own journey toward healthy eating where the focus is on your choices and your results. Invite some friends over to dinner and serve only plant-based foods to show them how tasty they can be. Show up to the company barbecue with a healthy side dish or salad made from garden-grown veggies. Offer to buy that struggling single mom of 3 some grass-fed beef because maybe she simply can’t afford to make the same choices as you on her budget. Or….become a certified nutritionist, volunteer at your local food co-op, become a whole foods activist in some way, start growing your own organic produce and donating it to the food pantry. In other words DO something. You’re a million times more likely to win folks over that way and helping your cause than by leaving disparaging comments on random blogs.
Simply put, there are other ways of going about funneling your passion for healthy eating than berating, lecturing, and down putting other people who’ve made different choices.
My Personal Journey
You might recall that several months ago I decided to try to eat a whole-foods, plant-based diet. One that I’ve largely kept, though I’ve never wanted to label myself as “vegetarian” or “vegan” because I want the flexibility to eat animal products on occasion as my cravings and/or social situation allows. As I shared my recipes, journey, and grocery shopping photos with you, I did get some flack. But more people wrote me later about how they decided to give it a try as well. I was truly surprised by this! I don’t recall ever saying “join me” or “this is the way you should eat” (I wanted to be very careful about that one). And yet, just sharing what I was doing, how I was doing it, and how I was feeling somehow translated into folks making similar choices.
Listen, I get that there are lots of concerning things about the SAD (Standard American Diet) these days. On a personal note, I can also understand how easy it is to become judgmental of others when you’re in the process of radically transforming your diet. I truly do understand! It’s easy to become passionate about your particular food philosophy and forget that others might not share your enthusiasm or POV. I believe dialogue can happen and that you can share your story and your thoughts, but in a spirit of mutual respect, compassion, and kindness. While everyone is free to voice their concerns and complaints on this blog and the Facebook page, do remember that comments that read as personal attacks cannot be tolerated here.
I know I’ve taken a big risk in sharing my heart on this topic with you today. It’s not easy to put yourself out there and make statements like I have today, and I know I’ve undoubtedly ruffled feathers (yet again). But I also know I have to be true to myself and get this off my chest as it’s been something that’s been on my mind for months now.
Thanks for reading, and I welcome your comments.
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{ 62 comments… read them below or add one }
Yay, well said! How can anyone argue with that?
Oh you’d be surprised…
Thank you
This is why I am loyal to your blog over the others. You address these issues and stand up for it 
Lets just say I’ve heard things in the last 6-12 months that appalled me.. when a ‘clean eater’ makes a snide remark about your eating and then later posts something on fb about eating at McDonalds it just.. well.. thank you
We all eat things we know we shouldn’t – even if its just a whole wheat natural organic cookie on a day we are trying to not have sweets.. we all do it
Good ideas and I had never thought about “You need to” or “You should.” statements – but it is now something I will be well aware of and take into consideration
THANK YOU!
Thanks for chiming in, Annie! I feel that I overall make pretty good food choices, but I never want to set myself up as someone that eats “perfect” – because it’s just not true.
Kuddo’s to you for speaking up. As I understand the importance of a balanced diet today, I also see DAILY the struggle in the local food banks etc to feed children that are otherwise not getting enough substance. If I have to coupon my way to 1 million boxes of cereal to feed a child that would otherwise have none, then so be it. Would I LOVE to feed this child wholesome cooked meals, absolutely! The reality of the situation is that we must start somewhere else than beat up bloggers comments, there has to be a standard for what pricing is to eat in that manner and education of people on a lower income to include these things. So again to you I say thank you for that post!
Jennifer, you bring up a good point and something that I’ve been mulling over for well over a year – how to get GOOD food to the folks that need it most! It often seems that eating clean/healthy/organic/what have you is more of a privilege. I’m still thinking/mulling over what I can personally do to help those in need! If you or anyone here reading ever has any ideas, please email me at angela @thecouponproject dot com.
First of all let me just say, very well said! Kudos to you for stepping up and speaking out. Second, this same issues weighs on my mind as well. It’s small, I know, but I try to donate clean/healthy foods to the local food bank. I figure by doing that it will get to the families who really need it the most. c:
Kristen, that’s just awesome and I know someone at the receiving end of that must be oh so appreciative. Thank you!
Wonderful post! Thanks for sharing. I can defiantly relate to the “You need to…” “You should…” not necessarily about judging how people eat per say but on other things in life. Awareness is the first step right? Ahh…to be a work in progress…lol. Hope you have a lovely day now that you’ve gotten this off your chest, so to speak.
I do feel a bit better, actually! Though judging from the volume of comments here and on FB, I could have a bit of a busy day!
Thanks for this! I was one of those that decided to join you on your whole foods journey and am still eating that way, and I have joined numerous online groups for support, recipes and ideas since then. Some people can be so rude and elitist about the food they eat and ideas on what others should eat. I have actually dropped out of a few becausee of mean comments towards others when they fall off the whole foods bandwagon. People should be supporting one another, not judging them and berating them if they eat differently. I just skip past the posts about foods/coupons I’m not interested in, why can’t others?!
It’s interesting you mention this, Bree. The other night I was doing some research on raw foods (I’m thinking of dabbling in this soon!), and came across what looked to be an excellent raw food blog. The problem? The guy had to shut it down because he felt the community had morphed from supportive/encouraging to a bunch of debate/elitist attitude about which method of raw was best. Sad!
It is sad. We should be supportive of the people that want to learn more about eating healthy, and not judging those who have no interest. The groups that I have left were far from tolerant, and it’s so discouraging. If I was just starting out trying to eat healthier and gain a better knowledge of nutrition I would have probably been scared off, and I have no doubt that this has happened to others.
Right, and I know exactly what you’re getting at here! I’ve worked so hard to make healthy eating approachable and doable here on the blog – I’d rather make it fun or “adventurous” (hence my Adventures in Produce, Adventures in Bulk, Adventures in Homesteading, etc) vs something that is intimidating, overwhelming or discouraging. I think so much can be gained by extending to others a supportive, welcoming, and inclusive attitude!
I’ve had someone open my refrigerator, hop into her car and immediately go buy different groceries for herself because she didn’t like what I had or felt it wasn’t along the lines of her standards for eating. At first I was offended but it didn’t take long to get over it. There is no right or wrong in this scenario because we are all this way over SOMETHING. I’m certain if I saw how she organizes her files at home my body would go into convulsions while reaching for my label maker and color coded files. The person in question is very blunt and even when not referring to my unacceptable processed food choices, it’s easy to take offense to things she says. However, again, no right and wrong because what I interpret as offensive, she interprets as “telling it like it is”. Just different personalities but it takes all kinds and all sorts and I know I wouldn’t love her as much as I do if she were any different than she is. I would never spend the amounts of money she does on organic food and milk straight from the cow for my family because we spend larger amounts elsewhere in our budget (My Starbucks budget is pretty huge. Don’t judge! hehe) but I do have to admit that her super expensive salsa was pretty fantastic when eaten with her local corn chips. I always welcome friendly suggestions and advice from other folks always but hope they aren’t offended if I, sometimes, make a different choice. I love this post of yours, Angela!
As usual…another insightful, thought-provoking comment from Lindsey! I think you are absolutely right when you say everyone has something like this they feel strongly about! Whether it’s attachment parenting, natural birthing, homeschooling, home organization, work ethics, what have you.
I loved how you made a clear decision here in this scenario to NOT take offense at your friend. That speaks volumes about your character, IMHO, and is something more of us could learn from. I’m responsible for my actions – and I’m also responsible for how I respond to others’ actions.
Thanks, Lindsey!
Well said as usual Angela! Because of health reasons my family has to eat a partial vegetarian diet and it’s hard! I love that my kids like tofu but they have not always liked my “experiments” to use it in traditional meals – take the asian tofu “meat”balls for example – big FAIL!
I have experienced a bit of food snobbery though when I mention we had tofu enchiladas or tofu tacos by my meat-eating friends. But I just encourage those people to try a sample of the dish and they usually can’t even tell it’s not meat.
I also get it on the flip side when I mention my kids had fried spam and rice. It’s not an everyday thing but it sure hits the spot sometimes!
We need to all accept that we all eat different foods, it won’t kill you to try something new and that acting superior because of what you eat will just get you a table for one.
I find it humorous that this sort of thing can happen whether you eat “healthier” foods or “not-so-healthy” ones! And how subjective that word “healthy” is in the end. Thanks for chiming in, Mona!
I love your last paragraph.
Agree! I wish this philosophy of not judging others for their choices could be adopted into all areas of life: being a mom, politics, breastfeeding, diapering, etc.
My husband and I are “vegan/vegetarian” but only at home mostly for health reasons, but there are other as well. We’ve decided to be that way mostly so that our friends and family do not feel that they have to “plan” a different meal for us than they’d make for ourselves and so they don’t feel that we look down on them for eating something different. So far it works pretty well. We also have learned that meat is a treat so we get to savor it occasionally instead of all the time
Thanks for the post!
THIS – Agree! I wish this philosophy of not judging others for their choices could be adopted into all areas of life: being a mom, politics, breastfeeding, diapering, etc.” AMEN. AMEN! Jumping up and down AMEN!!
I also want to point out that I pretty much made the same choice as you regarding my diet. I want to be able to enjoy a friends’ home cooked meal even if it contains some meat and dairy – or at some point, maybe I’ll go on a mission team with my church in which case I’d want to be gracious and eat whatever was served me in that home country. Being flexible will help me make good food choices long term.
I agree! Lets be positive!
One of the (many) reasons I love your blog is that you do make so many healthy choices and I loved your segment on the whole-foods plant-based diet. My personal opinion is that more people in this country would greatly benefit by shifting their diets in this direction and getting the info out there is where it needs to start. I’m relatively new to couponing and honestly this is something I struggle with in regards to reading many of the other coupon blogs out there. Over the last 5 years I’ve tried really hard to stay away from pre-packaged processed foods so I really have to sift through all the match-ups as many of them don’t apply to how we shop for food.
Food snobbery goes both way though. I have many friends that don’t eat the way we do and I do not criticize them or tell them they should eat differently. But, I have had them give ME flack for the way I eat. Whether that’s making fun of me for baking brownies from scratch instead of a box, making my own hummus or choosing to buy organic, local milk. Whenever we get together I do bring homemade foods and try to share my excitement for the way I eat with them and many of them appreciate and understand it. We’re all just trying to do what we feel is best for our families!
Please keep up the great work on your blog!
Yes, and this is what I hinted at in my post, but probably didn’t state strongly enough since you and others have raised the point (and rightly so) – but the judging/attitudes can most certainly go 100%, adn I’ve witnessed this personally.
When I started blogging about veganism I def. got some flack from it – people wrote in that it wasn’t healthy or how their diet was sooo much better. How I see it – I can’t control people’s responses, ever. But I can control how I choose to word my posts and set the tone on my blog! If people disagree with me or question my choices, that’s alright, and I’ll never delete such comments. But there is a difference between raising a concern/question or just making a judgment. In the former, dialogue and discussion can occur, in the latter, you’ve just got a stalemate.
I whole heartedly agree with you! I’ve come across many moms in my area that have that same attitude of judgement and it drives me crazy! Thanks for this great post!
Amen! What a nice way of saying it. I know that sitting in my daughter’s cafeteria, I am appalled at the food the kids are bringing to school and I find myself being judgmental when I see another mom feed their kids something I wouldn’t. But I also know that I feed my kids more junk than I should and I have no right to cast stones. I’m sure many other moms are like me and struggle with this issue, but we should remember that often, we feed our kids what our parents fed us. And that’s not always the best food.
Well said! I too am getting really fed up with the utter lack of courtesy that I’m seeing more and more on the internet. One of the things that I enjoy most about your blog is how you simply put the information out there, talk about how it works for you and then move on. You never preach, you inform and inspire. This is why I am such an rabid fan of the “the lovely young woman with the cute kids” (how I describe you to my husband)
I appreciate that you will not tolerate the “snobbery” here. I’m beginning to the think that most of the time when people get snippy like they are actually trying to convince THEMSELVES that they made the right choice. LOL
Keep up the good work!
I appreciate that you encourage civil discourse. Even being able to be polite when talking about our differences in food preference can lead to better talks about deeper, harder issues like politics.
Thank you for reminding us to take respectfully to one another.
Yes, yes and yes! And in case it’s not clear, I welcome differing opinions, POVs, and even debate here! I personally have been challenged many times by readers sharing their opposing viewpoints that have been shared in a respectful, thoughtful way. It absolutely can be done.
Awesome post, thank you, and I love the idea of leaving a bag of “healthier” foods on that single mom’s doorstep (or any struggling family for that matter).
how right you are! i love what you were saying about “should” and “have to”. we – humans, in general – are so easily swayed and become evangelists for whatever cause it is that we have subscribed to (too many to list). suddenly, everyone SHOULD [fill in the blank]. i had a conversation to that effect just last week, i told my friend, “you cannot make another person do anything.” it’s so freeing not to carry the weight of everyone else’s decisions! and snap judgements, without knowing the whole situation, can be so detrimental to relationships. you could apply the principles you listed to so many aspects of life. (i might even spin-off for my own blog
)
personally, if i see someone i know making – what i deem to be – poor decisions for themselves and their families, i like to pray for an opportunity to speak into their lives. in some cases, i have been praying that for years and have never had a platform to speak.
preach on, sista!
There are definitely times to speak! I know by just sharing my journey of diet and exercise has opened many, many doors! I’ll just be writing about what I’m doing and suddenly someone shoots me an email asking me my thoughts on training for a 5k, doing dairy-free, or Forks over Knives? I find that you win more with kindness, and a positive attitude about your own choices than preaching at others for theirs.
It is amazing to me how critical women can be of each other. As you said, “food snobbery” is just another one of those ways to be critical. Perhaps it is the desire to be the perfect mother, wife, friend, lover, daughter, care-giver, couponer, charity-giver, church-goer, and career woman all at the same time. The sheer volume of things to think about, remember, and deliver is a constant stress for women. I think the criticism of other women is one way many relieve that stress by giving themselves permission to shine light on another woman’s “mistakes” rather than their own self-perceived mistakes.
I always have had perfectionist tendencies that were quite strong when I was trying to prove to myself that I was a great mother. Four kids with entirely different personalities, taste preferences, and attitudes shredded that perfectionism right out of me over the years. I have learned to give myself a break and that, in turn, allows me to give other women a break as well. The only truly perfect thing in life is that we are allowed to live and learn through all our own mistakes and faults. While there are some very obvious things that are not OK by any healthy person’s standards and should be judged harshly (such as abuse), we should all allow ourselves a bit of a break and those we see every day.
I know that the woman I may be judging today for her cart full of diet soda is probably looking at me and judging me right back for my cart of full-fat butter. If I give myself a break and her one too, perhaps she will have the strength to do the same.
Great post and wonderful blog!
Stephanie, I loved your comment and love how you took the post and broadened it. This particular part of your comment struck a chord:
“I think the criticism of other women is one way many relieve that stress by giving themselves permission to shine light on another woman’s “mistakes” rather than their own self-perceived mistakes.”
If truth be told, this is something we can all struggle with from time to time – I know I do! And it’s important to be honest and recognize that it’s there, to feel confident with who I am and the choices I’m making, and support and encourage others around me too, and not tear them down. And if deep down I have choices I’m not proud of, then the onus is on ME to make a change. Thank you for adding to the convo!
Angela:
You are right on target. thank you for 1 reminding us all how easy it is toslip into food snob mode.
2. Thank you even more to show us all how to stop being a food snob.
So simple and so elegant.
I totally agree with you. There are some in my husband’s side of the family that I just don’t know if I can have them over for dinner because we don’t always buy organic meat (can only afford that when it goes on a super sale!) or put sugar in things, etc. I’ve eaten some very unusual items (in my opinion) at their homes, but I would be concerned they just wouldn’t eat what I have because it isn’t according to their standards.
Oh this just makes me sad!
That an issue as simple as food – which can be a powerful tool to bring families together – would actually be the cause of keeping them apart! Hugs to you – and I hope at some point you can address this issue within your family!
I wouldn’t pay attention to nay-sayers. I mean it’s one thing to be a food purist complaining you never get produce coupons; and quite another to be the wet towel on everyone elses enjoyable times. I remember some wet blannketting about Crustables. But there is nothing wrong with feeding your child sugars and other stuff now and then. The kid made it thru the birth process and is healthy. What did we eat when we were growing up?? Maybe worse. Anyways, I can identify with people complaining about spending $.75/1 Crustable sandwich whilst they can make their own far cheaper. I just don’t think it pays to be sensitive (unless pregnant). Or save it for inner self. This is a great topic and reflection, deep Angela. Thanks for sharing! Sorry if people do this, and hopefully wasn’t me. My only complaint is when couponers brag about coupons that aren’t available and all the deals they can get while you can’t. I think if you can’t tell people how to get something themselves (ie. a special card) then it shouldn’t be advertized, but only the other hand that being my opinion, I should just choose not to read it if it fires me up. And keep that Golden Rule. Really, what’s the use of using up energy on negativity. You’re doing terrific and way to go on getting this off your chest. You’ll find most women don’t care what these type of naysayyers are wah-wah-wahing like Charlie Brown’s teacher, in one ear and out the other. From a TheCouponProject Fan.
When I see comments like “I would never feed my family that crap” on Facebook or blogs I wonder why they even follow since they had to read the post in order to make the comment.
I have a couple friends who are food snobs and it makes me feel bad whenever they come to a party at my house and read the ingredients to see what they can complain about or make comments about how they made everything from scratch to avoid “evil processed-ness” to try and get attention. I’m a very passive aggressive person so the more somebody tells me I HAVE to do something one way the more I want to go the opposite direction (even if I’m interested in doing it their way)
Your posts about switching to a plant-based diets have always seemed like a factual post about your experiment and not at all a this is how you must all live. I’ve enjoyed seeing some of the recipes that you modified. Thanks for all of your posts and time you put into this blog!
I spent a week cooking at a camp with a woman who had a negative comment about EVERYTHING we served. The camp incorporates fresh fruit and veggies as the budget allows, but cost and convenience is also a factor when a crew of 4 or 5 volunteers are serving 160 people. As a result, we do serve processed food, make brownies/cookies from a box mix, and served what this woman called ‘sugar water’ (a.k.a powdered fruit punch drink) to the kids at lunch. By Thursday I was getting mentally and physically depressed working side by side with her for 8-10 hours a day. Why was I so depressed? I realized I had been taking her comments personally because the food that we were serving was very similar to what I serve in my own home. The guilt that maybe I should be feeding ‘more healthy’ food choices to my family started to mount. I still had three days left to work with this woman, so how did I respond? I decided to thank God moment by moment for giving me 6 healthy children, the means to feed them so they never know hunger, and the courage to keep my head held high in the process.
Thanks Angela, for the chance to reflect on this again today and continue to give thanks for all that God has given me.
Wow – this reminds me a bit of Lindsey’s comment above (scroll up and read it if you’ve not done so already!). We can’t ever control people’s actions, but we can control how WE respond. I love how you took what could’ve been a very frustrating situation and turned it into a positive. Kudos!
I would love to eat all organic, fresh and GMO free but as a single income family it is just not realistic. We have a 2 year old daughter with mild cerebral palsy, a 2 year old foster daughter and another bababy due in Feb. Sure we could quit fostering, dump my daughter in daycare where she would fall further behind and I could go back to work and afford to eat better. Instead I can, dehydrate, freeze and coupon us as healthy as I can. I do cook some meals from scratch as time allows but my priority is spending time with the kiddos.
I have a sister in law who is also a stay at home and they have the luxury of eating differently and she judges me harshly because occasionally after dealing with DHS and physical therapists dinner is mac n cheese. She cooks everything from scratch, and good for her. However she is cooking ALL DAY leaving her 2 and 4 year old boys to entertain themselves and they are wild and starved for attention. Everything in life is a trade off, I balance what I can with budget and time constraints and have 2 healthy, happy, well behaved children. Ti
Good for you!! There will always be someone with something
negative to say, your doing a great job
This post reminds me that I should watch my comments to my kids while in the grocery store about how unhealthy something may be. When I tell my kids no, I always try to explain why, but I tend to shorten that explanation while in the store to “cause it’s junk.” I need to be more aware that someone may hear me and consider that food snobbery.
A good example I experienced when my son was at a friends house and his stomach wasn’t happy and I asked her if she had any probiotics. She had no idea what I was talking about, so I just explained it to her. Education is key for learning about foods and diets and it constantly evolves. My main goal for my kids is to keep things in moderation. Have a Twinkie or McDonald’s if you must, but don’t have it 4x in a week. There are lots of foods we avoid, but in certain situations, I can relax knowing that our diet is clean enough on a regular basis and it won’t kill my kids to have a particular item.
Food snobbery is getting more and more common unfortunately!
This is how good dialogue can happen!
“A good example I experienced when my son was at a friends house and his stomach wasn’t happy and I asked her if she had any probiotics. She had no idea what I was talking about, so I just explained it to her.”
I love this. It’s so possible to have these kind of discussions without judgment – just easy points of “here’s what I’m doing – want to join me?” type conversations.
PS we have some chewable probiotics in the fridge right now! My son adores them.
Thank you so much for your thoughts and all your hard work. I think sometimes people forget all the work you do put in just for us readers. This is time you are taking away from your family and at some point just like everything else in life if people continue to post negative comments you may decide to stop posting deals and ideas all together. We need to support people more and learn to think outside the box, which is what you offer. I truly appreciate all you do for me and the time you take as it has helped my family grow while saving money.
Thanks Ashley! By and large, I’d say most comments I get here are positive, uplifting, thoughtful and encouraging!
Fortunately I don’t feel the community here has morphed into a negative one, but I’ve seen comments here and there that have saddened me and wanted to share my heart before things get more intense. It would take a lot more than a few comments though to keep me from sharing my own opinions, deals, and posts here! Thank you!
I am a super food snob, but only when it benefits me. I ate two Carls Jr. Famous Stars today for lunch, so I won’t say anything today. But I might just eat really healthy tomorrow–so watch out!
FYI: My current preggo craving is Famous Stars. I wouldn’t normally eat so much.
Bwhahaha! I loved this. And I’m right there with you!! Yesterday I had a super healthy green smoothie and homemade black bean chili….and then later last night I *might* have had some tater tots and a handful of Starburst…. *might*
Bravo Angela!! I grew up as hippie kid and I all I knew was food snobbery – which in turn caused me to have food issues in high school and college. Now as a mother of four I have found a balance and will coupon for the “crap cereal” along with some steel cut oats. I have noticed that many of the popular bloggers have turned to a Paleo diet which is wonderful, but at the same time are making money when we click on the coupon links for processed foods. As if it is OK for the followers to eat the “crap” but they won’t let it touch their lips. I am real woman with a real budget trying to make it all work. Bring on the Nancy’s yougurt, Bountiful Baskets fruit and veggies, as well as the the free Ken’s dressing and cheap pasta.
Well, I WILL admit to being A TOTAL…Liquor snob lol
HA!! Well that may be a whole ‘nother ball of wax!
Angela, can I just say how much I appreciate this?! I do promote healthy eating, but really try to balance my food attitude as to not push people away or make them feel bad and I will eat what someone serves me graciously and be polite about it because they put in the effort. It all comes down to manners.
I would never want to make a guest in my home uncomfortable and have seen foodies that got so extreme that even my healthy food seemed unworthy because it wasn’t organic or purchased at a high end store. It is an awful feeling and only isolates the one passing the judgement.
Thanks for saying something. My hat goes off to you
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THANK YOU!!! Preach sister! It is really hard sometimes to be caught in the crossfire of people’s judgements. I live in a town where I constantly feel like if you aren’t a militant vegan/raw food/eat organic ALL THE TIME/make your baby’s snacks and food from organic scratch, well you must be stupid. It’s tough and I feel you completely. We all do the best we can with what we have. And it is refreshing to know I am not alone in feeling the wrath of the food snobbery. My hubby and I were on a hike and we each had a baby on our backs. A very kind woman chatted with us and stated “Don’t stress about the small stuff. Seriously. Don’t worry too much about their not having sugar or Halloween candy or high fructose corn syrup or whatever-just let them be kids. Just enjoy activity and love the food you eat.” And she was an older Naturopathic Physician! She said the biggest regret she had was being so overly obsessed with strict dietary rules that her children took on that stress when they were at birthday parties and holidays and couldn’t relax and just enjoy life. What a great message to remind us to keep an open mind and respect those that are different from us. I look forward to more posts!
I agree with that physician wholeheartedly and I’ve seen how some can grow so obsessed over this topic it can suck the joy out of life! Kind of ironic, eh? You know that mantra “eat to live, not live to eat?” I think it’s appropriate.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
You write great stuff all the time, but this one for me is by far your best in my opinion! Good job my friend and well said! Can’t agree more with you
Also sounds like you had a great father which makes me even more happy
xoxo
Ah Amber thank you – so flattered! And yes, my dad is pretty much the best! We grew up learning about stuff like how to own your part, how to identify if the problem is yours/mine/ours, and how to set appropriate boundaries in relationships. Good life stuff.
Holy smoky weenies! Look at all the comments here. I never thought of myself as a Food Snob, until one day when my new husband (not new now) brought home a can of Spam. Then another time he brought home a can of sardines. Um, we agree to disagree on certain things. Yeah, that’s the Reader’s Digest version. My point is that we all have prejudices about food. The great thing about living in such a diverse country is our diverse cuisine. Whether you like sardines on buttered bread or caviar on toast points, we should all remember that America is The Great Melting Pot.
Now I want chocolate fondue.
“Holy smoky weenies! ” I’m SO going to remember that!!
And thanks a lot – I want fondue now too!
thanks for this post. it’s always amazing to me when people feel the need to comment on what someone else is eating. how does my not liking eggplant affect a friend i have dinner with at a restaurant? everyone makes their own choices when it comes to food. this makes me think of elementary school and students being reminded to focus on their own work and not worry about what someone else’s work. i’ve also been eating an almost 100% plant-based diet lately and, despite making no effort to “convert” anyone or even talk much about it, i’ve noticed some negative reactions (“i just saw you eat yogurt! i thought you were supposed to be vegan?”). something i see a lot of on coupon sites is the back-and-forth about processed food vs whole foods. yes, of course, whole foods are healthy, but the judgmental comments are ridiculous. eating boxed cereal doesn’t necessarily make someone an unhealthy eater and never eating boxed cereal doesn’t necessarily make someone a healthy eater.
Excellent post – love this!!
Hi Angela! Couldn’t agree more with the topic. Food snobbery has taken a turn for the worse I feel in some cases. Beyond personal judgement from others, I’m a bit over the whole “10 foods to never eat again” kind of articles that I see proliferating the internet on web magazines, blogs and such. I definitely loved the article – Thanks for sharing. I actually wrote on a similar topic: http://mamasnaturalstore.com/2013/02/10/food-snobs-whole-foods-criticshealthy-food-part-ii/ – LMK what you think! Thanks again for the post! xoxo