•    We have mentioned that the trend with many of the Boomers is to live a healthier lifestyle.  That would be eating smarter and some kind of exercise.  Whenever I hear that there is a trend, I always wonder how many people it takes to make a trend.  It seems if a product is being sold such as all natural, organic, GMO free, grass fed, stress free food or supplements or exercise equipment, there must not be too many people needed to make a trend.  In the advertisements or in the movies, everybody around is happy, eating good stuff and out jogging, kayaking, biking or at the very least, sitting in two bathtubs looking at a sunset. However, when I am in a crowd of people at the mall, or ball game, I don't see many of those people.  True, I suppose they are all out jogging, kayaking, biking or taking a bath; hopefully not in the mall.  So I am skeptical about trends.  I am sure we should be eating both better and I suppose, less.  Again, looking around crowds, evidently the former trend of eating a lot, often, and without any health thoughts, along with avoidance of any form of exercise still seems to be in the majority.
•   To be fair, Boomers grew up during a time when our mothers tried to give us the healthiest food they knew.  I don't think the word nutrition was ever used in our house when I was a kid. There was a lot of food that was good for you and you had to eat  your vegetables to get dessert.   And you needed to clean your plate to keep children in Africa, or India, or China from starving.  We all know that logic was beyond us as children but if your parents said it, it must be true.  But let's get back to the food that was considered good for you. Meat and potatoes were two of the basic food groups.  In our family, gravy was normal. Plenty of bread with a generous spread of butter was automatically included. How else did you push your food on your fork?  Use a knife? I don't think so; are we British? True, there was usually a vegetable on the plate. The green ones were the greater price to pay for dessert; corn with butter and salt was easy.  Big glasses of whole milk were standard. Salad was only when there was special company, and not always then. Depending on your ancestry, you maybe had other staples like dumplings or pasta or beans.
•    The desserts were the favorites but even they were considered healthy because they were made with good fresh cream, and butter or lard, and good white flour and the purest sugar.  How could that not be good for you? Healthy or not, the food we grew up with tasted great!  No wonder we have trouble getting on board with the new healthy trend.
• Boomer Babble - "Thoughts at Large" are written by the Boomer Babble Guys, Charles Doug and John with occasional help from friends.  The Boomer Babble radio show is broadcast on WNAX 570 Sunday evenings at 5:00.  Visit us at BoomerBabble.com.