Thursday, May 27, 2010

Mexico Bans Junk Food for Kids in Schools

I am deeply conflicted about this one.
We must not lose our traditional junk food in the process.
Do not ban Mexican Japanese peanuts or I myself will organize a revolt. They are saying that they are going to ban the more fattening form of tortas. I swear, if they touch the torta, I don't know what I'll do. It's Mexico's gift to mankind.
On the one hand, it's a good move because Mexico has a huge problem of childhood obesity and diabetes, which was not the norm when I was growing up, and which is the result of an invasion of American style junk food and the habit of drinking soda pop for breakfast. As is the case everywhere where the poor are now fat instead of famished, junk and soda are the cheapest things in the food chain.
We have always had our own Mexican junk food. I think it should be preserved.
Cazares, Cacahuates Japoneses, Sabritones, (crunchy stuff in a bag with lime and chili).
But we also snack with carrots, jicama, cucumbers, mangoes, with lime and chili. That apparently, is staying. Fresh fruit juices and aguas frescas without lots of sugar instead of pop. Yes.
Schools need to introduce a sports curriculum, besides clamping down on the chazerai kids eat. The article says that some government schools don't even have a schoolyard! Problem is, right outside the schools will be the vendors with all the goodies and my biggest fear is that the prohibition will create more craving for the stuff.
In Mexico we call all this fabulous national junk porquerías, (porky stuff, chazerai, in Yiddish). I went to a cocktail party in a tony neighborhood in DF recently and besides the taco stand hired for the occasion, there was a porquería buffet table with crunchy stuff with lime and chili as far as the eye could see. It was awesome.

1 comment:

  1. And now I'm off to dream about sabritones con salsa valentina y chamoy :)

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