Yesterday I read Mandalinn's thread about her family food traditions. I got to thinking about such things, and i didn't want to hijack that thread so i thought I'd post about my thoughts separately.
I was thinking how no one I know welcomes gifts and treats of sweet junk foods. No one. Thin people I know who have never "dieted" don't want them around. Sometimes one of our vendors or the cleaning crew or whatever will bring some candy or cakes or whatever in to work and no one likes seeing it there. The reaction is always, "oh no, how do we get rid of this stuff?"
My freiends, regardless of weight, have the same reaction if they are given that sort of stuff for the Holidays. What are they going to do with that stuff? Kids might like it, but people don't want their kids eating junk food. Nobody seems to want it!! It's not just fruitcake anymore that is unappreciated!
It seems as if we are stuck in a tradition that has become obsolete. People don't get into sweets like they used to. At least that is my observation. It is as though we are computers running a program that no longer is useful to us. It's time to upgrade!!
I wish my co-workers felt that way. Mine are like a swarm of locust on any kind of food brought into the office, even the ones who are supposedly dieting.
Ha! I definitely need an "upgrade"! When I was overweight I didn't hesitate giving out food like that (or recieving it, for that matter). Now I think I'd rather get a full body wax before I get a box of fudge for Christmas.
I do tend to look at the quality of food now. My dad sent me a huge box of grapefruit and oranges last winter from a farm in South Texas and I could not have been happier. I try to think along those lines now.
Around last Christmas I was temping in the office of a construction company, and there was so much junk brought in to that office between Thanksgiving and X-mas! And I had to sit at the front desk with all of it! I would take a handful of nuts, and there was one box of fruit that arrived, but the rest of the junk was thankfully taken care of quickly by the construction workers. They seemed to have no complaints about the stuff.
I think the whole country is just so much more health conscious then they used to be, for the most part anyway. But back in the day, I would have loved getting a great big ole box of chocolates or cakes or whatnot. I didn't give it a second thought. Now it would definitely go in the recycle bin.
I agree. I can't say everyone, but I will say that most of the people that I'm around feel the same way (maybe that's just because I surround myself with people who think that way ^^).
I do send gift baskets to people for the holidays. (Two family members specifically.) But, instead of just sweets, I send serving samples of meats & cheeses.
Now, I don't know if that's any better calorie wise, but I've found that it's a slightly more interesting treat, and can be easily used for a cheese meat & cracker platter if they have guests over. That, and I know personally that I appreciate a more exotic taste (like a flavor of meat or cheese I wouldn't normally think to have) over a piece of chocolate.
I've been giving it more thought lately (due to my weightloss perhaps) and this year I'm considering fruit baskets or dried fruits. They're still sweet, but are perhaps healthier.
In conclusion! (After getting sidetracked ^^) I agree that too many sweets sent during the holidays end up being a burden instead of a "gift" even if the person sending means well.
Yeah if you work with men, they don't seem to mind the sweets and junk as much. It is amazing.
Or 19 year-olds. Nothing would get my crew going in the morning like Dunkin' Donuts. I think I'm going to tattoo "Stay away from the donuts" on my hand when I go back to work in January!
Wow, um, people here must be different or something, because everyone I know loves sweet treats. Of course, regardless of whether they are thin, fat, or somewhere in the middle, they will still rant and rave about how unhealthy they are... while stuffing their faces with a big mouthful of cookies and cake!
Most people I know get pretty excited about that aforementioned cookies and cake... however, I also work with men. A lot of teenagers and early 20somethings (you know, the ones who were actually blessed with "metabolism" - unlike me) still dig the sweet treats and eat as much junk as they can get.
Robin, you are very right that we are much more health conscious as a country... but it's so funny to hear people of all sizes bickering about health when so many people don't *DO* anything about it! We're a FAT yet health conscious nation and I find that to be highly paradoxical. Of course, people also have loads of misconceptions regarding what is truly healthy...
Last edited by NightengaleShane; 11-01-2007 at 10:58 AM.
It's "cool" to look at the junk and sweet, cakes and cookies and say..."Oh...we can't have that here, it's just not healthy"
It doesn't mean deep down that those same people are secretly glad its there and will sneak back later to have a piece...or three on the sly.
I don't mind having a small piece of a treat if it's brought in - especially home made ones! I have my serve and away I go
I also appreciate giving and receiving homemade sweets, treats, cakes etc - I made truffles for everyone this Easter instead of buying half a tonne of chocolate. A handful of delicate delectable truffles goes a lot further than a kilo of cheap chocolate any day in my book!
I'm also planning the christmas cake to take home this year...gonna soak that fruit for a month in brandy. Muhahaha! Well...maybe not a month lol.
Obsolete Traditions
Kids might like it, but people don't want their kids eating junk food. Nobody seems to want it!! It's not just fruitcake anymore that is unappreciated! 
I think I would take the fudge. 
