Partially hydrogenated what?!

So, Baby B is getting older. This is nothing new. It seems to happen to every baby, and I can do nothing to stop him from crawling or walking or talking or riding a bike. He is going to accomplish all of this someday, breaking his momma's heart as he makes each new milestone.

Let me just tell you I had *tears* in my eyes today when I picked up his monogrammed Easter outfit. It was just so moving (for some reason) to see his initials on that blue-and-white-checkered jumper. I can't really explain it, but it was like symbolic or something.

Anyway, getting to the point, Baby B is eating people food now. Not just mushy, gushy baby food, but the Good Stuff - like bananas, and cheese, and yogurt, etc. I bought these El Cheapo cheese slices from the grocery store - we're talking cheaper than even the generic brand. They're like name brand-less completely, and really orange. No, I mean really orange. Like sickeningly, florescent orange. So, before letting Baby B try some, I thought I would try a slice today melted on some crackers.

Oh, you all. I think they are toxic. You should smell the melted cheese - it's totally chemical. I tried one bite and decided that was enough. I pitched the whole package. But not before examining the ingredients to confirm that what I was smelling was, in fact, chemicals.

I was right. Here are some of the ingredients: sodium aluminum phosphate, sorbic acid (a preservative!) and annatto and b-apo-8'-carotenal (FOR COLOR!). I am sick. Seriously sick at my stomach and inwardly chastising myself for even thinking that I would feed this to my child. I mean, aluminum is used to make CANS you all.

Well, ya know, I guess you get what you pay for. Touche.

So, here's my thing. I'm not much of a label reader. I'm more of a this-tastes-good-I'll-eat-it kind of person. I know, this isn't the healthiest or most nutritious way to select food, but I don't understand all the nutrition info anyway.

HOWEVER - and this is a big, mammoth, obese HOWEVER when it comes to Baby B, I feel very differently. Like, oh no you won't have anything that contains partially hydrogenated ANYTHING in it and don't for a second think that you will snack on anything that contains preservatives. Preservatives just makes me think of formaldehyde and we all know what they use that for, right?

Teaching kindergarten and generally being in education and around kids constantly, I truly wonder about the link between all the crazy additives and preservatives found in the junk that children nosh daily and the problematic behaviors I see in the classroom.

Hellllooooo, ADHD.

So, what's a mom to do? Do I start buying all fresh and organic? Do I start reading labels? What?

Tell me, Internet. WHAT DO I DO????

Now, I have no research to back this up and don't want to start Babbling Abby drama, but what are your thoughts? Do you closely monitor what your kids put into their mouths? Are you food conscious? Should I be more so?

And here is Baby B squishing, er, eating a delicious and fresh banana. How I love to clean him up after he eats one of these. Squish, squoosh, squishity squash!