Balance of Food

Temptation of the Week: giving soft drinks to small children

All we have is anecdotal, and only two recent anecdotal examples, but I'm tired of seeing parents give soft drinks to really young children.

A few months back, on the elevated train, I saw a 3-year-old drinking a soft drink from a can with a straw. That was sad. He was drinking the whole thing, not even sharing with his mother.

Earlier this month, walking on a downtown street, I saw a woman feeding a kid a sip from a soft drink can, and that baby couldn't have been a year old.

This isn't about high-fructose corn syrup versus sugar. This isn't about knowing the exact time to start kids on soft drinks. This is about common sense.

In walking down the street, me and this other guy turned our heads in the direction, a little amazed at what we saw. He questioned whether the authorities should be told. He didn't look like a narc; he was just as horrified as I was, and couldn't believe what he saw.

You would think for selfish reasons that you would avoid giving a tiny baby sugar/HFCS and caffeine at all costs. Wired babies happen naturally, even without help from a can.

Full disclosure: Was once a child, but am not a parent. Parents can afford in the grand scheme to wait until later rather than earlier to jump start their children into this world. Literally, kids aren't in a hurry themselves. They will eventually figure it out, and then stopping them will be the hard part.

Kids will eat a lot of things that aren't good for them, and that is part of the process of childhood; Babies need a lot of good and very little if anything "bad."

Adults have the power to make good and bad decisions for themselves. Children need to learn the joys of making good and bad decisions. Babies rely on others to make it through each day. if the next generation is going to be better off, we need to give them a healthy start.

Happy Meal gets happier with smaller French fries bags and more apples

The Happy Meal makes a child happy when the meal is presented and the toy is first on display. The Happy Meal might even make the parent happy to see a smile on the child's face. But the Happy Meal isn't happy in what the child is eating, and for parents who worry about long-term effects and the obsession of toy marketing with food. And if the child gets cranky afterward from eating fast food, nobody in the family is happy.

McDonald's is trying to make the Happy Meal a little more happy for the parents of the child with the toy. Responding to considerable pressure, McDonald's is reducing the size of fries in the Happy(ier?) Meal from 2.4 ounces to 1.1 ounces and adding fruit in the form of apple slices. The bonus news is that the apple slices will go solo without the gaudy caramel dipping sauce.

The reports mentioned that McD's would add a fruit or a vegetable. Apples are high in sugar, though it's natural fructose sugar. In the fast food world, apples, carrots, and grapes — all naturally high in sugar — traditionally make up the most acceptable snacking fruits and vegetables. The restaurant chain will offer carrots, pineapple slices, raisins, or mandarin oranges in some locations at certain times of the year. But hey, it's not French fries.

The apple portion is also reduced from the previous incarnation at 1.2 ounces, down from 3.1 ounces. While this is less fruit, the overall calories from the meal is reportedly down 20%. If children are only eating Happy Meals, we would have bigger issues than fruit serving sizes.

Parents are going to need to be more pro-active, something they already should be doing, in the ordering process. Want to have more apple slices in lieu of fries? Have to ask. Want to skip the apple completely? Have to ask? And if you want soft drinks with the Happy Meal? Have to ask. Milk is served as the standard drink.

Happy Meals are made for children, though silly and/or drunk young people love the idea of getting the small meal and the toy. But we hope that McDonald's will consider selling the smaller fries size to adults, though going on the theme, you definitely will have to ask.

Portion sizes have creeped up in fast food places, and the idea of a snack-size 1.1 oz. of French fries would be really good news for those without children.

The Happy Meal is never going to be a portabello burger with organic condiments, baked sweet potato fries, a broccoli stem, and an Al Gore climate change action figure. The Happy Meal and similar upbeat servings will center around fast food and a toy. For now, the Happy Meal will be a bit happier for the ones who have to pay for it, the parents.

Meatless Monday fancy dinner: enough to go meatless more often?

This is Tuesday, so you can't change your answer, but did you have a Meatless Monday?

Last Monday, I had 2-3 oz. of crab for lunch, no meat for breakfast, and absolutely no meat at dinner. How do I know? I went to a Meatless Monday dinner.

This was one of those dinners that foodies love to talk about; great chefs doing marvelous work with food. Fresh, vibrant colors, smells, and tastes dancing on the table. How could you not have a meatless Monday dinner if they were all like that?

We had mashed potatoes, maple sugar sweet potatoes, pickled vegetables, green and white asparagus, and roasted cauliflower. Dessert was Southern trifle (no, I didn't know what that was). And the entree was fried "chicken."

As regular readers know, I have been sampling fake meats and growing more frustrated as time went on. I certainly like the idea of a meatless day, maybe even two, but give me more vegetables.

I had reservations about this latest fake meat, so much that I did think about Chick fil-A if the dinner went really bad. And when I saw all the great vegetables, I thought, "well, I could fill up on this."

Breaded, fried "chicken" pieces. We were offered hot sauce with this, but thought trying it without any condiment would be the true test.

In most of my tests, I had the luxury of being alone or not having anyone watching me. I was at a long table with place cards; this better be good enough.

I chewed it, ate it. It was good. Not great, but way better than seitan. After all, I was able to properly chew this. For those who go, "it tastes like chicken," this didn't taste like chicken. With the fried coating, and a wonderful coating it was, almost anything could have worked. Well, maybe not tofu or seitan.

Barbecued tofu was in one of the appetizers, and I ate that just fine. But a small amount of fake meat followed by lots of other ingredients; even I could eat that.

I did try some hot sauce with the second piece of "chicken." That's right, two pieces. That tasted closer to fried chicken in hot sauce.

So what was this "magical" fake meat? Well, before we go into that, a few points. Full disclosure: I did not have to pay for the meal, and the meal was designed in part to promote said product. And to even approach the idea of writing favorably about the product, I would need to try it under more typical circumstances, like in my kitchen without fancy breading. Okay, that being said, Gardein was the product.

I am clearly in the minority of needing something that acts like meat to be a substitute for meat. I do like things between two slices of bread, but that could easily be mushrooms or spinach or roasted red peppers. But I do like beef and meat and enjoy eating it, though well-grown is the best way to go, and I do like eating that between two slices of bread. So even in giving this product another shot at a later time, still not feeling the strong passion for substitution.

The other purpose for the dinner was a dialogue about improving the overall food supply. The credentials of the attendees was amazing, each with their own take on where we are and where we should go. Some are fighting for local awareness and food justice. Others are fighting for political support, ranging from reducing antibiotics in farm animals to improving the Farm Bill, up in 2012.

The primary person who mentioned the Farm Bill is former U.S. Senator Carol Moseley Braun (D-IL). I noted to her afterward that the Farm Bill might not get much help since the GOP would be in charge. Braun replied that they have children, too.

We didn't expect to have solutions; the dialogue is ongoing. Smart, caring people want to find answers — myself included, even if I have more questions than answers.

And some of those questions are still linked to the theme behind meatless days. Are we better off reducing our meat intake or eliminating it completely? And if meat intake is reduced, will that make it easier to raise better-grown meat for those who choose that option? Am I better off eating more vegetables or things that look like meat or both?

Food dominates MLB Extra Innings peek into Toronto Blue Jays telecasts

One task for CanadianCrossing.com is to monitor Canadian commercials during free previews of sports leagues on cable: MLB Extra Innings and NHL Center Ice. Our job at BalanceofFood.com is to find amusing and intriguing food marketing trends from the Great White North.

McDonald's brought back the McRib in Canada, and the commercial is a lot more pleasing to watch than the sandwich itself and the U.S. ads to promote the sandwich.

Subway uses a monkey in its ads up north, and that isn't the only difference. Both sides of the border have sandwiches with egg white omelets as part of the breakfast mix. One line in the ad shows off the difference: "Add lots of vegetables to build a better breakfast." Aaaah. Adding vegetables to a carbohydrate and protein dominant sandwich; you wouldn't hear that in a U.S. ad unless you count the side of hash browns, and we don't.

Kellogg's sells a "meal replacement" breakfast cereal called Vector that is aimed at athletes. You get 13 g of protein per serving plus 22 vitamins and minerals. Its ad was plastered with athletes doing their thing.

The slogan is "You Get Out What You Put In." So let's see what they put in:

A serving, as defined by Kellogg's, is 55 grams, about 2 ounces. This is twice as much as the typical identified serving on U.S. cereal boxes. So while 13 grams of protein sounds awesome, 6½ grams is the better comparison for U.S. cereal serving sizes.

Soy is the major source of protein in the cereal: soy protein (4th on ingredient list) and soy protein concentrate (6th).

In the tradition of U.S. cereals, Vector has sugar/glucose-fructose (3rd). Glucose-fructose is the same as high-fructose corn syrup, and Kellogg's cereals in the U.S. are smothered in HFCS. Honey (9th) and barley malt syrup (11th) are other sweeteners.

Vegetable oil (7th) is a rather unusual ingredient in a breakfast cereal as is salt (8th) and colour (14th).

The vitamin theme also applies to Stride Spark gum that has vitamins B6 and B12. In a substance that isn't meant to be swallowed, and chewed for a limited time, how much of vitamins could you absorb?

Taco Bell has a new campaign in Canada called "Burger Backlash," as if Big Brother corporate executives want a burger-dominated world, ignoring all the other fast food that isn't burgers or really cheap Mexican food.

A&W showed off its Spicy Mama burger with jalapeno cheese and chipotle sauce. While the brand in the U.S. has struggled, A&W is alive and well in Canada.

Delissio has come out with a square pizza that is thinner. And the Burger King stacker has hit Canada.

The last day brought out a plethora of food ads:

Tim Hortons didn't make an appearance until the last game in the series, and only then we heard about the fruit smoothies. Food dominated the final day with Second Cup chillers, Swiss Chalet ribs, Boston Pizza (got its name back after the Stanley Cup finals), and Marc Angelo sausage. The piece de resistance was the Arby's Steakhouse Sandwich, "freshly sliced Canadian seasoned beef, melted Swiss, crispy onions, peppercorn sauce on a toasted ciabatta bun."

Very tempting foods and commercials. This is the last peak until the beginning of hockey season in October. Maybe we'll get some local Winnipeg favorites as the Jets return to the NHL ice this fall.

Temptation of the Week: Dressing up or down for salads

Summer is a time when dressing, while required, is certainly less modest. Should your salads go the same route?

Salads and dressing go rather well together because vegetables have fat-soluble vitamins. Cycles of obsession with low-fat have produced dressing decisions that weren't helpful or healthful.

You need fat, but not too much. Good fat is better than bad fat, but not to be used as an excuse to use more than you need.

Salads need dressing, but they can go with a light summer dress year-round instead of adding an extra sweater.

At home, I've been good lately. I use the old Good Seasons bottles to make homemade Italian dressing, using spices on the shelf and less extra virgin olive oil than the line requires. But the Friday salad at lunchime comes with its own temptation: the house dressing.

Let's call it a national chain with the initials CBC. The dressing is good, and I always ask for extra dressing. To be fair, their containers shrunk so "extra" isn't that big. Either the chain's standard for the amount of dressing on its chopped salad is sufficient, and I'm putting on too much; or the chain is being cheap and I am reasonable.

Too much dressing? Probably. Their settings are too low? Likely.

I'm looking for a pullover sweater like women wear when they know the office will be cold, and they're looking for a spaghetti strap dress that isn't office-appropriate. The truth lies more along the lines of a long-sleeved blouse with a camisole.

This same chain tosses the ingredients with the dressing for the in-restaurant orders, but offers dressing on the side for to-go orders. If the chain is using the same amount of dressing in either case, we are talking a rather small bikini. The salad isn't as much fun in person as getting it to go because of the amount of dressing. And asking for extra dressing and finding that the amount of extra dressing isn't enough is frustrating and diminishing.

Should we live without the sweater? Can we take the assigned dressing amount, shake it within the container, and hope spaghetti straps are enough?

Even in the calorie obsessive climate where people demand every calorie have accountability in restaurant menus, the calories on a salad are determined by the amount of dressing involved, whether a bikini, a spaghetti strap dress, or a long-sleeved blouse with a wool sweater.

If you are eating the salad mostly for the dressing, chances are you need to pick a new outfit.

Ketchup quest update: still looking for 'just right'

As we promised earlier, we have launched a search for an alternative ketchup. The primary ketchup source for several years has been Heinz from Canada, with liquid sugar and no high-fructose corn syrup. Getting the Canadian Heinz wasn't as easy as going to the local store. The trip required a visit to Canada, either a ground trip or checked luggage on an airplane (ketchup is very much a liquid). I usually do two ground trips per year, but had to cancel the trip in May. This left me stuck going several months without ketchup or finding a substitute ketchup.

Most people don't put much thought into condiments. While people generally have their favorite, they don't spend too much time staring at all the available ketchups in the condiment aisle. I have been looking at too many ketchups lately in grocery stores, so consider this research you don't have to do.

You can go the extreme ketchup route, options include curry ketchup and jalapeno ketchup, but we don't want one that deviates too much from the norm. Finding out that is somewhat normal yet is less sweet would be a feather in the cap of good condiments.

The nominees had to use sugar or other natural sweetener; no artificial sweeteners. Thickness had to be a significant factor. The ketchup had to pass the French fries test. And Heinz was going to have one huge advantage in the first round: any conventional ketchup has to use vinegar ahead of sweetener on the ingredient list. Even organic brands and conventional brands that have sworn off HFCS (Hunt's) still had sweet before vinegar, while Heinz went the other way around.

The first ketchup was definitely different, a local version with a strong fresh tomato taste. The color was brighter than conventional ketchups, tying in that tomato emphasis. Each new ketchup had to work on French fries, no other food would work out as well.

This ketchup had a bold, tomato taste, but failed the French fry test. Taste was flavorful, but not spicy, and definitely too thin. This ketchup will not go to waste since its consistency would be better suited for a cocktail sauce. The "losers" can survive since ketchups aren't just about French fries and burgers; ketchups can be used to add flavor in other dishes.

The second ketchup was, on paper, the ideal solution: Simply Heinz. The newest version of the classic line of ketchups had no high-fructose corn syrup, an ingredient that listed sugar as 3rd behind vinegar (most other ketchups list the sweetener as 2nd ahead of vinegar), and not requiring a long bus ride and custom officials.

Simply Heinz passed the thickness test, but on initial taste, the ketchup felt too strong and sugary. A cousin of the Canadian version of Heinz, they weren't identical cousins. Given a second chance, the ketchup responded better, but still won't ever beat out the Canadian version.

For the second round, we will likely break out of the vinegar/sugar conflict. We fear that sugar/vinegar ketchups will be too sweet, especially since Simply Heinz had that initial diagnosis with a vinegar/sugar ketchup. Hunt's could make the cut since it is now free of high-fructose corn syrup. There are organic ketchups, generic and brand. Ideally, the ketchup would be thick but not obnoxiously sweet. A mix of that great tomato taste with plenty of vinegar, just enough sugar, and not too much salt. There will be more ketchups to try, but it will be nice to pick a winner. Otherwise, we wait until November to be reunited with Canadian Heinz.

If you have suggestions for what ketchups could be next on the list, let us know in the comments section below. They have to be reasonably accessible to try, but don't let that stop you from mentioning one that fits the criteria we've given.

Fake meats an option for avoiding meat, but they aren't a requirement

The beauty of being an omnivore is that you get to eat anything and everything in sight. You can have a meal filled with meat or you can have a vegetarian meal. Often, with no forethought, I end up eating a vegetarian meal. And sometimes, I have a meal where animal flesh is more decorative than substantial.

But I don't usually eat "fake meats."

I know many of my vegetarian friends use tofu, tempeh, seitan, and other alternatives to the beef, chicken, and pork that the rest of us eat. I have never been able to do well with fake meats. You could blame that on bad preparation, not the right seasoning, or any of a multitude of reasons. If you have to douse the fake meat in tons of barbecue sauce, you should be eating something else.

While the abundance of soy can be a long-term problem, I wouldn't pick against a fake meat if it would work for me.

Before I gave up on adding fake meats into my diet, there was one fake meat I had never tried but thought I should give a chance: seitan. Besides the cool name, I wanted to try an easy-to-find non-soy product, though the seitan I found was seasoned with soy sauce.

The hardest part was giving this fake meat a proper introduction into my diet. I decided on a chili since I had been looking for a protein alternative to beef. And since the fake meats are supposed to blend in like meat, chili was appropriate.

I decided to give the seitan a bit of help by adding crimini mushrooms to the sauté as well as to the chili, figuring the seitan could absorb the mushroom flavor. I know tofu is better for absorbing, but thought seitan needed all the help it could get.

If the test for fake meat was sight, seitan would have made it to Round 2. The crumbles looked like ground beef, even if cooked beef wasn't quite that color. However, color wasn't relevant when all the ingredients are dumped in a bowl of chili.

The smell wasn't particuarly noticeable either way, a good sign. I couldn't bring myself to taste it either raw or cooked by itself, as the true test laid in the chili.

The ground seitan had a nice consistency when I stirred the chili; maybe we had a winner.

Sight, smell, consistency meant nothing if the tongue and teeth didn't like the product. The first bite. Chewing. Chewing. More chewing. Finally, swallowing without knowing if I chewed enough. The next bite I just swallowed. Swallowing it was okay, but chewing the seitan took a lot of effort that I didn't feel like doing after awhile.

After a bit of swallowing, and this was with the very pleasant mushrooms and my own homemade chili recipe, I finally picked up the seitan pieces and set them aside.

My palette is very sensitive, or if yours isn't or you aren't a fan of chewing or you feel the need to go vegetarian, figuring you'll get used to it, seitan may be for you.

Ending the test there would have been satisfying, but would not have been complete. To test the impact of the fake meat, the next day's chili just had mushrooms. My palette also does not like chunks of things in soups, stews, etc. — the whole consistency thing. The mushrooms went well, though I enjoy them more in spaghetti.

Mushrooms don't have nearly as much protein as seitan but they have lots of vitamins, fiber, and few calories outside the oil used to sauté them. And the consistency and flavor rocked my palette and taste buds.

Non-meat sources of protein are plentiful, so choosing one to go in chili or whatever else you are making can be fun without being challenging. And if I liked beans, well, there wouldn't have been a column in this space.

I could be more vegetarian someday or a lot more flexitarian. But if I am going to go without meat in a meal, more vegetables is the better way for me to go.

Tweets of the Week July 9-15

Welcome to Tweets of the Week, the newest feature at BalanceofFood.com. Not everyone has embraced the land of Twitter, and so they miss out on the beauty of what 140 characters can do to improve their lives.

balanceoffood Jul 15 4:20pm via HootSuite

USDA working 2 support Farm-To-School programs http://ow.ly/5E9CW

balanceoffood Jul 15 2:25pm via HootSuite

Burgers about meat, not cake RT @thedailymeal: Surprise your favorite burger connoisseur with a hamburger-shaped cake: http://ow.ly/5DXlO

balanceoffood Jul 15 11:15am via HootSuite

RT @grist: Do you support urban agriculture for all? Show your support here: http://ow.ly/5E3tA #LegalizeGardening

balanceoffood Jul 15 9:05am via HootSuite

Chain restaurants improve kids menus, but kids should eat adult plates http://ow.ly/5E9x2

balanceoffood Jul 15 7:30am via HootSuite

Temptation of the Week: Thirsty in summer http://ow.ly/5E9HO #balanceoffood

balanceoffood Jul 14, 4:20pm via HootSuite

McDonald's Israel kicks burgers up to .55 lb. http://ow.ly/5E97m

balanceoffood Jul 14, 2:35pm via HootSuite

Unhealthy Obsession With Healthy Eating? http://ow.ly/5E96g

balanceoffood Jul 14, 11:10am via HootSuite

Can't believe I missed National French Fries Day yesterday.

balanceoffood Jul 14, 9:05am via HootSuite

Festival T-shirt "I put ketchup on my ketchup."

balanceoffood Jul 14, 7:20am via HootSuite

'Daily Show' tells us we are getting just a little fatter http://ow.ly/5Eafu #balanceoffood

balanceoffood Jul 13, 4:20pm via HootSuite

No food is, including soy. RT @GetBetterDiet: Soy is NOT a miracle food. http://t.co/cZoDjJe

balanceoffood Jul 13, 2:15pm via HootSuite

States still fat by BMI obesity rates http://ow.ly/5C52w

balanceoffood Jul 13, 11:25am via HootSuite

Only McD's would put American "cheese" on English burger http://ow.ly/5D3SB

balanceoffood Jul 13, 9:05am via HootSuite

Instead of donuts, what would u want brought into workplace?

balanceoffood Jul 13, 7:37am via HootSuite

What should Michelle Obama do if she wants to order fast food in public? http://ow.ly/5D3P2 #balanceoffood

1 retweets

balanceoffood Jul 12, 4:20pm via HootSuite

Olive Garden says no to fries on kids' menu, but still high carbs 2 b found http://ow.ly/5C51w

balanceoffood Jul 12, 2:30pm via HootSuite

Home grown food worthwhile, unless you are MI woman facing jail http://ow.ly/5C50M

balanceoffood Jul 12, 11:25am via HootSuite

RT @fedupwithlunch: Industries lobby against voluntary nutrition guidelines 4 food marketed 2 kids http://t.co/6yRTmcC via @washpo

balanceoffood Jul 12, 9:05am via HootSuite

In honor of All-Star Game in Phoenix & SB 1070, have Mexican food 2nite.

balanceoffood Jul 12, 7:20am via HootSuite

Parents have better options than powdered cauliflower in Kraft mac 'n' cheese http://ow.ly/5B3zm #balanceoffood

balanceoffood Jul 11, 4:20pm via HootSuite

Festival food wasn't fun over weekend, need more veggies

balanceoffood Jul 11, 2:15pm via HootSuite

RT @Appetite4Profit: RT @nyshepa McDonald's preschooler Web site says 'Hey Kids, This is Advertising' as if they can read! www.ronald.com

balanceoffood Jul 11, 11:25am via HootSuite

Discipline more important than $. RT @kerigans: Cash-only diet may be key to healthy eating http://on.msnbc.com/oyYzk3

1 retweets

balanceoffood Jul 11, 9:05am via HootSuite

Smarter than sucralose. RT @PreventionMag: Swap the sugar in your coffee for cinnamon and nutmeg—you’ll save 100 cals. http://ow.ly/5zkle

balanceoffood Jul 11, 7:30am via HootSuite

Summertime great for fruit, smarter choices are in abundance http://ow.ly/5AQSC #balanceoffood

balanceoffood Jul 10, 10:50am via HootSuite

This shouldn't be news: FDA confirms E. Coli in food is illegal http://ow.ly/5Ar4K

balanceoffood Jul 10, 9:20am via HootSuite

Swedish fast food chain shows u can be responsible http://ow.ly/5Ar2R

balanceoffood Jul 09, 11:05am via HootSuite

GOP-led House votes 2 reduce screenings 4 e.coli http://ow.ly/5Ar3H

balanceoffood Jul 09, 9:15am via HootSuite

Should we hoard bacon over rising bacon prices? http://ow.ly/5AqYG

Temptation of the Week: Thirsty in summer

The city bus was waiting outside a major fast food chain. While the driver was inside, a gentleman who had exited the bus came out with a large soft drink. He was very happy to realize that this large soft drink was only $1.

I asked him what he was drinking. He said, "a Coke." I pointed out to him that the drink only costs pennies for the restaurant, but also noted that the value of the drink was on him, not the restaurant. To him, $1 was a good value.

We kept talking soft drinks. He said that he had quit soft drinks 3 years ago. He never said why he went back, and I didn't pry. He was worried about the impact of soft drinks on his teeth, and was concerned for his 6-year-old daughter.

I made it clear to him that I could sympathize, I had been there, and wasn't judgmental. Soon after, it was my stop and we waved goodbye.

The ritual was simple and familiar. A warm summer evening and you are outside enjoying a nice cold drink. He could have gone to the grocery store less than a block away and bought a sports drink or orange juice or even a glass bottle of Mexican Coca-Cola (sugar, not high-fructose corn syrup). He could have used water to quench his thirst, either his own water bottle (free) or bought water in the store.

He could rationalize in his head that his choice wasn't the best one. Sometimes we make that choice anyway. The warm air, memories of soft drinks on a warm evening, being tired, being lazy, cost (perceived or otherwise), convenience (bus stopped there, needed to get home): all reasons why this choice went the way it did.

This guy had hair and was younger, but otherwise, I had been in his shoes. Even before I gave up high-fructose corn syrup soft drinks, I knew they weren't good choices, but I still made them anyway. And if someone had been preaching the evils of high-fructose corn syrup soft drinks, I would have nodded in agreement, but certainly didn't want to hear it from a stranger, especially on a bus.

I offered sympathy to the guy because that was easy for me. It has been over 7 years, and that drink looked tempting to me. The night was warm and I could have used a drink. I chose to keep my money in my pocket and wait to quench my thirst at home.

This story wouldn't have happened in winter or even mid-fall. This is a summertime exclusive. Bad choices are magnified in summer because we're hot, tired, and thirsty. Summer is also the time we want to lose those pounds we didn't lose in spring.

Being thirsty in summertime isn't a choice; this will happen. What we do with that thirst is our choice.

'Daily Show' tells us we are getting just a little fatter

"The Daily Show" acknowledged National French Fries Day as a lead-in to the latest state-by-state obesity numbers. They were similar to last year in that 1 state (Colorado) is under 20% obesity-wise, and several states (i.e., Southern) have over 30% obesity levels.

In fact, we first heard those numbers last year from Jon Stewart's counterpart, Stephen Colbert. The relatively good news is that the numbers didn't get too much worse in 2011.

"America's only growth industry is growth," said Stewart. 38 states have an over 25% obesity level. Stewart followed up with media clips on why we are getting fatter, including a lovely graphic on the Wendy's Baconator Double Meal with fries and a milkshake at 2,530 calories.

The closer was the newest generation of large people, including a 16+ lb. baby born in Texas.

Then again, the last 2 commercials before the segment were Domino's Pizza and Hot Pockets Snackers, and a spot after the segment featured a Burger King Bacon Cheddar Ranch Tendercrisp tied in to the latest Transformers movie.