April 30th, 2019

Wow!  That is a pretty inflamatory title there.  "50 Unhealthiest Desserts on the Planet".  Wow!  

It's a pretty big planet.  And there are a lot of different kinds of desserts.  Narrowing it down to the 50 unhealthiest sounds like a lot of very yummy researched happened for this article.  I was curious.

I have to say, I don't know why I read these lists.  All they do is make my hungry.  I think the intent is to make me rethink how I eat.  It doesn't work.

A couple of years ago I read one of these lists that was, "Foods you should Never Ever eat".  I read that one too.  It also made me hungry.

Nothing listed was a surprise really.  Pretty much all desserts are bad for us. I already knowo that. Sugar, fat, carbs...check check check.  But the writers did single out a few brands in particular.

In the ice cream category, our winners for Worst Desserts on the Planet are Ben & Jerry's and Haagen Dazs!   I can pretty much guarantee that there is at least one pint of one of those brands in our freezer right now.  I buy them when they are on sale, (buy one, get one!) and keep them on hand for a day when ice cream is the answer to every question that I am asked.  I am reasonably certain that I am not the only person who does this.

As far as pies go, Sara Lee and Marie Callender were the primary villains of the story. I do not recall ever eating a Sara Lee pie, though I have, of course, heard the name.  But Marie Callendar?  Absolutely.  Not only have I eaten and enjoyed her pecan pies, I have also had her pot pies. Both were very good.  Not as good as homemade of course, but sometimes, I either do not have the time or the inclination to make a pie myself.

For cakes, Sara Lee again makes an appearance on the NoNo List.  But Sara Lee was in good company with Entemann's and Hostess.  I wasn't aware that Hostess made full sized cakes.  I knew they made snack cakes like Twinkies and no thank you very much please.  If those are the cakes to which they refer, I don't think that should count.  First of all, I'm not absolutely certain that it is actual food.  I'm not dissing Hostess for health reasons, this is strictly taste.  I loved Twinkies as a kid but trying them as an adult I nearly gagged.  Either my taste buds have changed dramatically or their recipe has.  As far as Entemann's goes, they make a mighty fine chocolate covered donut.

Oreo was the first target of this article and was called upon multiple times as the writers listed specific types of Oreo's being specific  types of bad. I don't eat Oreo's often but I do enjoy the absolute heck of of them when I do.  Life without Oreo's feels sad and empty.  The other two cookies mentioned by name are Mrs. Field's and Pillsbury both of which I can easily live without for the rest of my life.  But Oreo's?  Now that is a shame.

Candy was the last category and naturally, my favourite, M&M's was at the head of the class.  M&M's are just plain evil, apparently.  And that is probably part of why I love them so much.    There is a strong possibility that I have M&M's rather than blood running in my veins.    But the writers painted all candy with the same brush.  Just degrees of bad. Bad, very bad and extremely bad.  Anything Reese's ranked right up there with M&M's, all things Hershey were up close to the top too and then all candy in the world followed shortly thereafter.

Very sad.  Sigh.

I was curious to learn if it was just the idea of dessert in general that the writer objected to, or just yummy ones.  Turns out, that dessert is fine.  And in fact the writer went on to suggest perhaps yogurt with fruit might be a good dessert.

Really, dude?  Yogurt with fruit is breakfast.  It's not dessert.  I have had yogurt for lunch before, sure, sure.  And when I'm home alone and feeling particular lazy, I've even had yogurt for dinner. But dessert?  No.  Yogurt with fruit is not dessert.

Happy Birthday!  Yay!  Streamers!  Confetti!  Gifts!  Yogurt with fruit...:(  
No. Just no.  First of all, candles won't stand up in it.
Second of all, no.

Should we all make an effort to eat healthier?  Probably yes.  Most of us most likely could make more effort to make better choices.  Maybe dessert isn't an every day thing or even an every week thing, but instead a special occasions thing.  

But it's a quality of life thing, not necessarily quantity.  Nobody knows when my expiration date is.  Despite my love of all thing M&M, it's possible that I will live to be in my 90's or even 100's.  There is a history of longevity in my family on both sides.  Or perhaps there is a beer truck out there with my name on it and it's just waiting for me to cross the street without looking both ways first.  Either way, if this is the only life I get, I want it to be a quality life.

Part of that is making the most of every moment or every day.  Helping others and giving back.  Appreciating all that I have.  Experiencing and enjoying.  Being happy.

Desserts make me smile.  I appreciate them.  I enjoy the experience of them.  And by buying desserts, I have helped to support the people who create them, package them, ship them, sell them.....

It may be bad for me, physiologically, but it's excellent for me emotionally.  Now I think I will go eat some M&M's.  Yum.