Twinkies? Really?

Bride2bMO

Let me just throw out there that I really don't care if DS eats twinkies. All my high ideals for healthy eating went out the window, DS has special needs and is a super duper picky eater and is 30 lbs. soaking wet at nearly age 4. So, I'm pretty much delighted with any calories I can cram in him.

But I imagine that many other parents still do have pretty high standards for their kids' diets, so I would never bring a class treat of twinkies for fear I'd really piss them off. We got the usual daily email from the teachers and it said "Thanks to ___ for bringing in a birthday treat of twinkies."

Then again, maybe it's this kid's favorite special treat and they were excited to share it with the class. I don't think I've had a twinkie in 20 years...I wonder if I'd still like them?

cecee36

Every now and then a REALLY good Twinkie craving comes over me and I indulge 100%.  After about 2-3 of them, I'm good and the rest of the box ends up going stale but boy do they hit the spot!  

My BFF's daughter was very close to the "failure to thrive" point and while she swore that she'd never feed fast food or high-sugar snacks to her children, guess what?  She full indulges her requests for nuggets, fries and shakes.  (She feeds her healthy food as well.)  

I say, grab your son and a box of Twinkies and make it a special movie night!  **heading out to buy some for my daughter and I now!** 

April37

At first I was thinking 'what!?!? they brought Twinkies for a class treat?!?!' But if you think about it, it was a birthday treat and how different is that from cupcakes... both are basically cake and frosting right?

Oh, and to comment on your last question... DH got a Twinkie craving a while back so I bought a 2-pack.  They sure aren't as good as I remember from when I ate them as a kid.  One was plenty until the next urge strikes in a few years.

anna7602

April37:

At first I was thinking 'what!?!? they brought Twinkies for a class treat?!?!' But if you think about it, it was a birthday treat and how different is that from cupcakes... both are basically cake and frosting right?

Didn't someone write a whole book about how Twinkies could survive a nuclear war or something based on the amount of preservatives in them? For argument's sake, I will propose that not all cake and frosting is created equal. Something that is meant to live on a shelf for several years is vastly different than something you bake in your own kitchen.

That said, I wouldn't care if DD had a Twinkie at school, I just haven't bought a box of them since the 1980s.

jsugrin

anna7602:

April37:

At first I was thinking 'what!?!? they brought Twinkies for a class treat?!?!' But if you think about it, it was a birthday treat and how different is that from cupcakes... both are basically cake and frosting right?

Didn't someone write a whole book about how Twinkies could survive a nuclear war or something based on the amount of preservatives in them? For argument's sake, I will propose that not all cake and frosting is created equal. Something that is meant to live on a shelf for several years is vastly different than something you bake in your own kitchen.

That said, I wouldn't care if DD had a Twinkie at school, I just haven't bought a box of them since the 1980s.

Twinkies are pretty disgusting in terms of preservatives/shelf life ect.  Unlike some of the pp's I would be irritated at DS getting twinkies at school.  In addition to the fact that I did, in part, choose his school based upon it's high standards for food I'm also selfish enough to say A. treats are for me to dish out and B. now the darn kid is going to whine for a twinkie every.single.time he sees one in the store for the rest of his life, oh yeah and he will teach his little brother to whine for them too.

CD+AL

DS' class has one family that brings marshmallows and fruit snacks (the super junky ones too) together as one snack for about every other snack day they have.  First of all, I don't understand the combination of fruit snacks and marshmallows to begin with, but beyond that, it's nothing but junky sugar.  I'm all for indulging once in awhile, but that's a little much if you ask me.  (For example, I might give birthday Twinkies a slight side eye, but I wouldn't give it much thought beyond that b/c at least it's a special occasion.)

NJLH

Our preschool encourages bringing healthy snacks but occasionally, parents bring in Oreos, which of course, my girls get excited about. I know when the have Oreos since they come home with chocolate faces. I dont really mind the treats at school (mmmm....Twinkies) as long as its not every time.

gr8fulaa

Just worth mentioning that I am now in full-blown Twinkie attack mode Must.have.Twinkies.!

KathrynMD

Twinkies are on the  "approved" list of birthday snacks @ DD's school b/c they are nutfree.

I think I had a twinkie once when I was 5 and I was so disgusted by it then, I've never had one or had any craving for one since. 

FortMyersBride

DS's school doesn't allow special treats with frosting, candy, cookies, etc.  I brought muffins for his  bday.  I kinda like the rule as I seem to remember a lot of excess junk food at school when I was a kid.

And on a side note, I've actually never had a Twinkie.  My mom wouldn't let us keep little debbie or hostess type snacks in the house (she made homemade cookies instead) and I never got the urge to try them anywhere else. 

riv08

This reminds me of my daughter's daycare. For holidays, they have sign up sheets with a list of healthy snacks. You put your name down by what you will bring. For her 3rd birthday, they told me I could bring it cupcakes as long as they were store bought. I guess homemade treats were outlawed. I was the bad mom and went to Target and bought cupcakes with electric blue frosting.

MrsBalletStar05

Both twinkies and cupcakes are *bad* in terms of calories, sugars, ect.  I really doubt any parents at my son's school would think twice about preservatives...I really don't.  If he got a twinkie at school I wouldn't be surprised in the least and really wouldn't care. 

thumper57

I like Twinkles  A LOT, and I love the cream filling.  I know they are nutritionally horrible and don't buy them, but if you put a box in front of me, I'd eat them.

for a birthday treat, I don't think it's a big deal. 

At DS's preschool, they have potlucks and people bring in pies, cakes, cupcakes (nothing home made is allowed) .  For the first potluck I attended,  I brought in ice cream  and thought I might side eyed for bringing in "junky" food.  However, it was totally eaten up by all the parents and the kids,  and there was lots of other desserts left over.