Cinnamon Spice and Everything Nice?

On a recent jaunt to Wal-mart in Scarborough Maine, I encountered an elderly man who was talking to himself. We were standing in the baking goods and spice section. I was looking for brown rice flour and he was trying to find cinnamon. He was lamenting about the poor quality of spices currently on the market. "When I was a boy, cinnamon was a dark brownish color," he said. "Not this anemic looking crap."

I told him that better quality cinnamon did exist. I wasn't sure if it was in the store, but knew it was definitely available. He didn't care for that response. "Why, when I was a boy, you could get fresh, quality products in most places," he said. "You could get fresh goods from the local farms. Heck, I remember when the milkman used to show up on your doorstep to deliver fresh bottles of milk." I'm a lot younger, but I also remember the milk deliveries.

What's happened to the quality of food in this country? We became a microwave society. First frozen foods packed with sodium filled the supermarkets, and then fast food restaurants sprang up everywhere, enticing those looking for a quick bite to eat. But is cheaper and faster better?

I don't know about you, but when I purchase food, I don't want to see ingredients I don't recognize or can't pronounce. And what's with all the corn syrup in fruit juices and salad dressings? Why can't they use natural cane sugar? Makes you wonder whether processed foods are at the center of the high rate of obesity, high blood pressure, and diabetes in this country. Or whether it's the cause of the ADD/ADHD epidemic among children.

It's time to start reading labels. It's time to get picky about what we are putting into our bodies. If the public stops buying all the processed food brands, it will send a strong message to the manufacturers. Look for free-range or pastured meats, local grown and organic fruits and vegetables, and snacks made with natural ingredients. We'll become a healthier nation.

To help the old guy in Wal-mart, I decided to see if a better brand of cinnamon was in the aisle. After a bit of searching I found cinnamon that was a bit darker and higher in price. "Now that's more like I remember it. Still not as dark though," he said. I love my apple pie and you gotta have cinnamon when you make it. Thank you." With a wink and a nod, he was off.