April 13, 2099
Reunited Press

After much heated debate on the house floor, legislation was passed today to
allow a growing number of families to cook meals for their families in their
homes. The children must have annual physical examinations to assure proper
growth and weight gain. Attempts to require weekly meal plans and monthly
kitchen inspections were voted down.
A spokesperson from the National Association of Nutritionists (NANs)
condemns this decision. "These children are being denied the rich
socialization and diversity that is an essential part of the eating process.
Without the proper nutritional background, it is impossible for the average
person to feed their own children. We, as child advocates, see this as a
step backwards and speak out for the sake of the children who cannot speak
for themselves."
Homecooking parents say the benefits of eating at home include increased
family unity and the ability to tailor a diet to a particular need.
Elizabeth Crocker, a home cook, states, "We started cooking and eating at
home when we realized that my son had a severe allergy to eggs. The public
kitchens required him to take numerous medications that had serious side
effects in order to counteract his allergy. We found that eliminating eggs
was a simpler method and our son has thrived since we began doing so."
After this experience, the Crockers decided to home cook for all of their
children, and converted their media room into a kitchen. Elizabeth says, "We
have experienced so much closeness as we have explored recipes and spent
time cooking together and eating together. We have a dining circle with
other families where we sometimes share ideas and meals together."
The Crocker children have done well physically under their mother's care,
weighing in at optimum weights for their ages and having health records far
above average. It should be noted that Mrs. Crocker, while not a
professional nutritionist, has a family history rich with nutritionists and
home economists. "Surely the success of the Crocker children is due to the
background of their mother," responded the spokesman from NANs. "The results
they have achieved should not be viewed as normative." Mrs. Crocker counters
that her background was actually a hindrance to the nutritional principles
she follows. "Our paternal great-grandmother was a home economist, but she
prepared most meal from pre-made mixes. In our homecooking we try not to
duplicate public-kitchen meals, but to tailor our meals to the needs and
preferences of our children."
In a related issue, legislation is in committee that would provide oversight
for the emerging homecooking movement. Says the Home Eating Legal Defense
Association (HELDA): "We want to provide umbrella kitchens to aid parents in
the complicated tasks of feeding their children. Many families lack the
expertise of the Crocker family, yet desire to eat at home. As we have seen,
the umbrella kitchens meet the needs of all concerned. We are happy to
provide this service."

__________________
JC
URCNA
PA, but homesick for SC

"Who says you can't go back, been all around the world and as a matter of fact. There's only one place left I want to go, who says you can't go home" Bon Jovi