By: Cathy Prince

I find it interesting, that more and more establishments are offering a complimentary dessert with purchase.  Your incentive to order from us, or to do business with us is this fattening treat that will spike your insulin levels, and bust your gut.

Correct  me if I’m wrong, but isn’t a major part of marketing these days about how good everything should be for you?  About how important it is to go out and be active, not to sit around eating processed sugary foods?  I mean hell, the First Lady has a program promoting physical health and well-being.  You can read all about it here: http://www.letsmove.gov/.  It isn’t that you can’t ever have something sweet or slightly bad for you, I would be a hypocrite if I said that, (Milka brand milk chocolate is my new addiction) it’s just that why are we spouting “get healthy” sermons, but then immediately doing the opposite?

This morning Ed and I ate at one of our favorite breakfast spots in Chelsea, Cookshop.  We love breakfast there because it isn’t quite the “scene” that it becomes during lunch and dinner, and they have an amazing scramble with smoked salmon, caramelized onions and scallions that we just love to indulge in every once in a while.  The thing that strikes me, is that every morning they have some kind of petite baked good to give you as you walk out the door.  I know in my heart that more than half of the customers do not eat as healthy of a breakfast as we do, so why the need to give us refined sugar on our way out the door?  Don’t get me wrong, I love the sentiment, a nice little homemade treat that’s comforting and sure tastes good, so we have positive thoughts about our time at Cookshop all day and will definitely be back tomorrow.  But in reality, will that tiny chocolate chip muffin guarantee our return?  Of course not.  But what it will do is spike our sugar levels which guarantees a crash, and the sugar, butter and chocolate that go into that tiny bite will add up somewhere be it on our thighs, stomach, in our arteries, you name it!

This next example just completely shocks me.

My fiance, as you all know, is a personal trainer.  One of his co-workers, to save time, orders his groceries every now and then from FreshDirect.  What I like about FreshDirect, is that they get fresh produce from local sourced farmers, locations, etc, and deliver it right to your door.  What I don’t like is their new promotion “Free Cookies in your Next Order”.  I mean seriously?!  Not only do I not physically go out and walk to the store to buy my groceries, but now you’re going to give me and my family free cookies to celebrate?  Considering how much I like the idea of FreshDirect in general, this promotion has made me rethink using this service.  What do you think?