Junk Food Nation, Disney says it’s ready to help kids kick the junk food habit, by removing junk food advertising from its TV, radio, and advertising.  According to media sources:

“By 2015, all food and beverage products that are advertised, promoted or sponsored on the Disney Channel, Disney XD, Disney Junior, Radio Disney, Disney.com and Saturday morning programming for kids on ABC-owned stations (Disney owns ABC) will have to meet the company’s nutrition criteria for limiting calories and reducing saturated fat, sodium and sugar.”

How do I feel about this? You’d think most people would be furious, since this is America and we should all be about choice – not regulating what people do to or put in their bodies. I wasn’t thrilled about Bloomberg’s soda size ban in NYC. Similarly, I think the ban on trans fats is silly.  And clearly I think there’s nothing wrong with eating snacks, junk/healthy/whatever, on a daily basis.

But in terms of this ban on unhealthy ads on Disney? I applaud it. REALLY like it. Why? 1) Because Disney is a private company, and can do whatever it wants. The fact that it wants to make child health a priority, even if its just a basic “we don’t wanna contribute to the problem,” I think is a good thing. And 2) because kids are stupid as hell. Seriously, I remember myself, and how many times did I, as a little kid, try to sneak a sugary box of cereal into my mom’s cart, NOT because of the food itself but because of the pretty colors and potential prize inside?? Ads WORK on kids..and I have no problem with parents getting some help deterring their kids from turning into real life weeble wobbles.

I mean, have you seen how fat some children are today? “Oh he just needs to hit his growth spurt.” No, your kid’s a pig, lady. You gotta do something about that.

Look, I really don’t talk about it often, but I DO think being healthy is important.  And I know its hard – especially when I go to work and my co-worker has THIS in her office:

Seriously, 5.5 lbs.???

Seriously, I like Red Vines, but a bucket that is big enough to fit a turkey into is both amazing and unnecessary. “No preservatives and always fat free!” Yeah because the whole thing is corn syrup and wheat flour.  Yeeeg.

Anyways, along this topic of sugar that appeals to kids, today’s junk food is: Holiday Nerds Rope!

Holiday Nerds Rope: the Money Shot

I know what you’re thinking: Holiday Nerds Rope???? It’s no where NEAR the holiday season, and this is totally random!  I agree. I’ll just give you a peak behind the curtain – I was digging through my treasure trove of snacks, looking for something CANDY to match with my story for today, and at the very bottom of my bin, tucked in a corner, was this Nerds Rope! Shiny and new.

Holiday Nerds Rope: It's not Nerds, and it's not Rope. Discuss.

I don’t know how I missed it before, since Nerds Rope is one of my guilty pleasure favorite candy combos. It’s instasugar – I can’t think of another way, besides Pixie Sticks, that I’ve ever fed so much sugar directly into my body.

Holiday Nerds Rope: Soft Gummy Rope covered in Tiny Tangy Crunchy Nerds Candy! How is this NOT the best description ever?

As a lover of gummy candy and Nerds themselves, this snack was ALWAYS perfect for me.  Debuting back in 2000, I remember when these first came out my MIND was BLOWN.  Nerds on a string??? HOW CAN THAT BE BAD? (sound logic, I know).

Holiday Nerds Rope: And you can do so many things with it!

Ever since that day, I’ve happily munched on these during movies. It’s one of my movie go-to snacks.  How bout a 5.5 lb tub of THESE!?  Where are you on THAT movement, Costco???

Holiday Nerds Rope: That this close to 9-inch long piece of confection is only 90 calories is a WIN in my book.

I remember exactly where I was when I bought this too. It was January and I was passing by the Walgreens on my way home from work, and I ducked in to look for a snack.  And there it was: the discount Holiday candy display! And everything was 50-75% off!!! ABSURD!

Holiday Nerds Rope: Dextrose (sugar), Sugar (sugar), Corn Syrup (sugar). Top three ingredients!

Some jackholes try to sell these Nerds Ropes for a dollar.  Jerks. At Walgreens that day, these ended up being something crazy, like 17 cents a piece.  I bought ten of them.

Holiday Nerds Rope: It's like a chain of beautiful pearls. If the pearls were made of sugar and spraypainted.

I must’ve eaten nine of the past few months and forgotten I had one left.  Well, given today’s headline, it is the perfect snack to review for this blog, despite the non-seasonal-ness, the complete randomness, the not-really-new-ness, and the ness-ness-ness-ness.  Sorry, sometimes I start typing and I have no idea hwere I’m going.

Holiday Nerds Rope: Sugary rope for me to hang my triglycerides with

Like the package says, Nerds Rope is simple. It’s a gummy candy string, usually cherry in flavor, and it’s embedded/encrusted with Nerds candy, which are bits of sugar crystal covered in flavored candy coating.  Plain and Simple. The Holiday-variety, as you can see, was white, red, green.

Holiday Nerds Rope: Cross section shows the translucent and chewy insides!

The taste of this Holiday Nerds Rope is just what you expect – essentially it’s just a tangy cherry/fruit punch taste, as you crunch the Nerds candies.  The Rope inside gives the whole thing an added layer of chew – so you simultaneously have this tougher gummy chew as you chomp on sugary crumbs.  And it’s a HUGE sugar rush.

And that’s that!  So what do you think of this Nerds Rope and/or Disney’s ad ban?  Let me know if the comments below!  Or hit me on Twitter @junkfoodguy or on my Facebook Page.

Sincerely, Junk Food Guy

PS: I’ll get back to some more unique snacks tomorrow, JFN – no worries 🙂  Just a sugary break!