I've been reading along but pretty much unable to contribute, because I've really never in my life encountered these kinds of eating habits. I feel horrible thinking of what people are doing to themselves, and I really had absolutely no idea that this kind of thing was "normal".
I grew up on home made food (and feed my own family the same)-- my Mom made home baked bread, we made our own school lunch sandwiches with leftover home-cooked meat with real cheese/lettuce/tomatoes (my Dad loved Velveeta so we occasionally had that around but we always had real cheeses in the fridge), we ate balanced meals with protein/veggies/starch--mostly meat and potatoes with veggies or salad but often casserole dishes like lasagne or shepherd's pie, breakfast was often oatmeal porridge or poached/scrambled eggs with buttered toast--no "sugary" cereals (it was Shreddies or Cheerios or Rice Krispies or nothing if we actually had cereal in the house), and we never had soda/pop or any junk food whatsoever--treats were home-baked cookies or brownies except at Halloween and the odd special occasion.
And we never in our lives pulled down the loads of Halloween candy our kids got while trick-or-treating when they were little (we always gave most of theirs away because they'd still be eating it years later if we hadn't). During my childhood the only times I ever saw "junk food" were at Christmas when my grandparents would put out a bowl of ripple potato chips with onion dip, or the occasional box of Smarties (Canadian Smarties are a bit like flat pastel-coloured M&Ms but better tasting) on the odd occasions when my Dad would do the grocery shopping rather than my Mom--and my brother and I had to share the box (flat, rectangular, palm-sized). We hardly ate in restaurants and usually ordered chocolate milk rather than pop because we liked it better--and there were no fried "chicken fingers" on the "kids menu" back then, it was spaghetti bolognaise or a hamburger or grilled cheese sandwich from what I can recall.
I don't personally know anyone who eats like what's been described above. I obviously know plenty of people who eat way more pre-packaged foods and more highly processed foods than we do, but I honestly don't personally know anyone who doesn't eat/serve their kids salads/veggies or balanced meals.
And as for kids, if ours didn't eat what was put in front of them, they ate it at the next meal. I'm no short-order cook and I don't cater, kids won't starve themselves, and need far less food than people might think--depending on where they are in their growth spurts.
I grew up on home made food (and feed my own family the same)-- my Mom made home baked bread, we made our own school lunch sandwiches with leftover home-cooked meat with real cheese/lettuce/tomatoes (my Dad loved Velveeta so we occasionally had that around but we always had real cheeses in the fridge), we ate balanced meals with protein/veggies/starch--mostly meat and potatoes with veggies or salad but often casserole dishes like lasagne or shepherd's pie, breakfast was often oatmeal porridge or poached/scrambled eggs with buttered toast--no "sugary" cereals (it was Shreddies or Cheerios or Rice Krispies or nothing if we actually had cereal in the house), and we never had soda/pop or any junk food whatsoever--treats were home-baked cookies or brownies except at Halloween and the odd special occasion.
And we never in our lives pulled down the loads of Halloween candy our kids got while trick-or-treating when they were little (we always gave most of theirs away because they'd still be eating it years later if we hadn't). During my childhood the only times I ever saw "junk food" were at Christmas when my grandparents would put out a bowl of ripple potato chips with onion dip, or the occasional box of Smarties (Canadian Smarties are a bit like flat pastel-coloured M&Ms but better tasting) on the odd occasions when my Dad would do the grocery shopping rather than my Mom--and my brother and I had to share the box (flat, rectangular, palm-sized). We hardly ate in restaurants and usually ordered chocolate milk rather than pop because we liked it better--and there were no fried "chicken fingers" on the "kids menu" back then, it was spaghetti bolognaise or a hamburger or grilled cheese sandwich from what I can recall.
I don't personally know anyone who eats like what's been described above. I obviously know plenty of people who eat way more pre-packaged foods and more highly processed foods than we do, but I honestly don't personally know anyone who doesn't eat/serve their kids salads/veggies or balanced meals.
And as for kids, if ours didn't eat what was put in front of them, they ate it at the next meal. I'm no short-order cook and I don't cater, kids won't starve themselves, and need far less food than people might think--depending on where they are in their growth spurts.
I think balance is necessary. we could not ever eat anything "bad," but then what would be the fun in that!? We all maintain a pretty healthy weight, and do avoid foods that cause issues, but the occasion splurge on crap is allowed....chips, homemade cookies, homemade ice cream, etc. At least we know what's going in our junk...who knows with the store garbage? 
I do buy Haagen Dazs from time to time as well, because the ingredient list is NOT extensive, and it is in plain English unlike some other stuff 
But, yeah, if not for my kids little debbie addictions, we'd have had them around a bit more often for quick stuff. I think that's the part I miss the most.....convenience 
