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In just a few days, my son Oliver will turn 12 years old and not once in those years (or the one or two preceding his birth) have I been without a jar of Lyle’s Golden Syrup.

A former colleague with Scottish roots introduced me to this delectable, gooey delight in her kitchen and I was instantly hooked. She used it in treacle tart (so does Heston Blumenthal) and to drizzle over steel cut oats. Both noble uses but neither is one of my favourite ways to use this 125-year-old product.

For a year or so, I was a casual user, drizzling a little Lyle’s on pancakes or toasted frozen waffles on occasional Saturday mornings. Then I got pregnant. About then it would have been a good time to buy stock in Lyle’s Golden Syrup or futures or whatever it is they sell against sales of this magical product because once I was finished with morning sickness, sales of this buttery flavoured stuff went through the roof.

At least once a day from my second trimester until I gave birth (and yes, that ‘at least’ is not hyperbole. What I’m about to admit really did occur more than once on some days during that time), I made an Eggo frozen blueberry waffle in my toaster, slathered it with salted butter and then added enough golden syrup so that every little square was full to the point of overflowing. I won’t admit to licking my plate but I did lick my fork clean on one or two occasions that I recall with shame.

The truly comic part of this story is not that I had this crazy pregnancy craving, but that I didn’t identify it for what it was at the time. For instance, my mother and I went to Florida for a week during my highest consumption period and I recall my mother’s raised eyebrow as she watched me eating this combo (again) while expounding on how weird it was that I had no cravings! To her extreme credit, she bit her tongue and didn’t point out the obvious.

These days I dip my own spoon only very rarely into the Lyle’s Golden Syrup jar; however, Oliver often requests it at breakfast time. Is it by coincidence or by design that  I’ve raised a little boy who loves the same syrup and waffle combo his mother craved while carrying him?  Who knows.

Have any of you ever had a recurring craving? And, if you’re a mother, did you have any cravings when you were pregnant?

NB:  If you’d like to learn more about what I do when I’m not posting here, check out this article from Saturday’s Vancouver Sun.

While reading about how Canadians have become information snackers who use mobile technology to take in bite-size, easy-to-digest portions of information (think about the ticker that crawls along the bottom of the screen on news channels or the 60-second news breaks so many radio stations offer), I was reminded of the great joy provided by snack food.

Whether it’s a mobile activity or the more conventional couch variety, snacking on little bits of food is actually compatible with snacking on information. Although there’s research that shows chronic snacking is linked to obesity, there’s also a body of evidence that suggests eating more frequent, smaller meals can be good for you.

For me, as long as snacking is done consciously and accounted for as part of your daily calorie intake, there’s nothing wrong with nibbling. In fact, I think snacking should be considered when you make your grocery list since a satisfying snack life can lead to reduced cravings and a general sense of happiness (I speak purely from personal experience!)

-The first step to having a fulfilling snack life is to define your snacking profile.
-Step 2 is to buy the snacks.
-Step 3 is the crucial step that will prevent snacking from having negative results: Divide snacks into appropriate servings so that you can grab them quickly and easily and so that you know when to stop. Pre-portioning snacks means that no matter how engrossing Grey’s Anatomy may be, you won’t unconsciously eat more than you should.

Not sure what kind of snacker you are? Check out these profiles to decide:

Wino nibbler
-Cheeses
-Dried fruit such as: cranberries, figs, dates, raisins, apricots
-Crackers
-Unsalted Nuts
-Dry cured sausage

Healthy nibbler
-Edamame (immature green soybeans) in or out of the pod
-Green pumpkin seeds
-Bittersweet chocolate
-Veggies
-Hummus
-Nori
-Dried fruit

Comfort junkie
-Potato chips
-Frozen French fries
-Olives
-Pickles
-Roasted red peppers
-Sour cream/dip
-Tortillas
-Salsa
-Popcorn

Sweet tooth
-Chocolate
-Candies such as Smarties, ju-jubes, etc.
-Marshmallows
-Dry breakfast cereal
-Fruit
-Cookies

Which profile fits you and, tell me, what are you craving right now?

Check out these neat snacking articles at homemakers.com:
-6 healthy homemade snacks
-Healthy snacks at work
-Post-workout snacks