A sweet and sour response to Patrick's proposed tax

How raising the cost of junk food may make Bostonians snack healthier.

The cost of a candy bar soon could cost you more if a new tax is slapped on candy and soft drinks.

The 'junk food' tax is one part of Gov. Deval Patrick's series of proposals to generate $25 million. The exact amount of tax on these items has not been determined, but the money generated from the new tax would go to the Commonwealth Wellness Fund, which is designed to promote public health programs such as child health and nutrition, and alcohol- and tobacco-addiction services.

The Governor's goal: to generate $587 million for the next fiscal year.

The Patrick administration appears to be taking aim at raising revenue on the sale of candy and soft drinks because health experts say such 'junk food' does more harm than good to health. Patrick has been quoted as saying that, "removing the tax exemption for the purchase of sweetened soda and candy is a critical first step in discouraging the consumption of these empty calories."

A recent trip to two local grocery stores proved anecdotally that many Bostonians tend to snack on items deemed as 'junk' by the state government: candy* and soft drinks*. Dietician Debbie Kauffman classifies junk food as food that lacks nutrition and balance in a person's overall diet.

"I try and snack healthy, it's not easy...I'm poor that's why I eat junk- it's cheap!" said Maria Leal of the Fenway neighborhood.

A non-scientific survey of shoppers revealed that the number of people that snack healthy and those who snack on junk appear to be evenly split.

Dietician Kauffman thinks that snacking has developed a bad reputation. "It is important to have tiny snacks to keep your metabolism high. It depends on your body type and fitness level, but snacks are a good thing."

It all of course, depends on what you choose to snack on. "Things like cookies, chips, and candy are meant to be eaten on rare occasions, if at all. It doesn't matter if Krispy Kreme has a whole wheat donut. It still isn't good for you."

Kauffman says that when it comes to snacking, fruits are always a good choice. Cottage cheese, Greek yogurt, slices of turkey, rice cakes, hardboiled egg whites, and almonds are also good snack options.

"Even though these things are good to eat, portion control is so, so, so important. Look at the nutrition facts of these snacks. You aren't supposed to have a lot. Five to six almonds, one rice cake... That's why they're snacks."

So could this new tax initiative be a blessing in disguise?

Kauffman is indifferent: "Paying a few cents more is not going to bother people if they really want that candy bar. Unfortunately the [Massachusetts lawmakers] have money and not health on their minds."

However, Kauffman says that this issue is spotlighting unhealthy snack foods, which she sees as a perfect time to educate people.

"I think they should make the snacks more expensive if they can. Definitely. A lot of people choose processed foods because they are very cheap. So now if people are forced to look at something other than price, maybe they can learn about healthier alternatives."

The tax on junk food is currently still in legislature. The governor's office said that by mid summer, it will be known if the bill has passed or not. If the bill does pass, the government will vote on the exact amount of the tax at that time.

* The bill defines candy as, "a preparation of sugar, honey, or other natural or artificial sweeteners in combination with chocolate, fruits, nuts or other ingredients or flavorings in the form of bars, drops, or pieces. "Candy" shall not include any preparation containing flour and shall require no refrigeration."

The bill then defined soft drinks as, "non-alcoholic beverages that contain natural or artificial sweeteners. Soft drinks do not include beverages that contain milk or milk products, soy, rice or similar milk substitutes, or greater than fifty percent of vegetable or fruit juice by volume."