Oh, how charming, an article out of the fifties or sixties, on how the perfect little housewifey can prepare snacks for the kids and hubby.
Seriously, how about not using such old gender stereotypes? How about fathers who prepare the snacks for their kids and working wives? Again and again I see such cliché stereotypes. The result altough often both parents are working thanks to such stupid stereotyping like in this article those gender normes survive and the working wife makes most of the housework and has less free time than her husband since she has of course to prepare the lunch not only for the kids most of the time but even for her "hubby".

I also thought the "hubbies" reference was ill-advised and out of place for the Kitchn.

How about we talk about fruit?

Is dried fruit all that healthy? My dietician said to not eat it since it's super high in sugar and calories. Fresh fruit is usually the better option, isn't it?

I had to register just to comment on the language in the article - I hope we don't see any future articles about how womenfolk should be barefoot and pregnant in the Kitchn. :-\

LOVE the dried fruit idea.

Hate the reference to working hubbies. I actually copied the link and sent it to my husband b/c he's a stay at home dad and I bring home the bacon. ;)

@cbreynolds Dried fruit you buy in the store is often loaded with added sugar, (dried cranberries are no better for you than gummy bears!), but homemade can be fairly healthy. I personally still prefer to eat fresh fruit as I find it more satisfying-- a dozen grapes is so much better than a dozen raisins and I could easily eat a handful of dried apricots when I'd only eat one fresh-- but for on the go snacks, I think dried fruit can be okay in moderation. Maybe mixed in with some nuts for a little more substance?

Has anyone tried the dried watermelon? I'm intrigued, but a little hesitant...

Please, if it wasn't the hubbies insertion, readers would have certainly found something else to nag about. Dried fruit need not be a become a political platform for gender roles.

This is SO making me get that food dehydrator I've seen at the local Goodwill for a WHILE now...brand new and still in the box for ten bucks! (that IS a good deal right...? right?)

Also, while I appreciate all the outrage at the antiquated gender language (because sometimes the husbands stay at home! rar!) also would like to wave a little flag for those of us partnered with people who CAN'T be our "hubbies" (wifeys) because it's not legal...yet! Working on it..=)

I usually never post comments, but I have to concur with previous comments that this sexist language has really turned me off. Dried fruit is completely trivial if we can't respect hard-workin' ladies and men equally (that means acknowledging women who work outside the home AND giving men their dues for the duties they do in the kitchen too.)

Disappointed.

Really the word hubbie is offensive? Do we need to rant about everything on this blog. We are making a society that is so politically correct that freedom of speech is a thing of the past. I am not in the least bit offended by the word hubbie.

@Patty708 No, the word 'hubbie' isn't inherently offensive, (though I find it rather infantilizing in this context). What is offensive is the implication that it is *always* the wife that is responsible for making snacks for the kids and even for her husband, (but not, of course, for herself). It's the assumption that the wife does not work, (sending the kids and husbands), or that even if she does this task still must be her responsibility. It also ignores the fact that men may be the stay at home parent or that working men would never concern themselves with preparing snacks for their kids. It's a subtle sexism, but it's there, and it does its damage:
http://www.businessweek.com/careers/workingparents/blog/archives/2006/12/chores_and_the.html

The reason that it stands out so much is that this site is usually pretty good at avoiding it. The article could have easily been written or edited to avoid this cliche.

And freedom of speech does not mean freedom from criticism of what you say.

i also want to echo the concern around the use of the "look at the wife's job to make her hubby a nice little lunch and snack!" trope. the kitchn is usually not prone to such misogyny and that's part of why i read it. i really hope that the articles will be more thoughtful about this, as they have been until now, and that this was just a sexist blip on an otherwise awesome site!

Foodefafa, seconded.

Also, on an unrelated note, have you seen the Flight of the Concords episode where they go to Paris and sing foodefafa?! It's my fav.

does anyone know what the real story is with dried fruit and braces? my daughter was told not to eat dried fruit and nuts with braces on, and it was a favorite to take to school for snacks.
she sometimes eats things that are softer, or chews carefully.
and while i agree that fresh fruit is better, she has a long day at school, so the dried holds better for a snack at the end of the day.

(and - agreed on the language - i usually make the snacks since i enjoy cooking/food stuff more, but the gendered language an role assumptions is disturbing)

I think dried fruit is better than no fruit and it does keep better (especially figs and strawberries). But portion-control is a must - it's far too easy to eat a whole packet of dried fruit.

Ditto to all the "hubby" comments. Anyone else surprised that thekitchn didn't just edit that part out? That happens all the time with typos, etc. Let's keep the attention on the food!

Yes, the intro is not very well thought out: after all today most "wifies" go to work as well.

While dried fruit is certainly easier to carry then fresh fruit it also has a lot more sugar (yes, the healthy kind but it's still sugar) and therefor calories. So why not cut up fresh fruit and put it in the tupperware instead?

Please keep the antiquated gender roles out of future posts; it's offensive to a lot of folks and distracts from the point of the post.

Forget the hubbies part - what about the kids? How dare thekitchn assume that we have children!