The Dora Deception -- by Jamie Levine

“Dora yogurt! I want my Dora yogurt!” my daughter screamed in the kitchen as my mother unpacked the groceries she and Jayda had just bought while I was working.

“Huh? You bought her Dora yogurt?!” I barked at my mom. Jayda certainly gets her share of treats, but my mom knows I try hard to make sure that most of Jayda’s food is healthy. She also knows that Jayda loves Greek yogurt. It’s full of protein, low in sugar and fat, and when I mix fresh fruit in it for her, she devours it. Who needs processed, sugar-filled yogurt? Not us!

My mom explained that Jayda had seen a Dora yogurt drink at the store and wanted it. So, as with all the other “unnecessary” items my daughter had begged for while they shopped, my mom put it in the cart and then snuck it back onto a shelf before they checked out. She hadn’t bought it. However, Jayda, who seemed to have forgotten about all the other missing purchases, couldn’t forget Dora. It was “Dora yogurt! I want it!” all night long.

The next day, I went to the supermarket and took a look at my daughter’s new obsession. As I’d suspected, the yogurt drink had practically no protein, and was packed with sugar. But the container was appealing—pink, covered with pictures of adorable Dora, and even featured a “star counting” game. And the six-pack was on sale! So…what was a responsible, loving mom to do?

I bought the Dora yogurt drinks. Then, I ran home and pulled out my blender. Tossed a container of 2% Greek yogurt in there—and some fresh mango. Then, some organic 1% milk, and a pinch of cinnamon. I thought about adding a little honey, but this mango was so sweet, it wasn’t necessary. When I was satisfied with my concoction, I opened up all of the Dora yogurts I had just purchased—and dumped them down the drain. Finally, I refilled the containers with “my” yogurt drink and sealed them all back up. Presto! Healthy, protein-filled “Dora” yogurt drinks. And you know what? My kid loves them!

Now, if they only sold Dora frozen broccoli!