Changing trends in food

Food habits determine much of our health, healthy eating has become a passé.

What is it that motivates us to work hard in our lives? What gives us energy to fight against troubled times? Is it love? Is it determination? Or is it simply our hunger for success? All these are true when it comes to achieving our goals but the most basic element that not only ensures our success but also our survival is – food! How far do we appreciate its value? Do we eat the right thing, in the right way and in the right time?

Centuries ago, the sages of India charted plans to make eating food an enjoyable experience. They believed Gods resided in food and so we must first worship our meal and then start eating. But in this age of fast and junk food, I’m not sure how many of us even have the time to see what we are eating, let alone pray before we start. Everything is packed, sealed and most products are even aerated.

According to experts, we should chew our food 32 times before swallowing it. This is because our stomach does not have any organ to chew it. If we do not chew our food properly, the enzymes in our stomach have to work extra hard for digesting it.

“I am used to eating food in a hurry”, says Boni, a student. For most youngsters now, this is the norm; either they eat hastily or eat nothing at all.

Thanks to technology, we can have any fruit or vegetable at any time of the year. But do we care that brinjal ‘naturally’ grows in winter because it has heating properties, and should be avoided during the summer? The same way, mango replenishes all the minerals and nutrients that we lose in the form of sweat during hot temperatures, and that in winter it only exacerbates the already falling temperature of the body. In the same vein, leafy green vegetables contain more nutrients right after the monsoon.

Suman, a UG student loves the colours she sees on her food plate. “you see carrots, cabbage, curry made of edible leaves, chutneys, I love to see all these placed on my platter.”

Now we have an array of options for the food we eat. Many cities in India have restaurants dedicated to Thai, Chinese, French and other cuisines in addition to the Mughlai, South Indian, Chettinad and other homegrown flavours. International companies like Pizza Hut, Baskins Robbins and McDonald’s are all popular with the urban population, while tikki chat, golgappa, bhelpuri still dominate the scene.

“I love golgappas. I have to have it whenever I spot a stall. Besides, other chaats are also equally welcome,” says Seema, a foodie.

While youngsters gobble up these mouth-watering delicacies, mothers worry about their children’s health. Mrs.Thapa, mother of three daughters and a son, says “my girls are crazy about street food and want me to join them whenever I am with them. None of my objections can keep them away from junk. I know it is not healthy and now, even my two-year-old granddaughter is picking up the trend. I just don’t know how to dissuade them.”

Health remains a concern when it comes to eating outside. But there is the counter-argument that what we eat at home is also not pure, and the vegetables we buy at the grocer’s have been grown under the influence of pesticides. Eating habits, cooking processes, food choices, everything has undergone a drastic change in the last few decades. But let the food find its way into our tummy, not just for taste, but also for health. As a popular saying goes, “jaan hai to jahan hai”.

Ujjaini

1st yr. M.A Mass Comm