Although the world is getting fatter by the day, including me, I have also come across many people, whose bodies are so weak that they medically need to gain weight. One thing that I have noticed in such people, is that their eating habits are not really in order. By eating habits, I don't mean that they don't watch their diet. They might take care to eat all the right foods, at the right times and in the right quantities. But that itself does not comprise of good eating habits, that is just like good etiquette.
What I mean by eating habits, is that they don't respect the food they eat. There is no love for the food. They eat, because they have to, to survive. And they eat while watching TV or working on their phones and laptops. They eat when everbody is eating and stop when everyone is done - not paying attention to what their mind and body is saying. They eat for the wrong reasons.
But its a sad state that I have come across in most households, including my own. More than the food, the attention is on the TV that is playing. And if ever they comment about the food, it is if the food is very good or if it is not up to their preferences.
Personally, I feel very sad when I see this. When we were young, there was a great importance on food in our family. We were never allowed to play with our food or even the food plates. Dinner was a family occasion when everybody would sit down together and also talk about each others' daily life. Yes there was the TV. But we did enjoy our food.
Early on, we were taught to put only as much food on our plates, as we were willing to eat. We were taught not to waste food, nor to leave crumpled leftovers all over the plates. And also not to complain about the food, we were told about how a balanced diet was important.
We were a lower middle class family, and cooking - eating habits (like everything else) were based on the principle of thrift. No extra food was cooked, and no food on the plate was wasted. Of course, as kids we sometimes threw tantrums for the food we wanted, and occasionally that was given to us. My sister's favourite veggie one day, and the next day it was my turn. It was like a prize for good behaviour - we learned to value the food that we got.
Sweets, biscuits, wafers - all the fast food stuff that today's kids eat on a daily basis, were rare treats that were always shared. One square piece from a cadbury bar or one cream biscuit allowed on a day. We complained about it bitterly then, but we could relish it with much more gusto than anyday now. When we had less, we enjoyed it more.
I have begun to feel that it is much better to show thrift in your children's growing, learning years (1-10). I don't mean that you feed them less leaving them malnourished. Give all they need, but never more. Because basic food habits stay long with you, and it is always difficult to change it later in life. If you inculcate good eating habits in them, that can be the best thing you can ever do for their health, even when you are no longer around.
And as with food, children should be taught to appreciate everything they have, all that's on the plate. Why, its a lesson for all of us. To take a moment to sit back and enjoy what we have - one thing at a time.
What I mean by eating habits, is that they don't respect the food they eat. There is no love for the food. They eat, because they have to, to survive. And they eat while watching TV or working on their phones and laptops. They eat when everbody is eating and stop when everyone is done - not paying attention to what their mind and body is saying. They eat for the wrong reasons.
But its a sad state that I have come across in most households, including my own. More than the food, the attention is on the TV that is playing. And if ever they comment about the food, it is if the food is very good or if it is not up to their preferences.
Personally, I feel very sad when I see this. When we were young, there was a great importance on food in our family. We were never allowed to play with our food or even the food plates. Dinner was a family occasion when everybody would sit down together and also talk about each others' daily life. Yes there was the TV. But we did enjoy our food.
Early on, we were taught to put only as much food on our plates, as we were willing to eat. We were taught not to waste food, nor to leave crumpled leftovers all over the plates. And also not to complain about the food, we were told about how a balanced diet was important.
We were a lower middle class family, and cooking - eating habits (like everything else) were based on the principle of thrift. No extra food was cooked, and no food on the plate was wasted. Of course, as kids we sometimes threw tantrums for the food we wanted, and occasionally that was given to us. My sister's favourite veggie one day, and the next day it was my turn. It was like a prize for good behaviour - we learned to value the food that we got.
Sweets, biscuits, wafers - all the fast food stuff that today's kids eat on a daily basis, were rare treats that were always shared. One square piece from a cadbury bar or one cream biscuit allowed on a day. We complained about it bitterly then, but we could relish it with much more gusto than anyday now. When we had less, we enjoyed it more.
I have begun to feel that it is much better to show thrift in your children's growing, learning years (1-10). I don't mean that you feed them less leaving them malnourished. Give all they need, but never more. Because basic food habits stay long with you, and it is always difficult to change it later in life. If you inculcate good eating habits in them, that can be the best thing you can ever do for their health, even when you are no longer around.
And as with food, children should be taught to appreciate everything they have, all that's on the plate. Why, its a lesson for all of us. To take a moment to sit back and enjoy what we have - one thing at a time.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Thank you for your comments!