Kya Khaaya?

In Jharia, whenever we went out and came home, my grandmother had only one question for us. It was " "Majja aavi  aney su khaadhu?" Two questions, actually.  It means Did you enjoy and what did you eat? As a child, this was an irritating. Everything was fun when we went out and food was not important. I thought her only question was to know the menu. Gauri Bai did not eat from restaurants, she did not eat breads or cakes. She did not eat onion and garlic, so restaurant food was a big No for her. Dhanbad did not have the option of Jain food in restaurants which is without even potatoes. There was no concept of take-away foods and delivery boys. We all went out to eat. The "Double Gupchup" from Rameshwar came at home packed in a steel Dibba. It tasted delicious. Sitting in a restaurant and eating was a joy.  I used to think that  because Bai doesn't eat out, she wants to know what we eat. Now when my children go out and come home, my first question is "What did you eat?" It is because I am concerned about the amount of junk they eat . I am concerned about what food they are fed when they visit friends. Many a times, they have eaten Domino's Pizza or Maggi when it is a stay over at a friend s house and my home too. 

I would keep wondering why Pizza and Maggi. These are the two things which do not make your house dirty and all kids like them. Children like it because they do not eat often enough in their own homes. Today's children have become fussy eaters. Most mothers are catering to their child's fussy eating habits. Children are not used to eating at other people s homes. Food trends at home have changed. Whenever there are guests, there is an urge to keep more dishes. Women not able to manage so much cooking so they order a few dishes from outside . When you order from a restaurant, then the guests are definitely happy. Some hosts want to pamper the guests by ordering food from outside and some want a clean kitchen with no food smell, when the guests arrive. We are not visiting anyone casually to eat their normal home food. It is either a festival or a special occasion like a birthday or anniversary. Some women are working and do not have help at home, so they also prefer ordering from out. There are a lot of frozen foods available in the market. Though expensive, they are quick to stir fry or fry and eat. It saves a lot of preparation time, ingredients and effort. The whole trip is to eat packaged food or outside food and then burn calories at the gym. Whenever children are coming, the host is making sure there is Pasta or Fried Rice on her table. The child will automatically eat that because the mother insists that he/she doesn't eat spicy food. What is wrong with eating spicy food? Indian spices are so good at building immunity in the child. 

We really need to realign our food habits. Start with waking up on time and eating on time. Basically follow the Sun. Indian cuisine is varied with ingredients, spices and cooking techniques . Let the palate experience new flavours. Let your life experience new aromas. Dive into the world of good health and happiness. The colours there are magical and you will feel energised. Remember "Kya Khaaya?" is an important question to self and family. It shall keep you in check. Checks and Balances are important. Your food is deciding your emotional well being. Binging on junk food or binge watching all those series on Netflix or Prime are going to harm your mental, physical and emotional quotient.  Better choose our food  and thoughts carefully.