A Wake-up Call to Healthier Eating Habits

In pictures: Food I cooked after this conversation, as a memorabilia :P

During my two-week hiatus from my family, I found myself having to manage my own food for the first time in a while.
Living in a city like Bengaluru, I had several options at my disposal, including food delivery apps like Swiggy and Zomato. There are also numerous restaurants, each claim to offer “fresh,” “healthy,” or “organic” food.
I empathise with the working couples or bachelors, finding time to cook our own meals is a challenge.

In order to save time, I decided to walk to a nearby cafe early in the morning for a plate of idli.

The cafe was crowded, and and I found one seat on a table with a Zomato delivery guy who was also having idli.

We struck up a conversation about food in Bangalore and began discussing the eating habits of people in the city.

“I wish people here had more interest in what food they’re eating” — I was initially shocked by his statement.

I asked him to dive more into it.

He said, majority of population in Bangalore are here for jobs. Everyone in the family is busy earning money and they are fine with whatever the restaurant has to offer.

“But we always have a choice to order from a restaurant based on brand name and ratings”

That’s the mistake sir. Rating cannot tell you whether the dough was fresh that was used in your bread. Or the vegetables were procured fresh, peeled properly and washed well before being used.

Were the utensils clean? Where is all this information on your order?

What happens if you get a stale food? You file complain, the money is refunded and you throw the food away.
Is there any option to see the recording of the food being cooked, the purchase slip of vegetables, etc?

“You’re also eating outside. Also, what do you think is the solution for this?”

“Sir I am eating outside after almost 3 months and I am feeling bad about it. If you are earning X amount of money, you should think how much equivalent money is for good food and health. If you work Y hours for X, calculate A amount time equivalent for your food.”

Try to give A amount of time at home and cook the food. If both of you are working — switch to alternate days. Weekend one day — probably enjoy the meal.

“But what about those who don’t know to cook?”

“You need some skills to save your life sir, take swimming for example. You may survive even if you don’t know how to swim, but will always rely on others for your life.”

In the end, I came away from our conversation with a renewed appreciation for the importance of good food and health.
It’s true that relying on restaurants isn’t always the best option, and that taking the time to prepare your own food can have numerous benefits.
As the delivery guy said, saving your own life is a skill, just like swimming. Whether you’re a working professional or not, devoting some time to making your own meals is an important step toward living a healthier, more sustainable lifestyle.

#healthyeating #lifelessons