From the dining table at home to business lunches at hotels, food is at the centre of any gathering. But the food, especially the one that we prepare at home and share together, is much more than something we eat.
Leave the taste aside; family dinners or eating together teach us more than just food-related values and dining conventions. Coming to the dining table together is all about love, care, and tradition that have been passed down through generations!
It is a way of bond with and connecting with each other. These memories live with you! It creates a sense of safety in seemingly uncertain circumstances!
We know expressions of nostalgia for the family meal are commonplace. I still remember the joy of gathering around the table, especially during festivals or special occasions. The aroma and taste of those dishes, the laughter, and the chatter are memories that stay with me forever.
Unfortunately, our food menu has transformed over the years, with diets becoming almost distorted compared to those “old good days." The way we prepare food has changed dramatically thanks to different kitchenware and ingredients.
While convenience is a huge selling point, there has been a visible shift in our eating habits, preferences, and attitudes. Factors like income, food prices, individual preferences and beliefs, and cultural traditions have all influenced changes in our food patterns.
It’s a pity that most people are missing out on what could be meaningful time with their loved ones. Although we live as a family, each member is on a different track through life. More and more, we eat alone, whether at work, at home, or even in restaurants.
Look at full-time working spouses; for them, time is a critical factor. They just grab whatever they get on their way. And the children of those parents increasingly eat pre-prepared meals, accompanied only by a television or a tablet!
A report by Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development a few years ago revealed that students who do not regularly eat with their parents are significantly “more likely to be truant at school." The elderly increasingly live on their own and eat in isolation.
Taking advantage of this kind of situation, manufacturers have tapped into our time by making “convenient and comfort food." Sadly, the variety and convenience of ‘fast food’ have certainly taken a bite out of family mealtimes.
They know well how to cater to our fast-paced lifestyles by delivering a wide range of food items ‘on the go’ at low cost. While convenience foods have their place, especially for quick breakfasts and lunches for working people, they are no substitute for family dinners eaten together.
Moreover, as we now enjoy a greater variety of processed foods, do not forget the fact that challenges like obesity and cardiovascular disease worsen our health, especially if you do not have enough physical activity!
Today's fast life can't afford to spare much time for cooking. Today’s young generation asks why they should bother spending hours cooking when they can head to the supermarket and buy everything ready-made.
But one thing they forget is the nutrient value of traditional foods. It cannot be compared with ready-to-eat food, even as many of these processed foods are similar in appearance and flavor to those of the traditional diet.
The all-famous 1825 quote “Tell me what you eat, and I shall tell you who you are” by French connoisseur Anthelme Brillat-Savarin reveals it all. These words mirror the profound connections to the natural environment in which people of those days lived and to the cultural traditions into which they were born!
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