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The Hindu
The Hindu
Comment
Balasubramaniam Pavani

Should food be a luxury?

Hot, fresh food is everyone’s dream, but how many are fortunate to have hot food served in a plate. If healthy hot food becomes a luxury, the word luxury would lose its significance. An essential need cannot, and should not, be a luxury. But sadly it is these days. Lots of money, but hot food comes at a premium.

Do we eat properly the food we carry in small tiffin boxes to the workplace? Do children eat properly at school. The answer could mostly be in the negative. It would invariably be inadequate, the small containers and the food in it prepared hours ago, would certainly not be a full ideal meal like the ones we have at home on holidays. While we relish hot fresh food, we invariably compromise on the most pertinent and urgent need. The food we carry can get cold during the rainy and winter seasons, consumed more out of necessity than relishing the taste. Dinners are often late, with time spent on watching television and browsing the phone.

Nothing attracts man more than food. His eyes wanders on the menu, at weddings, parties and even during auspicious ceremonies. The tongue loves the irresistible flavour. It is a universally acknowledged fact.

Have food on time, is the classic advice given at all times and everywhere. Why do we look at the clock for the food we eat. Food is best relished when one is hungry, yet we go by the time.

It’s breakfast time, it’s lunch time, it’s time for dinner. What has time to do with food?

Food is an essential, inescapable need for all of us, without which survival is impossible. Isn’t it surprising that food and clock have a great bondage together. Most of us go by the clock and not by appetite or hunger. We either overeat or eat less. We know the value of food and dread wastage.

In an attempt to avoid wastage, we eat more than what we can, the result biting off more than we can chew.

The habit sets in us very early; to be precise, from childhood days in school. Our ancestors used to have lunch much early than we do today. Dinner used to be very early in the past.

Isn’t it an irony that all the hard work we do is for survival in which the food’s place is on top, but do we give the importance it needs. Most of the diseases today are due to irregular food habits, We just eat for survival. Is having a proper meal on only holidays good enough?

balasubramaniampavani@gmail.com

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