My evening walk is “my time” when, I go for a fast walk on the busy roads darting between free pavements and the little space the roads provide. It’s usually an interesting time during which I engage in scanning the roadside vendors and their wares, watch the changing road scenes as if in a movie and not to miss the most important “people observation” . From recent times I have been seeing people of all ages sporting green, orange or red t-shirts and waiting outside small, medium and big eateries and also whizzing on crowded roads. People give way with respect not because they sport the colors of the traffic lights but as they are the current food gods without whom many stomachs would go hungry.
The concept of food delivery through mobile apps has changed the face of not only our kitchens but also the supply of readily available cooked food, our eating styles and food preferences . We don’t have to plan meals, check our grocery stock or the vegetable availability in our kitchens any more. The moment a hunger pang or food craving hits us, all that we have to do is to browse the food delivery app/apps on our mobile and decide on what we want to eat. In a maximum of 40 minutes the food is at our doors and if not you get your food free and the poor food delivery “boy” known as a “partner” in the food delivery parlance will pay for your food. People who work late, harried parents and on-the-go city dwellers are key takeout customers. Food choices and culinary curiosity is a major appeal though convenience is definitely fueling this trend. The importance of getting” what you want to eat when you want it” is rapidly growing to the extent that little ones at home ask you order ‘French fries ’when they have a desire for their forbidden food.
But can all this food possibly be good for us? Researchers are just beginning to look into the health and nutrition ramifications of this swing in the world of dining. As convenient as it seems, this drift does have a downside too. For one thing, delivery fees and minimum order amounts can make food more expensive but beyond that does this food contribute to our wellness? Does it enhance and lead us to a state of optimal health that is oriented towards maximizing our potential? Can Food delivered at our door steps even help us to slim down? Are we using the time saved in grocery shopping and cooking in physical exercise and other productive activities?
“Annadatha sukhi bhava…’ My father used to say this after almost every meal prepared by my mother. Have the “good times” changed? In our effort to pack an ever increasing amount of activities into a 24 hour day are we hesitating to exchange our free time for cooking food? The questions are endless. These points have to be definitely pondered because time is not on our side and research prediction says that earth will have to bear 1.5 billion obese people. Our bodies and brains are wired for scarcity and survival and not for superabundance. Let our roads be filled with colors- Colors of health, joy and prosperity. Let us learn to look at green, orange and red with caution.
My tonight’s dinner was a crispy brown onion rava dosa. Making of this dosa is an art easily learnt. The aroma and the sizzle of pure ghee and spices such as green chillies, cumin seeds, pepper, fresh coriander, ginger and curry leaves was really mouthwatering…. I said loudly to myself… Anna datha sukhi bhava
