Thinking About Food

This post springs from last Saturday's ST report on Huntington, reportedly USA's unhealthiest city. Hope they will get to eating well and change that label! Jia You! (you can do it!!!)

It's an eye opener that fresh food is more expensive than processed foods in USA because of government subsidies. Imagine, after processing the food, it comes out still cheaper than food that is fresh from a grower or farmer.... Which is why poor people are also more likely to be obese- because they can't afford the fresh, healthy food and buy more of the frozen pizzas, hamburgers and fires and coke and all that. It's killing them slow. :(

So I got onto youtube and started watching Jamie Oliver's reality TV series called Food Revolution where he goes to Huntington to try to encourage people to change their eating habits and start a... well,... revolution. Food wise.

It's an eye opener, that series. I'm pasting it here at the end of this post. I sadly have to add a disclaimer about some of his word choices, though. :(

Meals around here.

I have always included in my cooking the main food groups in every meal: carbo (rice, pasta, noodles etc.), meat (we usually eat chicken or pork, frozen fish because fresh is so expensive), and veges. We expose our kids to all kinds of veges: broccoli (fav!), carrots, celery, bean sprouts, string beans, green leafys like kai lan and spinach, mushrooms, asparagus, cabbage, wong bok,... and garlic. Garlic is a main stay in my stir-fries. :)

Any one of these food groups missing in a meal, I'll feel the meal is incomplete.

In one of the Food Revolution episodes (Ep. 1, actually), Jamie pops into a home and we take a peek at what a family eats in a whole week: lots of frozen pizza, donuts, bacon, ham, eggs, corn dogs... the main cooking appliance in that household was a deep fryer. I don't know where I heard this byte but it was a mom that said that it's about giving the kids what they want to eat that is making meals unhealthy. That is so true!

Most kids don't naturally want to eat their veges or healthy stuff. Give them a choice and they'll choose a burger and fries. No, actually, they'll choose chocolate and m&m s. ... But parents shouldn't shy away from exposing their children to a wide variety of foods. I have seen families with very "conservative" menus. The children don't eat this or they don't eat that. You can't put onions in the dish, or they won't touch carrots, etc.

For us, I don't cook separate dishes for kids and adults (unless it involves chilli). Whatever we eat, they eat. As for chilli, I feel it is really quite a torture for young ones to take but then again, I remember when I used to have an Indian neighbour whose toddler was consuming curry everyday- spicy curry! Well, he saw what the adults were having and he'd ask for it too.

So who's to say what kids can or can't eat? The adults, basically. See, I would draw the line with spicy chilli, but another family would not, and their kids are fine! So why do some parents give their children only "safe" choices like potatoes and ham and eggs?

I need to add that we are trying our best to eat healthily and exercise! Got a long way to go in this department.... but moving on....

Food Awareness Journey

I'll have to admit, I didn't always think too carefully about the food I feed my family. And I know I've a long way to go in learning more about food!

It was only a couple of years back that I was introduced to health food stuff, starting with Apple Cider Vinegar. The accompanying literature talked about the benefits of natural ACV and the natural kind (with the Mother, still floating in it.) Don't buy the distilled white kind. It's all dead of active enzymes and stuff. That got me thinking about what other food we were consuming daily but not benefiting nutritionally from.

So I started eating and feeding my family more raw veges in the form of coleslaw (which my kids love! raw cabbage and carrots! Imagine that!) Raw, so that we can get the minerals and vitamins, not killed by cooking.

Then came other things like awareness of transfat in food. I became interested in baking my own bread, (and having loads of fun too!) to avoid the additives they add into commercial breads to make it stay fresh and fluffy on the supermarket shelves longer.

I think the food revolution has been going on in Singapore for quite a couple of years now. Many homemakers are also in to making their own bread. Many are juicing their own fruit and vegetable juices (that, I don't). Many are making their own yoghurt (that I do!)

However, I have to say, the list of food scare stories can go on and on, ever pushing us to buy this magic juicer or that magic steamer. I've seen people who turn this food thing into a religion of sorts. It starts taking too much of their concern avoiding certain meats, cutting out all the fats, making a big taboo of canned foods or what have you.

I am reminded in 1 Corinthians where Paul instructs the immature church at Corinth that when they are invited to a meal, they were not to ask questions about where the food came from, whether it was offered to idols aforehand or not.

1 Corinthians 10:27   If any of them that believe not bid you to a feast, and ye be disposed to go; whatsoever is set before you, eat, asking no question for conscience sake.   

Just give thanks and eat it graciously. (Please read the whole Chapter for context.)

I think, likewise, some caught up in the current healthy-eating religion should also just give thanks and eat whatever is placed before them (be it char kway teow from the local hawker centre or Or Luak. Just eat it.) (yum....:p )

"Food offered to idols" and "fat laden processed foods" (and others that fall under the avoid-like-plague label)... what a comparison! LOL!!! But if you've met some of these healthy eating folks, you know exactly what I mean.

Oh yes, please do check out my section on Handy Recipes. It's my food section. :) And if you didn't already know, I love baking and decorating cakes as well. (All that sinful stuff!!!)

Well, over to you, Jamie Oliver.

Comments

[Serene]

You wrote : "I have seen families with very "conservative" menus. The children don't eat this or they don't eat that. You can't put onions in the dish, or they won't touch carrots, etc"

Hmm...I would just be careful of assuming that it's always the parents' fault. You have been blessed with children who will eat raw cabbage and carrots and broccoli!

Just like you, we have always offered a variety of foods when they start out. But along the way, they WILL develop their own tastes - just like fashion perhaps? :P And they will not eat green or raw stuff :(

I guess the difference is that I still make them eat it except the 3 yr old. She's excused till she's 4! :D

Actually all our children start out loving veggies then they turn 2 or 3. And they would have nothing to do with them :(

[Suwei]

Hi Serene,
thanks for dropping by and appreciate the input.:)Adds depth to the conversation. :)
I apologize if it came out looking like I'm putting all the "blame" on parents. I would hate to broad brush families like that.
I guess the point I was trying to make is that parents should not shy away from getting their children to eat their greens and to eat a wide variety of food. (like you do with your kids.)
And yes, I'd agree that it might be a childhood thing, types of foods and tastes. Like, when I was a child, I used to avoid celery, and other strong tasting veges. Now, I love the different tastes. Need more excitement palate-wise, I guess?

[YW]

I was having dinner with an Indian friend (in Bangalore) and we ordered chicken-corn soup. I was savoring my portion and commenting how nice it was to finally have non-spicy food, when I noticed he was very quiet. Finally, he perked up when he saw the chilli bottle and poured a generous dollop into his bowl.

I couldn't resist asking in amusement, "Was it too bland?" and he agreed, "Yah, no taste".

Now back to your main message of eating a healthy variety of foods.. :)

[Suwei]

hi YW! Sorry for the delayed response!! how are you doing? very well, I'm sure! :D

I think livening up your food with chilli is much better than loading up with the salt shaker. ;) Good on you friend. haha.

I'm not a serious chilli eater but i think i'll die (or be very miserable) if i only had access to "bland" food all the time. We were travelling in England/Ireland/Scotland/Belgium one year and the moment we got to London, we jumped into the first tandoori restaurant we found. VERY SATISFACTORY. :)