How do you eat?

Do you enjoy food, or do you just eat to survive? This question has come up in different conversations I have had over the past years. The major purpose of food is to keep you alive and healthy. The healthy part comes into play with a balanced diet. A balanced diet consists of foods and drinks in the right proportion to maintain good health. The Eatwell Guide shows how much of each food group to eat per day for a balanced diet.

Sometimes, we also eat for fun, and most people may not know how to do that. Some people keep special foods for special occasions. I remember when jollof rice and chicken were made for occasions such as birthdays, Christmas, weddings, and so on. If you just made jollof rice on a regular Saturday or Sunday, you were assumed to be rich. But years down the line, this has been demystified. People now make jollof rice for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and whenever they feel like eating it. There’s a reason why it’s the most popular Nigerian meal across the world, with different food bloggers sharing their recipes with the world. It is no longer an occasional meal. However, some people still have this mentality of eating a certain food only on special occasions, even if they can afford it. If you are one of those people, I need to ask, “Why do you do this to yourself? I am a firm believer in eating whatever you want, when you want it, as long as you can afford it. That special occasion may never come, so enjoy the little time you have to spend alive and eat that steak you have always longed for.

Some other people know how to combine feeding hunger while also enjoying the meal; I fall into this category. When I am hungry, I mostly eat what I feel like eating; on rare occasions, I eat what is available. If I do not have the necessary ingredients to make the meal I want, I go and buy them. I am very aware this is a privilege, and I am grateful for that. I give food a lot of thought. I think about food for at least an hour a day—what I want to eat and how I want it. The hunger can wait until I get the desired meal.
Most times, I try to eat a balanced diet with all the recommended classes of food, especially with my food preparations. The colours please the eyes and make your food experience exciting.

Let me make a distinction: enjoying your food does not mean gluttony. I would say that enjoying your food is an experience that will reduce gluttony, whether you plan your meal or not. Gluttony is just excessive eating and greed that can arise from different situations.
So, I ask you, what would you like to eat today? What do you want to eat that will spark joy and make you do that little dance on your dining chair? Whatever it is, go get it as long as it’s available to you.