The once favorite and palatable fast food item is serving some unpalatable truths. It’s been quite a revelation of some unsavory truth about its ingredients. Once, the cynosure of many generations and the promise of saving ‘2 minutes’ of your precious time and make you proud of your culinary prowess. The dream that was being sold for so many years is turning out to be a nightmare, and it’s not the usual ‘heavy metal’ show. If we add up those 2 minutes from our lives, in retrospect, we could have made a better choice with our food habits.
Now, that we have gotten used to ‘fast-food’ (packaged, ready-to-use food items) with longer shelf-life than ours. Preservatives seem to be the magic potion which gives these food items an ageless look and feel. They have moved up the food pyramid, dislodging many of the food categories, which were earlier thought to be healthier. They belong to the elitist group of non-perishable food items.
Our fantasy with food and gluttony has crossed permissible limits. We have created an ecosystem of unhealthy food habits, which barely manages to supplement our required nutrition. As life becomes more of a race to compete with each other and relentlessly search for a utopian life, turns out to be a mirage in a desert. Even desserts, cannot sweeten the impact of the travails of such life. Soon the kitchen will become redundant and foods available off the shelf, ready-to-eat will become the preferred option. The easier way always seems lucrative. The attractive packaging and the nexus between those fancy advertisements and media ensure that we are bombarded with these fast food items 24/7. Every day we see the launch of new and flashier launch of our lunch and dinner. Endorsed by celebrities, gives these brands a false sense of credibility. Manipulating the minds of masses becomes easier.
Eating out at fancy food joints or restaurants has been glamorized enough. Every other day a new place opens in our city and in our vicinity. Not visiting them, makes you stand out from the crowd. So, joining the bandwagon of fancy dinners and eating out becomes the norm. Not wanting to be left out or being bereft of all the gourmet cuisine may portray one as out of the league. Never mind the health issues related to unhealthy eating.
Freshly grown vegetables, organic food, seasonal fruits and local produce should be the ideal choice, over those fancy foods. The fast-paced path may give some immediate thrill but proves costly in the long run. When the choice is ours, let’s choose wisely, the building blocks of our body (food), to make us stronger and not otherwise.
Amitav Chowdhury 