Eating on the move

Market in Jaipur, India

Eating:  what to eat, when to eat, how much to eat, where to eat, etc. are all at the root of living.  Joyful–yes.   Challenging–yes.  Frustrating–yes.  Time consuming–yes.  And the list goes on regarding emotions and motions tied to food and nutrition.  The news is filled with articles on dieting and the new nutrition “plate” that has replaced the pyramid.  We are looking at getting back to basics with cooking from scratch at schools, fast food restaurants changing their menus to include more healthy choices, and how all of this relates to the growing trend towards obesity.  On the other end of the spectrum, we see the world news with the catastrophic numbers of malnourished children in Somalia and the growing numbers of hungry in America.  Food is a big part of our lives:  survival, business, and global interconnectedness.

With my recent move to India, I am buying fresh food at an open market, using bottled water religiously, and not currently owning a refrigerator–I am acutely aware of food again. Having lived in California where there is an abundant supply and diversity of fresh foods, clean tap water, and stores available 24/7 makes me very appreciative of the ease from which I came. Luckily,  I started the journey in great shape, so there are some reserves to make the transition.  My hope is to not find ill health as boundaries, but of course there have been some digestive adjustments as my “gut bugs” get introduced to new neighbors.  Living with a hot plate and no refrigerator does require planning and staying on top of how my supplies are doing without the Western appliance world at my fingertips .  I have always loved and lived on lots of salad, vegetables, fruits, nuts, yogurt–basics.  I have been fine with ant proof containers for grains, nuts, dried fruit, and dried milk powder.   I have a yogurt/milk source two doors down and a bottled water source on the ground floor of the building I live in.  The market is within a 15 minute walk, so I am set.

Multi-tasking while eating makes sense:  eating smart and nutritious.

food as more than nutrition

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