Hello and welcome back everyone!
This wonderful morning, your friend and host Prabhasini, that's me, sat sipping on a cup of coffee and home-baked cookies along with smacking delicious desi-style pizza, which is a fusion of thepla, which is a typical gujarati variant of chapati and a kind of spicy mexican pizza, which we had sometime ago at a pizzeria. And it was then that suddenly I became nostalgic about my Lunch-Box.
Our school was scheduled to be a morning - school, and in order to reach there in time to catch the morning assembly, we had to set out early-by 6:00 am. And hence, tiffin making began by 4:30 or 5, in the wee hours of morning. Yet, despite all the efforts of mothers went in, most of the lunch boxes came back, either as it was packed or half empty. As kids, often a lot of excuses were stocked up the sleeves.
1.Either their was P.T classes during lunch break
2. Or, it was a friend's birthday, so, he / she was the one who sponsored the lunch for the day
3. The teacher was so ruthless, she made us work upon an assignment, to be submitted just the next period,
And what not.
And trust me, and maybe verify it with your own experiences, these excuses were always far from reality.
However, I found something different in my lunch box. And also in the lunch boxes of a couple of friends of mine. The difference is - these could never be left empty. Actually there was no question of it. The food, and also the presentation, both were so deliciously appealing.
Later on, when I was made the monitor of the entire class, which included four sections in all, I made it a point to figure out - the real reason behind such a difference. And then, I found -
in terms of taste and presentation, home-food can match or beat street-food, but, it also depends on how the child has been counseled, and made to realize the importance of Maa-ke-haath-ka-khana.
And, this has its share of benefits as well.
1. Home-cooked food, without any arguments further, is always far healthier compared to food ordered from outside. Even ready to cook meals, which might be an appealing short-cut for many, proves to be much lower in terms of nutritious value, just adding up the calorie intake.
2. Proper care is taken at all stages of food - preparation, in home-cooking. Hence, one can be extra-sure, that the items consumed has been prepared in a proper manner, in clean utensils, under strict supervision of mothers, with good quality ingredients, which would not be harmful for us. But seldom is such care taken at food stalls outside.
3. Our moms know us best. Since school hours are longer, and at times include the lunch hour, they prepare the dish which would not only keep our tummies filled, but also give us all the necessary nutrients to stay active and strong. Outside food, might be appealing to our taste-buds, but, often, neither the quantity, nor the quality is sufficient enough.
4. And, at last, the home-cooked lunch box also comes with a lot of love packed in the layers by our moms. Where else will we get such feelings of care, vigilance, love, friendliness, protectiveness, team-spirit, packed together.
Hence, it is always a wiser and better choice to have Dabba-khali-pet-full, with home made tiffin.
And for the parents - here are some tips for you, gathered from my parents and lots of other parents as well...
a. Involve children in making their own tiffin. That way, they would better value, what food-making is like, and also understand the importance and benefits of variety of stuffs better. It will also teach them important skills of time management, completing tasks within short stipulated time, never compromising with ones needs even in tough times, and a lot more. Trust me, kids if activated thus, can surpass adults in their pursuit of creative thinking.
b. Use vegetables of different colours in their lunch. The more creative and colourful the platter is, the more likely that it will be finished off.
c. Try to pack the food in such a manner, so that by the time they have their lunch, the flavours still remain intact.
d. Never ever rebuke. This is very vital. Else, you would end up having a rebel in your home, who would never ever comply. Instead, try to get to the real reason behind not emptying the lunch box. Your kids, with your own genes, can least be a nuisance, as a lot of parents regard. Rather, the bottom-line fact is, the person they care the most and love the most is you. So, its unto you, to make them take steps to both realize your feelings, and take concrete steps to express their love - by having their Tiffin, with lots of love.
Would love to know your views on this topic. You can follow me on twitter @PranWin. Or you can email me on this address - aamiprabhasini@gmail.com . Looking forward to hearing from you.
This wonderful morning, your friend and host Prabhasini, that's me, sat sipping on a cup of coffee and home-baked cookies along with smacking delicious desi-style pizza, which is a fusion of thepla, which is a typical gujarati variant of chapati and a kind of spicy mexican pizza, which we had sometime ago at a pizzeria. And it was then that suddenly I became nostalgic about my Lunch-Box.
Our school was scheduled to be a morning - school, and in order to reach there in time to catch the morning assembly, we had to set out early-by 6:00 am. And hence, tiffin making began by 4:30 or 5, in the wee hours of morning. Yet, despite all the efforts of mothers went in, most of the lunch boxes came back, either as it was packed or half empty. As kids, often a lot of excuses were stocked up the sleeves.
1.Either their was P.T classes during lunch break
2. Or, it was a friend's birthday, so, he / she was the one who sponsored the lunch for the day
3. The teacher was so ruthless, she made us work upon an assignment, to be submitted just the next period,
And what not.
And trust me, and maybe verify it with your own experiences, these excuses were always far from reality.
However, I found something different in my lunch box. And also in the lunch boxes of a couple of friends of mine. The difference is - these could never be left empty. Actually there was no question of it. The food, and also the presentation, both were so deliciously appealing.
Later on, when I was made the monitor of the entire class, which included four sections in all, I made it a point to figure out - the real reason behind such a difference. And then, I found -
in terms of taste and presentation, home-food can match or beat street-food, but, it also depends on how the child has been counseled, and made to realize the importance of Maa-ke-haath-ka-khana.
And, this has its share of benefits as well.
1. Home-cooked food, without any arguments further, is always far healthier compared to food ordered from outside. Even ready to cook meals, which might be an appealing short-cut for many, proves to be much lower in terms of nutritious value, just adding up the calorie intake.
2. Proper care is taken at all stages of food - preparation, in home-cooking. Hence, one can be extra-sure, that the items consumed has been prepared in a proper manner, in clean utensils, under strict supervision of mothers, with good quality ingredients, which would not be harmful for us. But seldom is such care taken at food stalls outside.
3. Our moms know us best. Since school hours are longer, and at times include the lunch hour, they prepare the dish which would not only keep our tummies filled, but also give us all the necessary nutrients to stay active and strong. Outside food, might be appealing to our taste-buds, but, often, neither the quantity, nor the quality is sufficient enough.
4. And, at last, the home-cooked lunch box also comes with a lot of love packed in the layers by our moms. Where else will we get such feelings of care, vigilance, love, friendliness, protectiveness, team-spirit, packed together.
Hence, it is always a wiser and better choice to have Dabba-khali-pet-full, with home made tiffin.
And for the parents - here are some tips for you, gathered from my parents and lots of other parents as well...
a. Involve children in making their own tiffin. That way, they would better value, what food-making is like, and also understand the importance and benefits of variety of stuffs better. It will also teach them important skills of time management, completing tasks within short stipulated time, never compromising with ones needs even in tough times, and a lot more. Trust me, kids if activated thus, can surpass adults in their pursuit of creative thinking.
b. Use vegetables of different colours in their lunch. The more creative and colourful the platter is, the more likely that it will be finished off.
c. Try to pack the food in such a manner, so that by the time they have their lunch, the flavours still remain intact.
d. Never ever rebuke. This is very vital. Else, you would end up having a rebel in your home, who would never ever comply. Instead, try to get to the real reason behind not emptying the lunch box. Your kids, with your own genes, can least be a nuisance, as a lot of parents regard. Rather, the bottom-line fact is, the person they care the most and love the most is you. So, its unto you, to make them take steps to both realize your feelings, and take concrete steps to express their love - by having their Tiffin, with lots of love.
Would love to know your views on this topic. You can follow me on twitter @PranWin. Or you can email me on this address - aamiprabhasini@gmail.com . Looking forward to hearing from you.
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