My Eating Habits as a Child

Eating habits by my grandmother

I started staying with my grandmother from my mother’s side at an early age of three together with other grandchildren from uncles. Every time we were eating my grandmother would say we must finish all of our food so that we could be fatter. In my language the word fat (Tyebileyo) is not as ugly as when is said in English. All of this was routed in my mind that I should finish my plate every time I eat to this day I still finish my food.

 My grandmother did not teach me to eat junk food and all the foods that we were forced to finish today are called organic food and I mean organic food, because the food was sawed in the fields with no pesticides whatsoever but only irrigated by the Heavenly Father God by means of rain. Even though we were mostly eating the staple food Pap (Powdered maize cooked with water into solid porridge) with salt if there is something to eat pap with would be peas; beans; potatoes (yes gravy made from potatoes) and some natural green leafy vegetables of which were seasonal. We were eating meat at least once a month for at least three conservative days and that’s it back to square one, eating pap with salt. 

No one was fat from that diet though. I would comfortably say we were of healthy weight all of us and we did not look malnourished at all. When I first started staying with my grandmother, her cows were not with us but with some family member and the years went by and I don’t know how old I was but I remember things changed for the better when her cows were brought back and now was pap with milk. That was a celebration Wow! For a change we have isishebo (something to eat pap with).

As I am growing I have noticed that I was not eating the same diet but still stuck with the finish your food syndrome.I have a big portion problem and as long the food is in front of me I will finish it. To monitor this habit, I make sure my portion size is served from the onset. When at home I am the one who dishes food therefore will dish what’s right for me, even use kitchen scale if I am getting out of hand. When eating out I share my food right at the beginning and check the portion sizes as well.

 As a mother of three children I do not force my children to finish their food at least I try not to but thanks God my husband is there to make sure I do not do that hahahaa. I do not even fuss about it, if they say they are full that’s it, I put the plate away. I do not want to repeat what happened to me. I try to ensure that they eat as healthy as possible. If they want something sweet I give them fruits, they like fruits such as apples and bananas in the summer season and are affordable and in winter oranges are available and cheap, I do give them sweets as a treat. I wouldn’t say that I have perfected my habits when it comes to food but I am slowly getting there. 

I make sure that at least once a week we eat rice or pap with dried beans either kidney beans or sugar beans, peas, lentils as our supper without meat. I also ensure that there is one day per week where we eat vegetables with rice such as cabbage; carrots, spinach and or kale taking a bigger portion in our plates. We have not totally stopped eating the junk food but we eat it less often now. My portion sizes are a little bit improving and I am better than before I started being aware of my eating habits. I have started exactly where I am because conditions are just never perfect to start, so just start your journey the time is now not tomorrow but now.