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Printer-Friendly ModeRFoC contributes to tasteful eating
February 21, 2011 —
When was the last time you ‘stopped to smell the coffee’? I bet it’s been a while. Personally, I don’t have time to really relax until the weekend. Recently, though, I realized the necessity of relaxation, and decided to take a breather from the complications of life at least twice a week. How do I do this? I take the time to actually enjoy a meal.
Usually, I eat very quickly, piling food into my mouth as fast in order to move on with my life. Most of the SVSU students I see eating follow this same pattern. I think we’re forgetting the importance and fun of taking pleasure in a meal.
In my opinion, my peers and I should thoroughly enjoy eating no less than twice a week. And I don’t mean saying, “Wow, the burger I just inhaled sure was delicious!” Good food is good food, no matter how quickly it is consumed. But it’s so much more exhilarating when you take the time to savor the food on your plate. More often than not, we forget that eating should be done for delight as much as it should be done for necessity. After all, can you imagine Thanksgiving without the turkey dinner, or trick or treating without getting candy? I didn’t think so.
When I have some free time and I simultaneously find myself hungry, I go to the RFoC and carefully craft my perfect meal. I choose the RFoC for two reasons: first, because variety of foods lets me get whatever I am craving, and second, because I don’t have to buy ingredients, cook my meal, and then do dishes. Cooking and cleaning is not my idea of relaxing or enjoyable.
When I pick out my meal, it is usually an eclectic smattering of food groups. I never pick anything that seems less than completely delicious, so my plate is free of bothersome things like, say, carrots. Also, I do not attempt to pile my plate with huge portions. I don’t want to trudge out of the RFoC feeling nauseatingly stuffed, but rather prefer to feel happily satisfied.
If I am dining alone, I chose to sit at my favorite table, which is near a window and almost always vacant. I usually bring a novel, but I do not mind sitting alone and simply eating and contemplating life, unbothered by the usual stresses of my day for a short time. In all honesty, I usually find it more relaxing to just eat than to try reading, as reading gives the added annoyance of trying to concentrate on both things at once.
If I choose to eat my peaceful meal with a friend, I like to sit next to the RFoC’s fireplace, in one of the cozy chairs that feel like they belong in a den. We laugh and chat, sharing food and stories until we lose track of time.
However, if you choose to eat your stress-free wondermeal with a companion, I feel that I must caution you: be very careful who you chose to share this meal with! Do not share this meal with someone who never seems to fully relax, or someone who has a place to be at a rapidly approaching time. This is your meal, and you do not want to be burdened by the stress of others during this time! Additionally, I cannot emphasis enough how imperative it is that you avoid eating this meal with someone who is on a diet (or someone who thinks you should be on one). You both deserve to eat what you want and not feel guilty about it.
Once you have chose to eat alone, or carefully chosen a companion, you may dig into your meal. This too is a process. Look at your plate, and pick out the most delectable treats, and start and finish the meal with those items. That way, when you finish your meal, all you recall is the most delicious portions.
As you eat, make sure to actually taste your food. Remember: you took time to carefully craft the perfect meal; make sure you take time to savor it.
After you’re done eating, you can continue hurrying through life as haphazardly as you please. But chances are, the simple euphoria of taking time enjoy yourself while eating a meal will follow you through the day. You’ll like knowing that you finally stopped to smell the coffee… or, at the very least, get a taste of it.