First memory of food

At one of the talks I attended on the topic of Baby & Toddler Nutrition, we (the mothers who attended the talk) were asked to share the earliest memory of food when we were a child as we introduced ourselves to one another.

I thought it was a nice way to start a workshop on baby’s food. I did not even have to think very hard and immediately, my thoughts went to my mom’s home-cooked food. Even though it was so long ago, it felt like as though I was digging in to the last bit of cookie that was left in a very deep cookie jar. It was nice, it was rewarding and the memory still makes me feel warm and tingly inside. It was special. It was, actually, more than just special.

Image from Google

Still etched in my mind were my childhood memories where, I distinctly remember my mom whipping out food she prepared from home whenever we had a family day out over the weekends. It did not matter where we went; it could be the zoo, the bird park, the beach, the botanical gardens, the waterpark…and when it was time to eat, there was my mom’s home-made Nasi Goreng, Nasi Lemak or Ayam Goreng! I distinctly remember the Nasi Lemak being wrapped up in banana leaves in the old fashioned way, and the Nasi Goreng carefully packed in a tub of Tupperware.

As a kid, I did not understand why we never get to eat at McDonald’s or KFC or Burger Kings like the other kids. At such an impressionable age (I think roughly at 5- 8 years old), I remember feeling envious of other kids for having such privileges. I think I even felt rather mad at my parents for shoving only home-cooked food to us at that time!

I guess I was too young to understand anything then. But, looking back, of course I realised the reasons for my mom not encouraging us to eat “outside food” was not only because of economic reasons (they were not very well-off and it was extremely expensive to eat out) but for health reasons as well.

Up till now, I clearly remember us taking a break at whatever it was we were doing by finding a nice and cool shady spot to tuck in the food which my mom magically whipped out from one of the tote bags she totted along. I think I can still remember what the food smelt like! Little did I know that those habits nurtured at such a young age had actually made a very big impact to my life; especially now that I am a mother.

As time goes by, I realise that I’m being more like my mother. Thinking back, before Spud came along, I used to prepare simple food from home when we take a long drive out of Bangkok to get through the journey. It could be simple sandwiches, fried rice or Mee Siam and I would be more than happy to make the time to prepare it the night before we leave.

I guess I am a foodie by device and the appreciation of home cooked, healthy meal can be nurtured from a very young age.

It is my hope that Spud too will appreciate home prepared meal in her later years and that her memories of food is going to be as special as my memories of my mom’s home-made food that were all prepared with nothing but healthy ingredients and loads of love!