THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A reality check on the changing food habits of Ananthapuri isn’t easy, for, the city is just being part of the change that is happening elsewhere. However, the capital city did give us enough fodder for thought on this aspect.Eating out has become a necessity for many families; takeaways are raking in the moolah and scores are waiting for KFC to open shop as Dominos and ChicKing have already arrived. On the other hand, is a large number of people hitting the gyms/health clubs like never before. There is no doubt that many families have made it a habit to have dinner outside. Even though the city doesn’t boast of as many restaurants/hotels as Kochi, the well-established names and the newly-opened ones always have enough crowd. And the reason behind the closure of many might be the escalating building rent or labour issues. And not lack of customers!The city can’t do away with takeaways, which have become more of a convenience than a fad. The mushrooming of scores of them on Kowdiar-Kuravankonam stretch would easily vouch for this. ChicKing and Dominos seem to have made the young crowd, who already have options like Ambrosia, All Spice, Marrybrown, Subway, Cafe Coffee Day, Zinc n Rock etc as the places to have fun and food, happy. Shawarma has turned out to be the most popular snack, says a chef. It is not the only Arabic influence on Kerala’s cuisine. The popularity of non-vegetarian food in itself comes from the Middle East, he adds. But, unfortunately, we haven’t adopted the good side of Arab cuisine. “For eg, here you get charcoal-grilled chicken. The Arabs have it with lot of salads and ‘hummus’, a popular Arab dip which has mashed chickpeas. But here, we don’t eat the salads and have it with mayonnaise, which is not at all healthy,” says Raj Kalesh, popular cookery show host.All said and done, authentic dishes and homely food have always had takers. But the big question is - are they prepared under hygienic conditions? Technopark, one among the main reasons behind the metamorphosis of the capital city, recently gave answer to this. An audit conducted by an IT company showed that food from 18 out of 19 outlets on the Technopark campus failed to achieve the minimum standards set for safe consumption. Some of the key findings were excessive use of colouring, use of milk and food items after expiry date, insects in food packets, unclean utensils/plates and kitchen, repeated use of oil etc. A techie posted on a website: “The labourers teach the owners the art of turning week-old chicken fry into today’s chicken roast. Things are not going to change, so pack up your lunch from home.” And another added, “It’s best to carry fruits, dry fruits and sprouts along with you. Healthy, not heavy and packed with energy.”There is no doubt that people are turning health conscious. “The new generation is bombarded with information related to good health and most offices/establishments now insist on executive checkups. Youngsters and the not-so-young don’t hesitate in getting their cholesterol checked along with the sugar level. But this population is less when compared to those who have unhealthy food habits and lifestyle,” says Dr T Suresh Kumar, one among the directors of People’s Health Initiative and a brain behind the Trivandrum Chiri Club.A paediatrician, Dr Suresh opines that the changing food habits have made our children easy victim to diseases. “One problem is obesity. Some come with regular stomach upsets.”Doctors insist on a heavy breakfast, moderate lunch and light dinner. But, the present scenario is, the schools start early and so most children skip breakfast. Lunch is often some pre-cooked food available in bakeries and dinner means something heavy from the nearest takeaway! So, is taste such a cursed temptation?
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