My Favourite Food | Vanisha Uppal

Banni comes back from the school, and without removing the school bag from her shoulder, she goes straight to the kitchen and asks “Mom! what have you made for lunch today?”
Mom – Vegetables, salad, curd and roti
Banni – Which vegetables?
Mom – Beans, carrot and potatoes
Banni – Why do you make vegetables I hate them! I want to eat noodles instead.
Mom – Vegetables are full of vitamins that make you healthy.
Banni– I don’t want to be healthy now, can I please have noodles?
Mom – Vitamins is the need of the body. They are the good soldiers to fight against the bad soldiers in our body.
Banni – Bad soldiers? What do they do?
Mom- They make us fall ill. We get headaches, stomach pain and feel lazy.
Banni – Then why don’t the good soldier fight back and win the battle.
Mom – It all depends on the number of soldiers. If the good soldiers are more in number, they win. And we feel strong, active and creative. Also, we are less likely to fall sick. But if the bad soldiers are more in numbers, they win, and we get many diseases.
Banni – But I never told my body to have bad soldiers in me.
Mom smiled and said – You feed the bad soldiers by eating more junk food.
Banni – I eat your cooked food too, not so keen on vegetables today.
Mom- if you eat little good food along with chocolate, chips, burger in a day. Who do you think will win?
Banni – oh mom, by mistake, I served more food to the bad soldiers.
Mom- Now, if you eat home food half-heartedly and outside food with joy, it is like that you feed bad soldiers and become extra friendly to them. On the other hand, you don’t enjoy the company of good soldiers. Never appreciate and encourage them.
Banni does not want to hear any bad words about her favourite foods but what to say? She started looking outside the window.
Mom knows what is going on in Banni’s mind.
Mom – How do you feel when your teachers do not acknowledge your good work?
Banni- I feel very bad. Which are the good food and bad food, mom?
Mom – All the packed food, including snacks that come in beautiful wrappers, have preservatives to make them stay for long. They are lying on your grocery shop for one week or sometimes more than that. They are not fresh and healthy. They are bad soldiers. Food made by mom and all fruits and vegetables are the good soldiers. Fired food made at home is ok too because mom uses the fresh oil.
Banni – but I love to eat chocolate, biscuits, noodles, pizza, burger and whatever is there at the food joints. If they are so bad, then why are they sold in the market?
Mom –They are sold in the market to make more money. I am happy that you are so truthful also I understand your temptation. How about one point to the bad shoulders and two points to the good soldiers? And always remember water is the best friend of the good soldiers.
Banni – I know what I will do now.
Mom – What?
Banni- I give four points to the good soldier by eating vegetables, salad, curd and roti with you. And in the evening I will eat noodles that give 1 point to bad soldiers. How about that, mom?
Mom hugged Banni – God has sent me a very intelligent child. I love you Banni, and you are much smarter than me.