Julia Childs summed it up when she said "people who love to eat are always the best people". SO...what makes food and the people who enjoy it so great? Food is not simply stuff that people eat when their hungry. Food is awesome, delicious, inventive, colorful, inspiring, and so much more. A mutual love of food can bring different people together and can make the saddest person feel a little better without even meaning to. I love food and think you should too. So, here are a few reasons why I <3 food SO much.
1. It brings people together.
There's nothing better than having your whole family home around the same table for dinner. Food is a catalyst that brings people together. Having the entire family together at your grandparents' house for Christmas Eve dinner or a Thanksgiving meal, treating a friend to a birthday dinner, or annual family celebrations are perfect ways to keep in touch and connect with your family and friends that you might not see regularly. If a distant relative or family friend I hadn't seen in a while was in Boston and offered to take me out to dinner to 'catch up', you bet I would take them up on the offer. Food is a wonderful thing that can bring people together and can help you keep the ones you love close.
2. It's social.
Think about how many times you've texted a friend and said 'hey wanna get ice cream' or 'rise and shine we're getting brunch'. Even though you might not realize it, tons of social events are centered around food. Birthday or holiday dinners, city trips, lunch dates, cocktail parties, happy hours, and even pizza parties in your dorm room. The minute someone says 'there will be food' so many more people are apt to show up to the event or social gathering. People bond over food they enjoy and there are many different communities, like the vegan community, that have been formed all based on similar diets. Food makes everything more fun and it's a great way to get friends together and to connect with others!
3. It's always there for you.
Problem: Unexpected breakup
Solution: A tub of Ben and Jerry's Half Baked ice cream and your bff's shoulder to cry on
Problem: Haven't started studying for your final tomorrow
Solution: Starbucks iced latte with a double shot of espresso and a bowl of cereal
Problem: Peter on The Bachelorette didn't get a rose and you didn't realize how emotionally invested you were until now
Solution: Ghirardelli Double Chocolate brownies and a Twitter rant
SEE???? You can always turn to food to make you feel better, even if it is just for a little bit. People even use food as motivation for finishing their homework before they can take a study break to eat. After a bad day or after something makes you sad sometimes all you need is comfy clothes, a good movie, and a tub of ice cream to cure everything.
4. It makes any party better.
The minute someone texts saying 'there will be food', I'm 200% more likely to show up to the party or event. Food makes everything better, especially a party. Themed parties like fiestas or tailgates wouldn't be complete without tacos and queso or hamburgers and chips and guac. Let's be honest, parties with food and drinks sound so much better than an iPod hooked up to a speaker in a random basement. Party less, eat more.
5. It's fun to make.
Once I set my mind to making the multilayered rainbow cake I saw on Pinterest, there's no one who can stop me. Food is straight up fun to make. Getting recipes online, inspo from Pinterest pages, watching Barefoot Contessa on the Food Network, or even making your family's traditional Christmas cookie recipe is so enjoyable. There's nothing more satisfying than pulling your gooey, homemade, and delicious smelling creation of out the oven and of course snapping pics to all your friends showing them how much of a chef you really are.
6. It allows you to learn about a new country/culture in a new way.
Traveling to new countries and trying their native food is so interesting and fun. It allows you to understand the culture more without anyone even having to say anything. Homemade pasta in Italy, handmade tortillas in a hut on a service trip in Guatemala, or even fresh strawberries picked off of a farm in Indiana gives you more or a glimpse into the lives of people living in different parts of the world and can even help you appreciate their culture a little more.
7. It shows people that you care.
You messed up and you want to make it up to your friend? Take her out to dinner at your favorite spot. Your sister just got her wisdom teeth out and is a mixture of pain and emotion? Surprise her with Wendy's frostys, applesauce, and your favorite movie. It's your moms birthday but you can't make it home? Send her flowers, a box of Fannie Mays, and a card.
Food is a great way to show people that you care. People bring hostess gifts to their friends houses all the time- usually wine, dessert, or some other type of treat. Every time I'm going somewhere, I always find myself saying, 'Is there anything you want me to bring?' By making such a small gesture to pickup a box of cookies on your way to the party, it makes all the difference and shows how much more you care
8. It inspires people.
How many times have you seen a food account on Instagram centered around healthy living and been immediately inspired to go and make their version of healthy avocado toast? Or seen a photo of the biggest milkshake in NYC and decided to go the next time you're in the city? Food can inspire everyone. Aesthetics of food pages and blogs can inspire creativity, recipes seen on Food Network can inspire tomorrow nights dinner, and the world Pinterest can bring out the inner Martha Stewart in almost anyone.
9. It makes you feel good.
Although I'm unlikely to turn down sweets or a slice of pizza, there's no denying that healthy eating makes you feel good inside and out. When you eat healthy and take care of yourself, you have more energy, look more alive, and are bound to be more confident. Healthy food like fruits and vegetables make you feel good and a lifestyle full of healthy eating can change someone's life for the better.
10. IT TASTES GOOD.
Despite all of the other great things food brings to the table, people eat food because of the way it tastes. Whether it's the sweetness of the glaze on a donut or the spicy flavor of wasabi on a sushi roll, eating and enjoying good tasting food is what a food lovers life is all about.
Overall, food is much more than what it seems on the surface. It is powerful and makes differences in people's everyday lives. Now that you've read this article, I hope you have a greater appreciation for food and are able to recognize its impact and the way it makes you feel the next time someone sends you a box of chocolates on Valentines Day or invites you to a dinner party for a mini high school reunion.