My relationship with food

_{A picture of me holding a pot of consumed rice. See how my mouth is oily.}

Should I say I'm a foodie? I'm a foodie to some extent but don't like eating food. How can someone be a foodie but not like eating food? I most times eat because of pressure or the environment I find myself in, but if I'm on my own, it's rare. I can stay a whole day without thinking of food. So my relationship with food in English can be explained using two terms.

Serious Foodie on the outside	I'm a food lover only when people are watching me. I can eat as if I know how to, but deep inside, I don't know how to eat.
Non-challant foodie on the inside	When I'm at home, as much as I have a lot to do or I'm pressing my phone, I may not remember I need to eat. When I'm not under watch, I can starve without feeling hungry. My stomach worms understand.

But why is it that my gallery is full of food pictures, and if you see me on set, you may wonder if I've not eaten for days?

Are you someone who likes to eat, or do you simply eat out of necessity?

As explained above, I'm a two-sided person. I'm someone who loves eating outside when people are watching me. To me, I'll say it's a showy display because I won't do this when not under watch. Most times I'll be presented with a food I don't like, but since there are people around me, I'll eat as if the food is very much okay by me.

I'm a foodie outside. I can consume a lot without being tired. The moments I've shared with Steemians can attest to this. I leave no table unturned. But when I'm home, I eat out of necessity. I eat out of necessity to help in growth and activeness. My mum would tell me eating late kills one's appetite.

I can't just singlehandedly say I'm hungry or go to the kitchen to prepare something to eat unless I'm called upon to do so. This shows the relationship I have with food at home, but when I want to eat the food finally, I eat in style so it would accommodate the hungry worms that I starved for the long-gone hours. This is a necessity because without food, you can't grow. Most times I'm selective with food. When my eyes tell me not to eat a particular meal, no matter the pressure inside, I'll find it very difficult to comply.

Do you care about the quality and flavour of the food you eat?

Have you spent 4 hours cooking a common meal like Noodles? Most people want their food to be rich, quality and nutritious, but expenses won't let them purchase these good ingredients that can make this possible. Some eat noodles like that.

Some with pepper and onions
Others with groundnut oil, butter, cheese, vegetables and proteins like eggs and chicken

These people care about the quality of their food other than just quantity. Most times I lack basic ingredients, which doesn't make the food rich or of that high quality as expected, but I prepare it in a way that is nutritional and balanced. I said, Have you ever cooked a meal for more than 4 hours? Yes, I have, and it's just a simple noodle.

I had to pass through the process of frying my eggs with spices and vegetables and then concentrated more on the noodles. Most people cook it straight to the end, while others parboil and fry it. That's what I did to make the food nutritious and sumptuous to the eyes and mouth.

I fried the noodles to remove excess starch in them and then mixed my noodles with spices before consuming them with protein. Aside from the noodles, I love giving preference to quality; that's why I don't just eat anywhere and anyhow.

If I'm purchasing a plate of rice outside, I make sure I add proteins and vegetables to it to make it a bit balanced and nutritious. Just imagine eating fried rice without any condiment and imagine another person eating the same food with proteins, salad cream mixed with cabbage and lettuce. You'll definitely think the person is wealthy enough to provide all those on a simple meal.

The situation in Nigeria has made it difficult to focus on quality rather than quantity because the goal is surviving and not just being healthy. You won't kill yourself if you can't afford proteins or carbohydrates. You eat what you can afford.

Do you tend to eat whatever you crave, or do you follow some kind of diet?

I have no specific diet pattern to follow, and I don't just eat whatever I crave, as cravings mean wants. I eat what I need at the moment, though sometimes I spend money on cravings. The economic situation in Nigeria has made it difficult for people to eat what they crave. At times, you may crave a delicious native food called isi ewu in Nigeria, but when there's no money to purchase this, you change your cravings to what's available or what you can afford.

I don't have a pattern of diet, as some have the custom to eat a particular meal on Monday, Tuesday and the like. The normal and most populous type of diet I follow on a daily basis is rice, beans, spaghetti, soup, garri, plantain, potatoes and some native foods. I combine fruits with my food to enhance its quality as well.

When do you usually eat more when you are happy or sad?⁣⁣

Obviously, I don't eat more when I'm sad. I eat more when I'm not at home and when I'm happy. I do lose my appetite when I'm in a bad mood, especially when I lose a trade or when I mistakenly delete what I use hours to type. The picture shows me in a gathering, eating isi ewu. One must be happy before one finds satisfaction in whatever one eats. I was filled with so much joy, and the craving was just there. If I were emotional here, I wouldn't rush the meat. I'll just eat one and look at my phone. I may not even have the appetite to eat and drink much. It's only when I'm sad that I drink a lot.

	I'm happy, don't mind my facial expression

In conclusion , my relationship is ambiverted, so to speak. An ambivert is one who is both an introvert and an extrovert. I'm a foodie, and I'm also not a foodie. I'm a foodie on the outside but not a good lover when I'm home.

I invite @whizzbro4eva, @damithudaya @lunasilver

Cc,
@lirvic