Brinjal slices sprinkled with ‘ajwain’ and ‘besan ki sabzi’ arouse my taste buds; it gives me joy. I have emotional ties to food, linked to the memories of my mother, who was an avid cook. As for me, I prefer a bland diet of minimally seasoned, soft foods. Fine food can offer taste, smell, and visual presentation. I like low-fibre, easy-to-digest stuff. It’s distinct from the lifestyle choices of either a glutton or a foodie. The purpose is to reduce irritation to the digestive system.
- Shimla offers a variety of fast-food options: hamburgers, hot dogs, French fries, pizza, sandwiches, and tacos. Local eateries on the Mall, Lakkar Bazar and Kasumpti provide diverse cuisines. Urban developments have given rise to the sale of ready-cooked food.
Though both ‘fast food’ and ‘junk food’ could mean unhealthy food options, they aren’t the same. Designed for quick preparation and service, junk food tends to be calorie-dense, low in essential nutrients.
For some, food is fun and the enjoyment of diverse flavours. It’s more about the individual’s approach to eating than the specific food itself. People have diverse preferences for food; the appreciation for quality food, with the joy of indulging in it. Only a few love to eat, with an emphasis on both variety and quantity.
We eat food to stay healthy; calories are the energy our bodies need to function. While consuming calories is essential for survival, excessive calorie intake can lead to gluttony.
- Foodie culture can diffuse healthy eating into greed. Gluttony is eating past the point of fullness.
A glutton would eat too much too quickly at inappropriate times, until his belly may hurt, often without regard for quality or nutritional value.
While a foodie might enjoy a large meal, their focus is on quality; all that fine food can offer: taste, smell, visual presentation, aroma, and texture. They like exploring different tastes, different cuisines, different styles like roasting, smoking, glazing, sauteing, stir-frying, grilling/barbequing, pickling, etc. Foodies appreciate the art, science, and culture of food, besides appreciating the artistry.
Enjoying food, foodies generally eat in moderation and are mindful of their choices.
While both love food, a foodie is a connoisseur of food, and a glutton, a greedy, binge eater, focusing on quantity. Being a foodie is about enjoying and appreciating food in a balanced and mindful way, while gluttony is an unhealthy and excessive relationship with food.
I wonder if foodie is a glutton. However, Low-calorie foods can help combat gluttony by reducing calorie intake.
- The relationship between calories, gluttony, and foodies is complex. Whole grain foods, rich in fibre, add bulk to the meals and slow down digestion, leaving one feeling full for longer. Foods high in water, like watermelon and cucumbers, contribute to feelings of fullness without adding many calories.
A foodie and a glutton both enjoy food; the difference lies in their relationship with food. A foodie appreciates and explores food, while a glutton overeats and lacks self-control.
Some aspects of foodie culture, such as excessive photographing of food or prioritizing fashionable restaurants, can be wasteful.
By choosing low-calorie, high-volume foods, one can consume a larger quantity of food while staying within the calorie goals. Gluttony can lead to health problems as well as feelings of guilt and shame. The idea that low-calorie food turns a ‘glutton’ into a ‘foodie’ is just wishful thinking.
For some of us, we ‘live to eat’ and not ‘eat to live’.
https://hillpost.in/2021/07/kebabs-on-swords/116098/
https://hillpost.in/2025/03/taste-buds-and-sweet-tooth/166252/
Prof. (Er.) Chander P Mahajan is an art critic & a free lance journalist. The Environmentalist stays in Shimla and Dalhousie, Himachal Pradesh, India.
