Trendy diet: The ‘eat like your grandparents’ challenge

IF you are wondering why your grandparents are still gloriously rocking their 60s and 70s, it’s because the food they grew up eating were neither sitting on the shelves nor was it made with unpronounceable lengthy words.

Back in the day, the ingredients for their dishes were freshly purchased from the local farmer’s market or picked in their own backyard. While we are enticed and presented with aisle and aisle of interesting pre packed or frozen meals, it’s would be nice to go back to our roots and try to eat like your Lolo and Lola.

While there’s a bit of debate whether we should join the “eat like your great-grandparents” healthy food trend or challenge, why don’t we see if it will suit our lifestyle as we celebrate Grandparents Day?

Here are some meals and snacks we can try as dip into another challenge:

COOKIES MADE FROM SCRATCH

Unprocessed and fresh homemade snacks were the way to go when your grandparents were in your age. They were always involved in cooking and it’s probably the reason why they are the rightful bearers of the golden spatula.

Without pre-mixed ingredients, they played around with what’s in the pantry. Using only eggs, peanut butter, coconut sugar, vanilla extract, cocoa powder, salt, flour, baking soda and leftover chocolate bars, the entire house will smell like a freshly baked cookie in just six to eight minutes.

Come snack time, the family will enjoy the cookie with a glass of warm milk and adventure stories.

STIR-FRIED COLORFUL VEGETABLES

Stir-fried vegetable is a quick and easy dish. What makes it more interesting is that you can grow some of the ingredients in your backyard or in pots or containers such as carrots, red bell pepper, onion and garlic.

In a heated pan, melt the butter before adding in onion, garlic, broccoli florets and sliced carrots. Stir fry for four to seven minutes before sprinkling salt, pepper, sesame seeds and soy sauce.

FRUIT SALAD

Making fruit salad could be a lot more fun if you had fruit bearing trees in the backyard.

Your Lolo and Lola have surely climbed several trees during their childhood to get the ripest fruits. However, thanks to your local market, you may bring back memories with a fresh bowl of fruit salad.

Dice apples, mangoes, watermelon, banana, grapes and fresh milk in one bowl. Chill it in fridge for couple of minutes before serving.

CITRUS JUICE

Nowadays, fresh citrus juices are again made while we wait in the mall or right outside our schools and offices. While it’s a convenient way to quench our thirst, making one at home using healthier ingredients would help us stay true to our challenge to eat like our grandparents.

It’s even more fun and healthier to make it yourself since you can mix lime, lemon, calamansi, and grapefruit plus a splash of honey in one cold pitcher.

Since we are on to trying challenges these days, wouldn’t it be better if we tried something exciting yet helpful? To get you started, why not choose “eat like your grandparents” challenge?