Worries of a modern mom

I am a MOM. I worry about many things in the world — Pollution, population, deforestation, ozone depletion. News articles about virulent viruses and bacteria are causes of constant concern. Google is often one’s best friend and worst enemy too. If one is gullible and not discreet one ends up getting cancer as a prognosis for a condition as simple as cold or cough.

I worry about the nutrients in my family’s food. I worry about the levels of pesticides in the vegetables I buy. Is it OK to have pizza or burger every weekend? Does it cause heart problems or increase the levels of bad cholesterol?

My wistful worry is how to make my family have balanced healthy and nutritious meals. To add to my woes, we are vegetarians. Vegetarians do not get B12 from just the veggies, pulses etc. Their nutritional deficit is met with the intake of milk and yoghurt (laban) only. The flip side of the coin is that being a vegetarian reduces carbon footprint; I am overjoyed.

Rice, Wheat flour, pulses and spices available in the market come in eye catching packets. We buy any brand with good ingredients but how do we ascertain the goodness of any commodity. My fears are catalysed daily with everybody talking about pesticides, chemical additives, genetically modified food and adulterated food. I still have a choice when I buy individual items but what is the guarantee that I go to a posh restaurant and they serve organic, GMO free, unadulterated food?

I worry about the chips my children eat, the chocolates that they devour. I try to educate myself about these additives that all packaged items have, I am horrified furthermore. Day in and day out I am reminded of the harmful effects of different additives in various items. I wash all the vegetables with veggie wash to prevent ingesting harmful chemicals. Has this become an existential challenge?

I am forever grateful that we have food to eat and have so many choices. My parents had a big impact on me with regards to food wastage reminding me constantly about the millions of people who do not get enough to eat or go hungry, globally.

Eat four or five servings of various coloured fruits and veggies. This makes me question the whole day’s meal plan. Right amount of protein, vitamins, minerals, fibre, that is a lot to worry about, I will say.

The bread that I choose is supposed to be wholemeal, protein, brown, or milk? I do not think about buying white bread — no fibre! Then comes the brand. I last heard about some bakery which had some cockroach issues. Now this triggers the super alert mom mode on. I ask the sales lady in the supermarket to suggest a good bread, but I take it with a lot of scepticism.

Oil: olive corn, palm, sunflower, rice bran etc, which one do I choose? Check for high smoke point. Is it good for frying? Coconut oil raises the HDL. Don’t have too much butter. (Though it reminds of a quote from the movie Julie and Julia: Think it over: every time you taste something that’s delicious beyond imagining and you say, “what’s in this?”, the answer is always going to be, Butter.)

Boy! I never thought about all these factors before popping any savoury into my mouth.

I worry about the utensils I use. Plastic, non-stick, steel, ceramic, glass, aluminium- plethora of choices, but which one is the best. Do they leach? Does it affect the food I make? Does it harm my family?

I worry about the water we drink. What to drink: too alkaline, too acidic, with calcium, without sodium. Simply perplexing!

To eat or not to eat is the question! I got an epiphany.

As a mom in today’s world apart from looking after the children’s education and well being, there are too many aspects of the world that worries me.

They tell me you need to meditate; you worry too much. All that I keep thinking while being mindful, is what is good in the food today? I suppose a sumptuous meal is not mindful enough.

To be a 21st century mom is not easy. I do not think my mom worried the way I worry about the family (of course she did worry but her worries were at a different level). I think she was lucky as she did not have Google or a smartphone. Before I go to bed, I mentally scroll down the things I need for tomorrow’s meal plan with a little apprehension. I know at the end of the day I am thankful for the food, water and the family I have.

Am I the only one with so many worries?

Anuradha Sharma is a freelancer based in Abu Dhabi