Growing Threat Of Junk Food In Festivals

A two-year-old baby pushed away his bowl of mixed-grain flour porridge (lito) and reached for his fourteen-year-old elder sister’s spicy instant noodles. It reflected a much larger shift: food is increasingly chosen for pleasure rather than nourishment. Not long ago, the arrival of festivals used to be announced by aromatic ‘Selroti’ and rhythmic pounding of herbs and spices in stone hand-mills, distinctive spices enhancing Nepali kitchens. Beyond Hindu mythology, Dashain is a harvest festival that celebrates agricultural yield.

A vermillion ‘Tika’ mixed with rice grains and barley sprouts marks agricultural prosperity. Global fast-food chains and ultra-processed foods (UPFs) are available everywhere now. They shape the way we eat all over the globe. But whenever we grab a bag of chips or a sugary drink, are we truly hungry?

The truth is, not really. Our bodies evolved over thousands of years to handle times when food was scarce, making us good at holding on to energy. But now, instead of fighting off hunger, we’re battling over cravings.