#HAPPYDAY: Food glorious food

TO commemorate International Day of Happiness Berea Mail journalist, and snack-a-holic, Danica Hansen shares three ways she finds happiness in food. 

DESPITE the Covid-19 pandemic, the market size of the global food service industry reached 3.5 trillion US dollars in 2020 (Statista.com). This staggering figure tells me that I am not the only one who finds happiness in good food. As International Day of Happiness draws near I decided to ‘cook up’ a few ideas to serve up the smiles in my life – here are my top three tips to find happiness through food.

Creativity in the kitchen

Like many people, my happiness is often dulled down by a web of anxious thoughts, but creative tasks offer me an escape.  While it’s difficult to find time for an art or craft project every day, cooking is a daily task and I ‘relish’ the chance to be creative in the kitchen. I love experimenting with new flavor fusions and tweaking recipes to my tastes. Pour a glass of wine or brew a cup of tea, put on some tunes and enjoy the process. There are endless recipes ideas online and you can tailor your meal to your budget and schedule. This week I made oven-baked jalapeno poppers. The process was fun and relaxing and sitting down to snack was pure bliss.

ALSO READ: #HAPPYDAY: Self-care is vital for your happiness

Mood-boosting meal prep

When a sugar low starts to hit, I know I have mere minutes to get a snack. My knees go weak, my hands start to shake, and I have no time to be nice because I’m not just hungry, I’m hangry! Recently I read that sugar lows can lead to insulin spikes and increased anxiety. Starting my day with a protein-packed meal and keeping my sugar levels steady wards off irritability and anxiety, paving the way to happiness. It also gives me the energy to tackle my daily tasks with a spring in my step. While shopping for containers to use for meal prep – I spotted this novelty kiddies container (Mr Price) and couldn’t ‘bear’ the cuteness. After all, why be a sad panda when you can be a happy camper with a lunchbox like this? My new ‘friend’ helps me stay motivated to pack my meals and make time for a lunch break – turning ‘hangry’ to ‘happy’ one meal at a time.

ALSO READ: #HAPPYDAY: I didn’t ‘carrot’ at all before I met you

Cooking for a cause

While self-care is important, happiness is multiplied when shared and sometimes, the best way to keep the blues at bay is to turn your focus outwards.  Meal prep is simply not an option for many South Africans who struggle to put food on the table and giving a sandwich or a hot meal to someone in need is a simple way to show care. Reach out to your local church, temple, or mosque to find out about their feeding programs. There is often an opportunity to cook a meal for a family in need or make sandwiches for school children. There are also several shelters in Durban that serve meals to the homeless and volunteering to help might just be your cup of tea. It won’t end world hunger, but it’s a way to ‘be the change you want to see’ and there’s often a deeper sense of joy in service.

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