Here’s a tiny story to set the scene – Story of this pizza.

With all excitement – “I made it! But, not from scratch. At least.. I assembled the ingredients and baked it right (not-so-perfect, though).” 🙂

Now you must be thinking, “she is really fond of baking.” No! That’s just my mom-brain activation mode.

As I said in my last write-up, cooking is just a survival skill for me. (How about a quick peek at my last article 😉)

Now, imagine how it would be when there’s a cub all dependent on me for its growth and nourishment.

I grow first and then, help my cub grow. That simple it is! Exactly that’s the principle behind this pizza. Fortunately or unfortunately, being a food technologist adds a lot to this principle. Pheww😑

I think, overthink and question a lot…..a lot. But, many times, I give up and help myself understand – “dear, you are just a human, living among millions on this huge planet. There are a zillion things beyond your control – Let God take care of the rest.”

Okay, let’s get back to the pizza’s principle. If it’s such a big trouble, why am I baking when ready-to-eat options are easily available?

Let me explain. At my child’s school, there are days when children are allowed to get foods like pizza, sandwiches etc., from picked renowned brands which I am no one to judge about. Parents can pre-order and the food will be delivered on the day to the children at school. This is a very convenient option for parents in this busy world. Every parent tries to be their child’s superhero. So, I see this scenario as a win-win situation. Parents win by fulfilling child’s desires and child gets what he or she wants.

In fact, everything is a balance. You cannot judge anyone. Everyone is good at handling their own hustles in the best possible way. Respect is what I have for every parent and what I share here is only my way of thinking and practice.

Here’s a brief on how I prep up this quick and easy pizza. Just two steps – Assemble and bake!

Ingredients-
1) Ready to bake pizza crust (this could be made from scratch too, but this mom saves time here 😉)
2) Pizza sauce (homemade or store-bought) and cheese of your choice. I use simple Mozzarella shreds for my little one.
3) Cooked Chicken, sautéed veggies or any toppings you like .

Assemble everything and bake at 325 F. It should be done in 10 minutes.

Now, the reason I choose to give my child homemade pizza – simply because I know what goes into his food.

At a young age I can feed him with what’s good for him. The possibility later? God knows. But, I can advise him on what’s good. At least I am doing my best and rest is with God. Yes, I think like any parent.

**Guess I am mixing up my mom thoughts, cooking, doubts and what not? Let’s move on.

Why do I choose to know what’s going into his – and ours? A little bit of tech talk here.

Quick question! – Rather than randomly picking anything that you need from the store shelf, do you take a moment to know what’s in the package?

Here are a few simple things you may or may not be aware of, as a consumer. Let’s decode some information.

1) In the list of ingredients displayed on a food product’s label, the ingredients are listed in the descending order of its quantity. Yes, that’s what you just read. Did you notice sugar listed first in the label of product you just had? It means the product contains sugar in the highest amount.

2) You might be noticing many other terms like stabilizer, emulsifier, thickener etc. in the ingredient list. Each of these are food additives that serves various purposes. Additives might be indicated by their name or codes as well (like INS , E numbers). The usage of codes is universally accepted. E numbers are mostly used in Europe and INS numbers are used in Australia, NZ and India. While the US and Canada require specifying full name of the additives and some regional codes.

3) What about some product that you chose, reading the claim ‘boosts immunity’. Does the product really contain any element to boost immunity? Not all claims will be misleading but some false products may exist as well. Check with a specialist if you are unsure of something about a product, before making a masked choice.

Regulated ingredients used within permissible limits are considered safe – but, safe doesn’t always mean ideal for every individual. So, as consumers are we making informed choices?

In today’s fast world, many choices may not be feasible, or even possible, but, a lot of valuable information is available too. A pause, a read, and a little understanding can help us choose the better for our dear ones and ourselves.

There’s more on those product labels. Let me be honest – I just need another story to relate and narrate 😌 …

Every cap worn has its own responsibilities and difficulties. Cheers to all those content specialists out there!

Meet you all back soon!

Mabel Rachel Jacob.