What is the 6th love language, and why is it Food?

ARTICLE: DANICA ESPEDILLION | DECEMBER 12, 2023

Have you ever wanted to be suddenly sick at the most random time of the day? It’s odd, but have you ever thought why? Maybe it’s because there are comforts that aren’t generally comforting. We tend to draw closer attention to situations that remind us that we are special and are being cared for.

When we were kids, we were cared for in the gentlest way possible when we were under the weather. Our parents would check on us almost every minute; our not-too-close brother would ask how we were feeling; and even more special was leisurely laying in bed all day under the warmth of your blankets. But there's more than what meets the eye—the delectables that we are being fed.

We’re bringing back nostalgia for our sick-day meals that aren’t just foods but are a love language on their own.

Royal and Skyflakes Combo

Do you still remember how we would only get to taste orange-flavored Royal when we were sick? SICK! The Skyflakes and Royal combo is a classic for our mild fevers. Our parents usually bribe us with a sweet little drink to wash out the medicine’s bitter taste. It’s then usually partnered with plain crackers, as we are usually the pickiest eaters, to fill the missing calories and sustain our energy.

Lugaw

The timeless and classic lugaw is the nation’s comfort food. It is nice and easy to digest. It will provide you with the water and the carbohydrates you need to aid your body’s healing process. Plus, you can customize it according to your budget and taste. If we feel fancy, we usually partner it with unseasoned chicken breast. Why unseasoned, you ask? That is my question, too! Try asking your parents why!

On the other hand, if we are on a tight budget, we pretend that ginger is a chicken. Our mothers would usually laugh at our “Hala! Akala ko manok” sentiments, but hey, it has a lot of benefits too, since it has antioxidants! No matter how we want our lugaw to be prepared, remember that it is always ‘essential.’

Sweet little treats

Bribery is prevalent when we’re sick as a kid. If you have ever heard the “binilhan ka ni Papa ng donut, pagaling ka na” or the “inom ka muna gamot, ta’s bibili tayo softdrinks o kaya cake, dali!” you should probably know that you have become a victim of bribery.

But we can admit that it’s the type of bribery that we all wanted. Who wouldn’t enjoy those sweet little treats from the people who genuinely want you to be well?

Gatorade

What could be possibly more appealing than a colored drink for hydration? It’s healthier and more hydrating than soda. Galowe, as my sister would pronounce it as a kid, is a good remedy to replace lost electrolytes and fluids during sickness. In this house, we love being hydrated!

Bowl of freshly cut fruits

Nothing is more special than opening your eyes and finding a bowl of freshly cut fruits beside you. If you ever heard the “Orange Peel Theory,” then that’s it. It’s the willingness to perform acts of service for a person, such as peeling an orange. It's a cute way of telling someone you cherish them. Besides the nutrition and health benefits of a fruit bowl, the sweetest thing about it is not its taste but the act of love incorporated in serving it. Come to think of it, we can have fruits whenever we want even if we are not sick but eating them when we are ill hits differently.

It’s not that we like being sick. It’s just that being sick seems to have the magic to make every single act of service more special than any usual day. As we taste-test each food listed above, I can guarantee you that the taste would be much different.

I guess this is not just about the food nor its taste but also the experience of being cared for during our most vulnerable moments.

It’s no wonder some memories stick to us even when our fever is gone. It’s a piece of our childhood that we will always carry despite our age. How about you? What would you feel if we put your favorite sick-day meal into a taste-test?