Igama elithi "ukudla okusetshenzisiwe" liphonswa cishe kuzo zonke izihloko zezempilo kanye nebhulogi yokudla ongayithola. Akulona iqiniso ukuthi iningi lokudla okutholakala ezitolo zokudla namuhla ukudla okucutshungulwayo. Kodwa ziyini? Sazi kanjani ukuthi yikuphi okulungele ukusetshenziswa nokuthi yini okungenampilo? Nawu umhlahlandlela osheshayo walokho okuyikho nokuthi yikuphi okunomsoco uma kuqhathaniswa nokudla okusetshenzisiwe okungenamsoco.

“Ukudla okucutshungulwayo” noma ikuphi ukudla okuphekiwe, okusemathinini, okugojiwe, okusikiwe ngaphambili, noma okwenziwe ngcono ngama-flavour ngaphambi kokuba kufakwe. Lezi zinqubo zishintsha ikhwalithi yokudla okunempilo kokudla ngezindlela ezahlukahlukene yingakho uma uthenga ukudla kwasekuqaleni okuphekiwe kuqhame kakhulu kunomsoco kunokuba ubuzokupheka ngokwakho. Ukudla okufriziwe kuzoba namakhemikhali okulondoloza, ushukela kanye noma usawoti ongezwe kubo ukuthuthukisa ukunambitheka nokwenza kubelula ukupheka futhi kumnandi. Ngakolunye uhlangothi, ungaba nesipinashi esikhwameni noma usike uphayinaphu futhi awulahli izimfanelo zokudla okunomsoco yize kusabhekwa njengokucutshungulwa.

Ukudla okunempilo kokudla okusetshenzisiwe kuzoba noma yikuphi ukudla okungaqukethe noma okuqukethe izithasiselo ezimbalwa kuphela. Imikhiqizo eboshiwe, izithelo ezisemathinini, imifino esemathinini, inhlanzi ekheniwe, ubisi namantongomane kuphakathi kokudla okunempilo kakhulu kukho konke okusetshenzisiwe. Abanye abantu abanayo inketho yokuthenga umkhiqizo omusha esikhundleni samathinini ngenxa yezizathu zezezimali ngakho-ke ungazizwa unecala uma ukudla okusemathinini kufanelana nesabelomali sakho nempilo yakho kangcono. Zama futhi ugweme izinto ezisemathinini ezifake usawoti kanye noshukela ukugcina ikhwalithi yokudla okunempilo kokudla kuphakeme. Kuyiqiniso ukuthi iningi labantu abadala limatasa kakhulu kulezi zinsuku futhi ukutshala wonke umkhiqizo wakho akulona iqiniso. Uma ngabe kunjalo kuwe, umkhiqizo wangaphambi kokusika noma owagejiwe ngaphambi kwesikhathi akuyona into okufanele inganakwa ngoba nje kubhekwa ukuthi kuyacutshungulwa.

Ukudla okucutshungulwe okungenampilo yilezi: ama-hot dog wieners, inyama yasemini, ama-chips amazambane, ama-chip dips, ukudla okufriziwe, okusanhlamvu, ama-cracker, nezinye izinto eziningi. Iningi lezinto ezitolo zokudla, njengamakhukhi ahlanganisiwe noma ama-crackers anephunga, kusetshenzwa kakhulu kunokuba kungokoqobo. Kunezithako ezimbalwa kakhulu "zangempela" kuleyo mikhiqizo futhi amakhemikhali ahlukile emizimbeni yethu. Lesi yisizathu sokuthi ukudla okucutshungulwe kakhulu, okunenani elincane lomsoco, akukuhle ukuthi sikudle njalo. Ukucabanga ukuthi sizophila ngaphandle kokuzidla lezo zinhlobo zezinto akunangqondo yingakho-ke ngokwelulekwa ukuthi sizisebenzise ngokulinganisela. Ukudla amakhukhi abekiwe kusengaphambili kanye ngenyanga esikhundleni sokudla kwansuku zonke, noma okusanhlamvu kwasekuseni okunoshukela kanye ngesonto esikhundleni sansuku zonke kuyizinguquko ezinhle ongazenza. Isizathu ukuthi, umzimba wakho ubuzophendula kahle kakhulu ezintweni zokudla “zangempela” kunawo wonke amakhemikhali aqukethe lezi zinto zokudla ezicutshungulwayo. Ukudla okusetshenzisiwe kuye kwaxhunyaniswa nokukhuluphala, uhlobo lwesibili sikashukela, i-cholesterol ephezulu, umfutho wegazi ophakeme, kanye neminye imidlavuza. Ziyingozi kakhulu empilweni yethu futhi kufanele zikhawulelwe ekudleni kwethu.

Ukudla okusetshenzisiwe kuthandwa kakhulu ezitolo zanamuhla nasekukhangiseni kangangokuba cishe akunakwenzeka ukukugwema. Kepha ukwazi ukuthi ziyini nokuthi zingayilimaza kanjani impilo yethu kubaluleke kakhulu. Lolu lwazi lungakusiza ukuzulazula okunenani lokudla okunempilo futhi okungekho. Ngiyethemba ukuthi lokhu bekufundise kakhulu ngokudla okucutshunguliwe, ukuthi kungani kungukuthi kukhulunywa kangaka ngakho.

- UJade Mitchell, uMfundisi Wezokudla