The food memories that make me incredibly nostalgic.

There’s something incredible about food. To think that all it does is fuel us would just be naive. Although it certainly is where most of our energy and nutrients come from, food is so much more than that. Food is a way to show people you love them. It is a way to welcome someone into your home. If someone you know is going through a tough time, preparing food for them shows that you are thinking of them. Food brings people together. It has cultural and religious significance. But to me, one of the most fabulous things about food is that it helps to create memories. The foods that we eat and enjoy with those we love, and the foods that we eat at significant times in our lives become embedded in our mind as wonderful food memories. The great thing about this is that when we eat them again in the future those beautiful food memories can be relived.

Just as an FYI, you should know that this post is sponsored by Wonder White. But all opinions expressed by the author are 100% authentic and written in their own words.

Think back to when you were a kid. What did you eat on the beach in your summer holidays? What smells do you remember wafting through the kitchen in your home, or the home of your grandparents or your friends? What did you spend your 20 cents on at the tuck-shop back in the 80’s?

For me, there are so many fabulous food memories that I associate with my childhood. Yes, many of the recipes contained sugar or were fried and packed full of stuff that we’re “not meant to eat too much of” but this is not a post about clean-eating and the latest diet fad, this is a post about happy food memories of our childhoods. For me, there are almost too many food memories to list!

Each and every time I eat vegemite toast, or vegemite and butter on fluffy fresh Wonder White bread I am without a doubt transported back to the many days of my youth spent at my grandmother’s breakfast table. I am giggling uncontrollably at Nan who used to pretend that I was invisible. “Marie?! Where are you?! Come here right now and eat your breakfast!” she used to fake-shout as I sat there in front of her hysterically laughing. For some reason we never ate that much vegemite growing up at my house, but whenever we were at my grandmother’s we always had it for breakfast and so the wonderful memories of being with her come to mind when I eat it now.

Similarly, I cannot look at a stack of piping hot pancakes with a fountain of maple syrup pouring over the edge, and not think of my grandparents and the holidays that were spent at their beach house. It was at the yellow laminex bench in the beach-house kitchen that, perched on a stool, I used to get my elbows deep in self raising flour, eggs and milk whilst whisking together the perfect batter for our holiday breakfasts.

As the years go on I realise that I am not the only one whose Mother’s chicken, celery, mayonnaise and walnut sandwiches are famous. Without a word of a lie, on more than one occasion, I have been introduced to someone for the first time and they have said to me “Oh yeah, I’ve heard about your Mum’s sandwiches!” They are THAT good. A couple of months back, on my birthday I hosted a little family afternoon tea at home and as always Mum called me and asked what she could make. I told her to make nothing as there were only going to be a few people and she said “Not for the guests to have necessarily, but what do you want to eat?” The answer? “Your chicken sandwiches Mum!” Der.

My grandpa died when I was 11. That’s more than 20 years ago. But as clear as the sun in the summer sky, I remember eating fish and chips with him whilst sitting on white plastic furniture on the balcony of his home. He used to go fishing early in the mornings and by lunchtime he would have slapped the fish on the BBQ, peeled and hand cut chips using the stack of potatoes my grandmother used to store under the kitchen sink, and have everything wrapped in newspapers and doused in lemon and salt ready to eat. Those were the days. Sometimes now when I buy fish and chips I take it home and wrap it up in newspaper before serving it just to bring back some of those awesome food memories from when I was a wee lass.

On top of all this, (and I’ll leave the stories behind each of these foods for another time), other childhood must-have, always-crave yummies are; rainbow Paddle Pops, bananas dipped in chocolate on a stick, mini meat pies, homemade pita and tzatziki and soft boiled eggs with toast soldiers…. and lashings of butter, of course!

Wonder White gives you all the fibre of wholemeal* in disguise. With the great taste kids love, they won’t even realise they’re getting all the fibre of wholemeal bread.

*based on total amount of fibre in wholemeal bread (6.3g per 100g NUTTAB 2010), excluding Wonder White Omega3DHA 700g.

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What childhood food can’t you live without? Do you have any glorious food memories you’d like to share?