Playing with your food

Some kids have the tendency to play with their food especially when they have no appetite. Old folks here say that it is bad to play with food because the food will be playing with you when you are asleep. That would definitely scare the kids in the olden days. But now, kids are smarter so that line would not be effective anymore.

Regarding the scientific explanation in connection with good health, eating is an activity that needs concentration. When your mind is on what you are doing (with the food) your other body parts would be in consonance with the activity. It is like saying that a concentrated person in his eating gets more of the nutrition with the better digestion of the food that he eats. I think that is the rationale why my grandfather said the we should respect the food by not talking when we are eating.