Trophic

trophic

1. of or relating to nutrition; concerned in nutritive processes.

Beet roots, carrots, alfafa sprouts–Alicia’s mouth was already watering as she reviewed the  grocery list for this week’s breakfast smoothies. She had always been deemed a “health nut,” but when her father died of a massive heart attack last year, even the occasional treats became contraband in her household.

Her husband Matthew couldn’t remember the last time he’d seen her buy any beef.  Instead it was all about grains, vegetables, and fruit–oh and avocado, she put avocado in everything and on everything.

Alicia knew it was a sacrifice in some ways. She really hadn’t cooked any meat so far this year, but she was picking the best foods for them–she was providing trophic delicacies for their appetites, but not everyone else was convinced.

Her husband seemed to swallow his food whole now, completely foregoing the time it took to chew his meals. The children were on a food strike altogether.

Instead of rushing to the table to consume every morsel their pubescent bodies could handle, they had taken to long hours of homework and study, an attribute quite unlike her sons. She knew they had to be eating, but she was unsure of what they were putting into their bodies and she was hesitant to ask.

Grabbing her purse from the counter, Alicia headed for the garage. She noticed the car had a strange smell in it that she couldn’t quite place. It wasn’t until she dropped her car keys and her fingers grazed an old greasy burger wrapper that she was able to place the smell.

It was the unmistakable wrapper from Chubby’s, a dive well known for their hefty servings of grease with a side of salty fries.

Alicia hadn’t wanted to ask her sons what they were eating and now she wish she didn’t know. If they were going to eat at Chubby’s they might as well just go out and buy buckets of lard to inhale, she thought.

As she turned the key in the ignition, Alicia made up her mind to buy extra buckwheat for them this week. They would need something to counteract cleanse their systems.