--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Alice's dinner consisted of one-half cup…" description: "\"“Alice's dinner consisted of one-half cup medium-grain white rice (120 calories), four spears of asparagus (20 calories), and a pat of butter (40 calor..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4d6/sherry-shahan-51879_eating-disorders_alice-s-dinner-consisted-of-one-half-cup_2975688.jpg" --- # Alice's dinner consisted of one-half cup medium-grain… ![“Alice's dinner consisted of one-half cup medium-grain white rice (120 calories), four spears of asparagus (20 calories), and a pat of butter (40 calories). Bones watched as she used her index finger to smear the butter on an asparagus spear. Then she sucked her middle finger, pretending to remove…” quote by Sherry Shahan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4d6/sherry-shahan-51879_eating-disorders_alice-s-dinner-consisted-of-one-half-cup_2975688.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4d6/sherry-shahan-51879_eating-disorders_alice-s-dinner-consisted-of-one-half-cup_2975688.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4d6/sherry-shahan-51879_eating-disorders_alice-s-dinner-consisted-of-one-half-cup_2975688.jpg) > ““Alice's dinner consisted of one-half cup medium-grain white rice (120 calories), four spears of asparagus (20 calories), and a pat of butter (40 calories). Bones watched as she used her index finger to smear the butter on an asparagus spear. Then she sucked her middle finger, pretending to remove the excess butter. The buttered finger scratched an ankle, and the calories disappeared into her leg warmer. "Tricky," he said under his breath. She smiled. "Just good technique.”” [Sherry Shahan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherry-shahan/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A whimsical scene where a child’s playful act turns calories into imagination, highlighting creativity in everyday moments. **In simple terms:** Playful imagination transforms ordinary actions. Key Takeaway Find wonder in daily details. Themes playfulness imagination food childhood creativity Mood lighthearted whimsical Type fiction anecdotal When to use this quote - family meals - creative teaching - mindful eating - storytelling workshops Key Concepts narrative technique symbolic meaning Questions to Reflect On - How can imagination change perception of routine? - What does “technique” mean in playful contexts? A Different Perspective Humor may distract from deeper themes. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Alice Dinner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/alice-dinner-4602863/) [Butter Asparagus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/butter-asparagus-4602864/) [Calories Bones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/calories-bones-4602866/) [Calories Pat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/calories-pat-4602867/) [Calories Spears](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/calories-spears-4602865/) [Eating disorders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/eating-disorders/) [Friendship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/friendship/) [Hospital](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hospital/) [Middle finger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/middle-finger/) ## Related quotes > [“Bones stared at the cheap melamine plate with an omelet, fruit bowl, and dry toast. "Is something wrong?" Dr. Chu asked. I have the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherry-shahan/bones-stared-at-the-cheap-melamine-plate-with-an-omelet-fruit-bowl/) [Sherry Shahan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherry-shahan/) > [“Jack unpacked sweatshirts, sweatpants, thick athletic socks. He wore them to encourage his body to reach a temperature hot enough to melt solids. No…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherry-shahan/jack-unpacked-sweatshirts-sweatpants-thick-athletic-socks-he-wore/) [Sherry Shahan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherry-shahan/) > [“Can you tell me why you added weight to your gown?" Dr. Chu asked. Another trick question. Bones shrugged. "I wanted you to think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherry-shahan/can-you-tell-me-why-you-added-weight-to-your-gown-dr-chu-asked/) [Sherry Shahan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherry-shahan/) > [You don't understand...Cutting unless your'e a cutter. Drugs unless your'e a druggie. Suicide unless you've attempted it. Eating disorders unless you've had one. Me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-don-t-understand-cutting-unless-your-e-a-cutter-drugs-unless-your/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“When you ignore your belly, you become homeless. You spend your life trying to erase your own existence. Apologizing for yourself. Feeling like a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geneen-roth/when-you-ignore-your-belly-you-become-homeless-you-spend-your-life/) [Geneen Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geneen-roth/) > [In this business, there is an insane amount of pressure, spoken and unspoken, to be thin. If you look at some of the television…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-raver/in-this-business-there-is-an-insane-amount-of-pressure-spoken-and/) [Kim Raver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-raver/) > [The more people talk about eating disorders, the more people get the real story about what they're like.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scarlett-pomers/the-more-people-talk-about-eating-disorders-the-more-people-get-the/) [Scarlett Pomers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scarlett-pomers/) > [“Between 10 and 20 percent of people with anorexia die from heart attacks, other complications and suicide; the disease has the highest mortality rate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harriet-brown/between-10-and-20-percent-of-people-with-anorexia-die-from-heart/) [Harriet Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harriet-brown/) > [“We may also discover that sexual abuse helps to explain the high prevalence rates of eating disorders among women and may lend some insight…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-a-duncan/we-may-also-discover-that-sexual-abuse-helps-to-explain-the-high/) [Karen A. Duncan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-a-duncan/) > [“I’ve never had anorexia, but I know it well. I see it on the street, in the gaunt and sunken face, the boney chest,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harriet-brown/i-ve-never-had-anorexia-but-i-know-it-well-i-see-it-on-the-street-in/) [Harriet Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harriet-brown/) > [“Being constantly hungry is no life at all.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-woolf/being-constantly-hungry-is-no-life-at-all/) [Emma Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-woolf/) > [“Most of us are so enthralled with the scary tigers in our minds--our stories of loneliness, rejection, grief--that we don't realize they are in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geneen-roth/most-of-us-are-so-enthralled-with-the-scary-tigers-in-our-minds-our/) [Geneen Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geneen-roth/) > [Having an eating disorder doesn't show ‘strength.’ Strength is when are able to overcome your demons after being sick and tired for so long.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/demi-lovato/having-an-eating-disorder-doesn-t-show-strength-strength-is-when-are/) [Demi Lovato](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/demi-lovato/) > [“I am made of a thousand ghosts. Only you can shoot me down.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bella-james/i-am-made-of-a-thousand-ghosts-only-you-can-shoot-me-down/) [Bella James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bella-james/) > [“Anorexia is, without doubt, a serious eating disorder, but there is a hell of a lot of mainstream disordered eating going on out there.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-woolf/anorexia-is-without-doubt-a-serious-eating-disorder-but-there-is-a/) [Emma Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-woolf/) ## More by Sherry Shahan > [“Life outside is changing our world. We are losing our culture, loosing our roots. How can a living thing grow if its roots are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherry-shahan/life-outside-is-changing-our-world-we-are-losing-our-culture-loosing/) [Sherry Shahan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherry-shahan/) > [“Can you tell me why you added weight to your gown?" Dr. Chu asked. Another trick question. Bones shrugged. "I wanted you to think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherry-shahan/can-you-tell-me-why-you-added-weight-to-your-gown-dr-chu-asked/) [Sherry Shahan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherry-shahan/) > [“Give me your hand," Alice said, barely a whisper. Bones held out his hand tentatively. She took it and placed it on her heart…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherry-shahan/give-me-your-hand-alice-said-barely-a-whisper-bones-held-out-his-hand/) [Sherry Shahan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherry-shahan/) > [“But the truth stretched out in front of him; loving her hadn't been enough. Not enough for her.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherry-shahan/but-the-truth-stretched-out-in-front-of-him-loving-her-hadn-t-been/) [Sherry Shahan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherry-shahan/) > [“Jack unpacked sweatshirts, sweatpants, thick athletic socks. He wore them to encourage his body to reach a temperature hot enough to melt solids. No…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherry-shahan/jack-unpacked-sweatshirts-sweatpants-thick-athletic-socks-he-wore/) [Sherry Shahan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherry-shahan/) > [“Bones stared at the cheap melamine plate with an omelet, fruit bowl, and dry toast. "Is something wrong?" Dr. Chu asked. I have the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherry-shahan/bones-stared-at-the-cheap-melamine-plate-with-an-omelet-fruit-bowl/) [Sherry Shahan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherry-shahan/) [Explore all 7 Sherry Shahan quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherry-shahan/) ## More Eating disorders quotes > [“Anorexia is, without doubt, a serious eating disorder, but there is a hell of a lot of mainstream disordered eating going on out there.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-woolf/anorexia-is-without-doubt-a-serious-eating-disorder-but-there-is-a/) [Emma Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-woolf/) > [“I am made of a thousand ghosts. Only you can shoot me down.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bella-james/i-am-made-of-a-thousand-ghosts-only-you-can-shoot-me-down/) [Bella James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bella-james/) > [Having an eating disorder doesn't show ‘strength.’ Strength is when are able to overcome your demons after being sick and tired for so long.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/demi-lovato/having-an-eating-disorder-doesn-t-show-strength-strength-is-when-are/) [Demi Lovato](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/demi-lovato/) > [“Most of us are so enthralled with the scary tigers in our minds--our stories of loneliness, rejection, grief--that we don't realize they are in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geneen-roth/most-of-us-are-so-enthralled-with-the-scary-tigers-in-our-minds-our/) [Geneen Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geneen-roth/) > [“Being constantly hungry is no life at all.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-woolf/being-constantly-hungry-is-no-life-at-all/) [Emma Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-woolf/) > [“I’ve never had anorexia, but I know it well. I see it on the street, in the gaunt and sunken face, the boney chest,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harriet-brown/i-ve-never-had-anorexia-but-i-know-it-well-i-see-it-on-the-street-in/) [Harriet Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harriet-brown/) > [“We may also discover that sexual abuse helps to explain the high prevalence rates of eating disorders among women and may lend some insight…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-a-duncan/we-may-also-discover-that-sexual-abuse-helps-to-explain-the-high/) [Karen A. Duncan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-a-duncan/) > [“Between 10 and 20 percent of people with anorexia die from heart attacks, other complications and suicide; the disease has the highest mortality rate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harriet-brown/between-10-and-20-percent-of-people-with-anorexia-die-from-heart/) [Harriet Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harriet-brown/) > [The more people talk about eating disorders, the more people get the real story about what they're like.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scarlett-pomers/the-more-people-talk-about-eating-disorders-the-more-people-get-the/) [Scarlett Pomers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scarlett-pomers/) > [In this business, there is an insane amount of pressure, spoken and unspoken, to be thin. If you look at some of the television…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-raver/in-this-business-there-is-an-insane-amount-of-pressure-spoken-and/) [Kim Raver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-raver/) > [“When you ignore your belly, you become homeless. You spend your life trying to erase your own existence. Apologizing for yourself. Feeling like a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geneen-roth/when-you-ignore-your-belly-you-become-homeless-you-spend-your-life/) [Geneen Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geneen-roth/) > [You don't understand...Cutting unless your'e a cutter. Drugs unless your'e a druggie. Suicide unless you've attempted it. Eating disorders unless you've had one. Me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-don-t-understand-cutting-unless-your-e-a-cutter-drugs-unless-your/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I am forever engaged in a silent battle in my head over whether or not to lift the fork to my mouth, and when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jena-morrow/i-am-forever-engaged-in-a-silent-battle-in-my-head-over-whether-or/) [Jena Morrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jena-morrow/) > [“Fooling the body into thinking it's full on only a thousand calories can be difficult. The trick is to chew the food until it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-matthew-nespoli/fooling-the-body-into-thinking-it-s-full-on-only-a-thousand-calories/) [J. Matthew Nespoli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-matthew-nespoli/) > [Yes, I talk about eating disorders and you know, excessive dieting and excessive exercising can be a sign of a mental illness... but when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophie-gregoire-trudeau/yes-i-talk-about-eating-disorders-and-you-know-excessive-dieting-and/) [Sophie Gregoire Trudeau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophie-gregoire-trudeau/) [Browse all 218 Eating disorders quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/eating-disorders/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Alice's dinner consisted of one-half cup medium-grain white rice (120 calories), four spears of asparagus (20 calories), and a pat of butter (40 calories). Bones watched as she used her index finger to smear the butter on an asparagus spear. Then she sucked her middle finger, pretending to remove the excess butter. The buttered finger scratched an ankle, and the calories disappeared into her leg warmer. \"Tricky,\" he said under his breath. She smiled. \"Just good technique.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Sherry Shahan" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherry-shahan/alice-s-dinner-consisted-of-one-half-cup-medium-grain-white-rice-120/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Eating disorders" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherry-shahan/alice-s-dinner-consisted-of-one-half-cup-medium-grain-white-rice-120/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4d6/sherry-shahan-51879_eating-disorders_alice-s-dinner-consisted-of-one-half-cup_2975688.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4d6/sherry-shahan-51879_eating-disorders_alice-s-dinner-consisted-of-one-half-cup_2975688.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4d6/sherry-shahan-51879_eating-disorders_alice-s-dinner-consisted-of-one-half-cup_2975688.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Alice's dinner consisted of one-half cup medium-grain white rice (120 calories), four spears of asparagus…” — Sherry Shahan", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Sherry Shahan", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherry-shahan/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Alice's dinner consisted of one-half cup...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherry-shahan/alice-s-dinner-consisted-of-one-half-cup-medium-grain-white-rice-120/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherry-shahan/alice-s-dinner-consisted-of-one-half-cup-medium-grain-white-rice-120/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```