An Overanalysis of Zuko and Food (plus Iroh)
So, I've seen a lot of meta about how Zuko appears skinnier at certain points in the series depending on where he is in his arc. During the worst parts of Zuko's time as a refugee in season two, he seems to have lost a lot of his muscle mass, but towards the end of season two, he's less muscular than season one Zuko but distinctly rounder in the face, as he becomes more adjusted to a more (relatively) normal teenage life, living under a roof and not as a captain of a naval vessel, having access to a stable food source, and letting himself be taken care of by Iroh. At the beginning of season three he's in the palace, with plenty of access to food, but appears much thinner, and several people have made the inference that it was likely Zuko was not eating as well due simply to the anxiety of being back with his abuser.
But I've also noticed several other interesting things that could indicate something about Zuko's relationship to food. In book one, Zuko is built up, he's a military leader, he's trying to fulfill his role as prince of a nation that values strength and power, and there's one scene in particular that shows him not eating, in contrast to Iroh.
We see Zuko raging over not being able to capture Aang while at dinner, and Iroh asks him if he's going to eat his food, to which he replies that he's going to eat it later, and angrily takes it away from Iroh.
The main purpose of this scene is to contrast Zuko's single-minded determination with regard to his mission with Iroh's hedonism. Even on a military vessel, Iroh is presented as the antithesis of Spartan Fire Nation military culture. Zuko shows clear distaste for this behavior, because he has learned to detest it from his father, and angrily takes the food away from Iroh, saying he's going to "finish it later." And book one Zuko looks like he probably isn't missing any meals. He's jacked, and he's probably eating a lot of protein to keep up that physic. But is he going to sit around enjoying a meal when he's stressed about finding the Avatar? Absolutely not. The food in this scene looks very inviting, steaming hot, but Zuko will eat only when it's necessary to do so, and won't tolerate uncle eating more than his fill.
At the start of book two, Zuko and Iroh are without the trappings of even Zuko's banishment. They've lost everything, and are forced to forage for food, an endeavor that is less than successful. They are fed by Song's family, and I've seen some theorize that Iroh intentionally poisoned himself in order to force Zuko to seek help, which is an interesting theory considering that given stressful and even dire situations, Zuko's inclination seems to be to turn down food more often than not.
When Zuko is later separated from Iroh, we see him contemplate stealing food when faced with starvation, but makes the decision not to steal from a pregnant family.
Later in season two, Zuko and Iroh are living as refugees in Ba Sing Se. Zuko no longer looks bone thin, and presumably has stable access to food, although not the royal trappings of a prince. He's much more filled out, but appears more round and less lean muscle. We see him visit a restaurant with Jin, and we get a close up of him pushing around his food on the plate to indicate his anxiety about the date.
(I also want to mention here that in the "Going Home Again" comic, which takes place before the start of book three, Mai says that the food in Ba Sing Se is awful and Zuko says it's not so bad once you get used to it.)
Then at the end of book two, when Zuko recovers from his sickness, he immediately is interested in the jook that uncle is making, to Iroh's surprise, who says that Zuko wouldn't like it. Zuko happily eats a bowl despite this.
This is meant to show us Zuko's newfound appreciation for life after recovering from spiritual sickness. But it's also interesting when taken in the context of Zuko's previous relationship with food. Iroh assumes that Zuko will not want to eat the jook, but one thing that is interesting is that it's a meal commonly made by adults for children or others recovering from illness. We can infer that Iroh was making the jook for Zuko, despite his assertion that Zuko wouldn't want it. I think this is consistent with how we see Zuko turn down food when he is uncomfortable or anxious, but when he's in a place where he feels safe, he will let himself eat.
Finally, at the start of book three, we see Zuko turn down food when being offered it by servants.
And finally only accepting a hot towel (used to wipe away sweat.) Despite having access to excesses, he's uncomfortable and constantly on edge.
I also have to mention Mai again here, and how Zuko, despite turning down food for himself, offers to get food for Mai, which is meant to show us how Zuko struggles to connect to the world in which Mai belongs. It's worth mentioning also that we see Zuko bring Mai food twice in the beach to try and make her happy (and failing) while eating nothing himself.
We also see Zuko offer Iroh food in prison.
Zuko says that even though he knows it's not Iroh's favorite, it beats prison food. This actually mirrors Iroh making the jook for Zuko in book two, which Iroh says Zuko does not like, but making it for him anyway. Zuko is trying to return uncle's care for him, but what Iroh really wants is for Zuko to be safe.
At the tail end of book three, Zuko seems to have gained back some of his muscle mass, and appears much more comfortable with the gaang, but he's still shown not indulging when the rest are.
The screenshot actually frames him in direct contrast to the rest of the gaang, as Aang's teacher who is strict about him goofing off during training (a callback to season one Zuko who was displeased with Iroh's hedonism). We don't know if Katara had any watermelon juice herself, but she's seen making several "glasses." (Hello, momtara and dadko.)
Anyway, I think Katara the gaang made sure Zuko had enough food and that he was eating, and that he reciprocated by making them tea in return.
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