Food choice

Different food choices Around the world people choose and combine different foods to make meals and snacks. For what reasons do people choose different foods?

Age Why do we eat different food and drinks at different ages?

Energy and nutrients Throughout different life stages, we all need different amounts of energy and nutrients. We may make different food choices based on the amount of energy and nutrients we need.

Time of day We choose different food and drinks depending on the time. What food and drinks do you choose throughout the day? Are they different at different times?

Likes and dislikes Everybody has personal preferences about the food they like and dislike. What is your favourite food? What is your least favourite food?

Around the world People around the world eat different foods. Which countries do these food and drinks come from? Lassi Smørrebrød Tacos Spaghetti bolognese Stollen Bubble tea Paella Croissant India/ Pakistan Denmark France Mexico Italy Germany TaiwanSpain

Vegetarian Some people choose not to eat certain foods. A vegetarian does not eat meat, fish, seafood or any other animal by-products, such as gelatine.

Vegan Vegans do not eat: meat, fish, seafood or other animal by-products such as gelatine; dairy products such as cows milk, cheese, yogurt, goats milk; eggs or foods containing eggs, such as mycoprotein; honey.

Religion Religion can affect food choice, for example: Judaism – do not eat pork or shellfish Hinduism – do not eat beef Islam – do not eat pork

Special occasions On special occasions, people may choose to eat different foods. Can you think of any special occasions where you choose different foods?

Allergy A small number of people can have a negative response to food, e.g. gluten, nuts, eggs, shellfish and milk.

Knowledge Some people like to know more about their food. Information labels on food can help. They tell us about the food, e.g. name, ingredients and origin. What nutrition information is shown on the food label?

Money The amount of money you have will affect the food choices you make. If people have less money, they may choose to buy more basic, essential food items. If people have more money, they may choose to buy more luxurious items.

If you only had a small amount of money, which foods would you choose?

Balance Although we might have different needs and make different food choices, one factor remains the same: we all need a balanced and varied diet to stay healthy.