1. 5.01 C Individual Food Choices and Influences

2. Physiological Influences
Gender/Age
Caloric needs
Nutritional needs
Health
Wellness
Activity levels
Some of the individual influences that affect our food choices are termed physiological influences.
People eat because they are hungry, but what they eat may depend on their age or gender.
It might also be influenced by their health. If someone is not feeling well, often they are not hungry. They may be in poor health because they don’t have proper nourishment, or have some disease that affects their health such as diabetes.
5.01C Individual Food Choices and Influences

3. Psychological influences
Stress
Emotion
Appetite
5.01C Individual Food Choices and Influences

4. Personal Beliefs and Tastes
Likes…
Why do you like foods that you choose?
Dislikes…
Why do you dislike the foods you refuse?
5.01C Individual Food Choices and Influences

5. Culture and Customs
Racial, religious and social groups that practice similar traditions.
Dietary laws
Muslims and Jews consider pork unclean.
Fish is eaten during Lent.
Traditions that are practiced yearly
Thanksgiving
Easter
Christmas
Culture is the customs and beliefs of a racial, religious or social group.
Today, people often refer to culture in the United States as a “melting pot” because there are so many cultural groups that are here.
5.01C Individual Food Choices and Influences

6. Situational Factors Stages of the family life cycle. Family schedules.
Peer groups
Financial resources
Family budget
Knowledge and skills
Culinary skills
The situation in which your life affects how and what you eat
5.01C Individual Food Choices and Influences

7. Family and social ties to bring us together
How do we use food?
Comfort
soothes you. S
Nutrition
to maintain the functions of the body.
sss
Wellness
to affect one’s well being.
Entertainment
Is how we use food for/to…
To entertain us
We all hear or ask the question “What is there to eat around here” When are the times you ask this question?
What are some of your favorite snacks. When do you snack? How much do you spend on snack food in one day? In one week?
Besides selecting snacks, what other decisions about food do you make?
Enjoyment
to satisfy the senses.
Family and social ties to bring us together
Adventure
new experiences.
5.01C Individual Food Choices and Influences

8. 5.01I External Influences 5.01I External Influences 8
is the link for “‘How truthful is that information”?
Handout sheet
The How Truthful is that information is an extra activity if computer access is available.
5.01I External Influences 8

9. Media Print Radio Television Popular press Internet Newspaper
Magazines
Books
Internet
The media acquaints you with, reminds you of, and informs you about food products and nutrition issues. The quality of the information from the media ranges from excellent to totally worthless and harmful.
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10. Technological Influences
Food processing
Food preparation
Food processing includes additives that enhance shelf life, nutritional value and food quality.
Food preparation includes equipment such as microwaves, convection oven commercial equipment is now available to homeowners.
5.01I External Influences

11. Environmental Influences
Ecological factors
Climate issues
Land availability
Ecological factors include the type of soil, the amount of rainfall and other climatic conditions. The social factors include what is considered acceptable in the culture in which one lives.
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12. Economic Influences Price Food’s availability Demand
Although food is becoming more expensive in the United States, there is enough food. That is not the case in other countries. Seafood is now more widely included in American diets, a fact that has resulted in decreasing numbers of fish that are available close to shore. When the demand for a food increases, the cost generally rises.
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