1. Individual Food Choices and Influences
4.01C Individual Food Choices and Influences

2. Family and social ties to bring us together
How do we use food?
Comfort
soothe 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.
4.01C Individual Food Choices and Influences

3. What influences food choices? Individual Influences
For most people, food not only satisfies our hunger, it is a source of pleasure. Some people consider good food one of the delights of living. .
4.01C Individual Food Choices and Influences

4. Main reasons why we eat what we eat
INTERNAL
EXTERNAL
Psychological
Physiological (physical)
Cultural
Situational/social
Media
Economy
Environment
Technology
PPB4.01c_Individual Food Choices and Influences

5. Physiological Influences
How does your body tell you it needs food?

6. Physiological Influences:
Physiological Influences: eat because we are hungry (we need food to keep going)
Gender/Age- calories & nutrients
Health
Wellness- sick= not hungry
poor eating= poor health
diabetes= little or no sugar
Activity levels-active or couch potato?
Some of the individual influences that affect our food choices are term 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.

7. Psychological influences- we eat because of our appetite
Appetite is our desire to eat food-
Want it because we see it

8. Psychological influences- we eat because it makes us FEEL better (appetite)
Stress
Emotions

9. 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
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.

10. Social/Situational Factors
Stages of the family life cycle: kids moved out & only mom and dad live at home?
Family Schedules: home tonight or have a game?
Peer Groups: friends eat at the ballgame
Financial Resources
Family Budget- end of month or payday?
Knowledge and Skills
Culinary Skills- do you know how to make something and can you make it?
The situation in which you life affects how and what you eat

11. Lets Review…. Food Choices include: Nutrition Wellness Enjoyment
Family and social ties
Comfort
Entertainment
Adventure
4.01C Individual Food Choices and Influences

12. Food influences affect food selection through:
Physiological factors
Psychological factors
Cultural factors
Situational factors
4.01C Individual Food Choices and Influences

13. 4.01I External Influences
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. 13
4.01I External Influences

14. Media Print (Newspaper) Radio (Commericals) Television (“ “)
Popular press (magazines, cook books)
Internet (allrecipes.com, foodnetwork.com)
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.

15. Economic Influences Price Food’s availability Supply and Demand
Cost of Gas
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. 15
4.01I External Influences

16. Environmental Influences
Ecological factors
Climate issues (rainfall amounts, drought, early frost)
Land availability
Local Agriculture
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.

17. Technological Influences
Food Processing- shelf stable foods
Food Preparation- microwaves, convection
ovens, cockpot/slow cooker, bread
machine
Additives- adding nutritional value & quality
to the food
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.

19. Page Why Do Eat? /2
Complete the worksheet (#1-10) matching reasons for eating with situations.
Find 3 magazine pictures that illustrate an internal or external influence on food choices. USING A GLUE STICK (NOT TAPE), attach your 3 pictures to a piece of white paper. Label which influence goes with each picture and whether it is an internal or external influence.