1. Factors Affecting Food Choices
Chapter 2
Factors Affecting Food Choices

2. Food Is a Reflection of Culture
Choosing foods goes beyond satisfying hunger.
Many factors influence people’s food choices.
Cultural reasons reflect on a person’s food choices.
Culture – refers to the beliefs and social customs of a group of people.
Influences where you live and how you dress.
What foods are served is an example of cultural influence.
Culture changes over time as new ideas are introduced.
Example health and fitness in recent years.

3. Food Is a Reflection of Culture con’t
Historical Influences
People settling in U.S. bring foods and food customs with them.
Native foods combined with foods brought to U.S. are now part of America’s diverse culture.
Ethnic Influences
Ethnic groups – People who share common blood ties, land ties, or racial and religious similarities.
Members of ethnic groups share food traditions.
Soul food-African American example
Food norms- Pennsylvania Dutch example.
Special ways of selecting, buying, cooking, serving, eating and storing foods, Italians shop every day, Indians prepare food in special oven called a tandoor, British serve tea and sandwiches and cookies mid afternoon.
Builds bonds of togetherness - New Year celebration example
Ethnics foods plentiful in region from which foods come.
Increasing interest in Ethnic foods in the U.S.
Food Taboos
Prohibiting the use of certain edible resources for food.

4. Food Is a Reflection of Culture
Regional Influences
Each region of U.S. features some distinctive types of foods.
Examples – Southwest-Tortillas, tacos, tamales Pacific Coast Asian foods.
Religious Influences
Rules regarding what members may or may not eat.
Example kosher foods-forbid eating of pork and shellfish, meat and dairy products may not be stored, prepared or eaten together.
Example Muslims fast during 9 month of their calendar year.
Example Seventh-Day Adventists eat a vegetarian diet, and abstain from drinking alcohol, tea, and coffee.

5. Social Influences on Food Choices
Family members influence the food choices children make.
Families have changed over time and so have the trends in what, how and when families eat.
More households headed by single parents.
Many dual-worker families have more income at their disposal
Average family is smaller
Family members are increasingly mobile.
Values may make a difference in kinds of changes seen in family food behaviors.
Values are beliefs and attitudes that are important to people.
Making special foods.
Eating together
About half of all families report still eating together at least once a day.

6. Social Influences on Food Choices
Friends
Play a major role in food choices.
Many gathering of friends involve food.
Food choices help create a festive mood.
Many times we serve food that friends like without thinking of the nutritional value.
Fad dieting with friends is popular.
Becoming aware of your friends influence can help you improve your overall health.
Status of Foods
Status foods – foods that have a social impact on others.
Often served to influence or impress others.
Status affects the cost, but not the nutrition.
Media
Impacts people’s choices of food
Includes TV, magazines, internet, etc.
Average child views 22,000 commercials in a year. Become socialized to wanting those foods seen.
Dieting has a big media push.

7. Emotions Affect Food Choices
Emotional Responses to Food
Developed in early life.
Examples: good luck, happiness, disgust, frustration.
Culture affects our response to food.
Using Food to Deal with Emotions
Food can be used to express emotions.
May use food to help meet emotional needs: cheering up, loneliness, celebration.
Fear, frustration, dealing with the unknown.
Anorexia, bulimia grounded in emotions, needs professional help.
Food Used for Rewards or Punishment.
Treats for good behavior. May cause problems as adults.
Withholding food for misbehavior. Negative association with food into adulthood.
Individual Preferences Affect Food Choices.
Emotions cause us to like one food more than another.
Genetics responsible for food preferences.
Experiences with food determine preferences.

8. The Influences of Agriculture, Technology, Economics, and Politics
Agriculture and Land Use
Fertile soil
Staple food-supplies a large portion of the calories to maintain health.
Examples: Potatoes in Andes mountains, Rice in Asia.
Adequate water supply
One of most serious concerns in future
Favorable climate
Refers to average temperature and rainfall in a region.
Technical knowledge
Specialized information that helps farmers get the most from their land.
Human energy
When four preceding resources are abundant it takes less human energy to produce abundant food.
When four preceding resources are in short demand it takes more human energy to produce even small amounts of food.

9. The Influences of Agriculture, Technology, Economics, and Politics con’t
Defined as the application of a certain body of knowledge.
Modern farm machinery, faster food processing, and rapid transportation, have increased the food supply.
Plastic food coverings
Aseptic packaging
The Economics of Food
Poverty is a close relative of hunger.
Poor countries lack resources to build food processing plants and store food safely.
Lack dollars to import food from other countries.
The Politics of Food
Political power can affect food production, military power instead of feeding the people and food distribution.
U.S. it affects food importation, Farm bill, trade relations, laws requiring food inspection, truth in labeling and sanitation.

10. Nutrition Knowledge Affects Food Choices
Misinformation influences food choices
Certain foods have magical powers
Taking vitamins and mineral pills eliminates the need to eat nutritious foods.
Foods grown without chemical pesticides have greater nutritional value than other foods.
Certain foods can cure diseases.
When looking for information make sure it comes from a reliable source-Registered dietitian.