A. Taste
Taste is consistently reported as a major influence on food behavior. In reality ‘taste’ is the sum of all sensory stimulation that is produced by the ingestion of a food. This includes not only taste per se but also smell, appearance and texture of food. These sensory aspects are thought to influence spontaneous food choice.
The main reason we choose a particular food is because we like the way it tastes. We don’t eat blueberries because they’re an excellent source of antioxidants — we eat them because they taste good.
Taste preferences are present when we’re born, with even babies showing a fondness for sweetness and fats. Over time, we develop a palate for other flavors. Some studies have suggested that children who are exposed to a wide variety of foods early in life are more likely to enjoy a greater variety of flavors as adults.
But it is possible to teach yourself to love the taste of healthier foods as an adult. Learning to enjoy “”the taste of eating right”” takes time and perseverance. It also helps to know easy, healthy cooking techniques.
B. Favorite Food
In both the areas of food safety and nutrition, our understanding of consumers’ attitudes is poorly researched. A better understanding of how the public perceive their diets would help in the design and implementation of healthy eating initiatives.
The Pan-European Survey of Consumer Attitudes to Food, Nutrition and Health found that the top five influences on food choice in 15 European member states are ‘quality/freshness’ (74%), ‘price’ (43%), ‘taste’ (38%), ‘trying to eat healthy’ (32%) and ‘what my family wants to eat’ (29%). These are average figures obtained by grouping 15 European member states results, which differed significantly from country to country. In the USA the following order of factors affecting food choices has been reported: taste, cost, nutrition, convenience, and weight concerns.
In the Pan-European study, females, older subjects, and more educated subjects considered ‘health aspects’ to be particularly important. Males more frequently selected ‘taste’ and ‘habit’ as main determinants of their food choice. ‘Price’ seemed to be most important in unemployed and retired subjects. Interventions targeted at these groups should consider their perceived determinants of food choice.
Attitudes and beliefs can and do change; our attitude to dietary fat has changed in the last 50 years with a corresponding decrease in the absolute amount of fat eaten and a change in the ratio of saturated to unsaturated fat.
Ask most any expert about the secret to weight loss, and you’ll hear that it’s essential to keep favorite foods as part of a healthy diet. Let’s face it; we all grew up with fond memories of foods that bring us joy.
It’s human nature: As soon as you attach denial to a particular food, it becomes an obsession. And it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to know that being obsessed with food is no good for weight loss.
We know you need your favorite foods; it’s your job to be responsible in terms of how often and how much you eat them (unless these favorites happen to be low-calorie fruits and vegetables).
C. Mood – Eating through Eyes
Hippocrates was the first to suggest the healing power of food, however, it was not until the Middle Ages that food was considered a tool to modify temperament and mood. Today it is recognized that food influences our mood, and that mood has a strong influence over our choice of food.
Interestingly, it appears that the influence of food on mood is related in part to attitudes towards particular foods. The ambivalent relationship with food – wanting to enjoy it but conscious of weight gain is a struggle experienced by many. Dieters, people with high restraint and some women report feeling guilty because of not eating what they think they should. Moreover, attempts to restrict intake of certain foods can increase the desire for these particular foods, leading to what are described as food cravings.
Women more commonly report food cravings than do men. Depressed mood appears to influence the severity of these cravings. Reports of food cravings are also more common in the premenstrual phase, a time when total food intake increases and a parallel change in basal metabolic rate occurs.
Thus, mood and stress can influence food choice behavior and possibly short- and long-term responses to dietary intervention.
It’s not uncommon to be disconnected to your hunger center, and to instead “”eat with your eyes.”” Sometimes, wanting to eat something is all about how yummy it looks.
D. Cost and Convenience
Household income and the cost of food is an important factor influencing food choice, especially for low-income consumers. The potential for food wastage leads to a reluctance to try ‘new’ foods for fear the family will reject them. In addition, a lack of knowledge and the loss of cooking skills can also inhibit buying and preparing meals from basic ingredients.
Education on how to increase fruit and vegetable consumption in an affordable way such that no further expense, in money or effort, is incurred has been proposed as a solution. Efforts of governments, public health authorities, producers, and retailers to promote fruit and vegetable dishes as value for money could also make a positive contribution to dietary change.
Cost and convenience also weigh heavily in our food choices. Time-saving food choices are a major factor for anyone with limited time for shopping and cooking. But expenses can add up quickly when you rely on restaurant, takeout, and convenience foods.
The good news is that you can stretch your food dollars even when you’re crunched for time. Quick-serve restaurants abound; you can always find a nutritious soup, salad, or grilled chicken sandwich that won’t sabotage your diet.
You can also pick up convenience foods at any grocery store that allow you to whip up something “halfway homemade” and have a meal on the table in less than 30 minutes.
How you choose your food? Would be happy to know that? Any thoughts…
Cheers,
Ashiwani