Food And Culture

Food is an important aspect of life; it is a daily necessity because all humans eat to survive. Food also act as ways for people to connect and present their cultures. Yet, in different cultures, many food have unique and symbolic meanings. Similarly, everyone has a unique eating habit, which is a way for people to identify themselves. The term food habits refers to “why and how people eat, which foods they eat, and with whom they eat, as well as the ways people obtain, store, use, and discard food”. Most often, food habits are learned through everyday living, family relationships, and peers. However, food habits and culture are influenced by many factors such as: biological, personal, social, economic, and psychological. Biological factors …show more content…
Personal food preferences developed over time, most likely, they are influenced by personal experiences. Some personal experiences are encouragement to eat, exposure to food, family customs and rituals, advertising, and personal values. Furthermore, if people enjoy cooking or making food, it is a sign that they rarely eat at restaurants and food outlets. On the other hand, some people who are not passionate about cooking tend to eat out more often or buy prepared food. This comparison demonstrates people perceptions on cooking affect his or her food habits. Moreover, some people are extremely aware of nutrient or health conscious, they desire to eat in a healthier way. These people are strict when it comes to their lifestyles, and they will not buy unhealthy foods. Such people would develop a more nutritious food habits such as, eat more vegetables and fruits and prefer organic food. As a result, many of them classify themselves as vegetarians; serious vegetarians would not eat any food that contains animal products. Personal preferences and values determine the kinds of food habits one wants to …show more content…
Yet, the psychological influence on food choice is complex because of the various types of stress and mood one can experience. Mood and stress are the common features of modern life, which trigger changes in human behaviors that may affect health. These determinants are very personal and individualistic in which some people may consume more food and others may consume less food. However, it is more likely that people reduced appetite and weight when undergoing stress. On the other hand, many women tends to consume more sweetness like ice cream and chocolate when they are depressed. In this case, ice cream and chocolate serves as the “comfort foods”. Also, when women are in their premenstrual phase, they have more food cravings. Thus, mood and stress can intervene food