Food Choices

We've all heard it.  You are what you eat!  And it's totally true.  When I eat crap, I feel like crap.  Most of us know this, but, even with the awareness, we still do it! Why?  Well, there are so many factors that influence our food choices.  The more knowledge we have about WHY we are choosing certain foods, the more power we have to make better, healthier choices.  So, what are the factors? Here we go!!

("Inspiring Diet," 2013)

The bold terms are things that drive our food choices.  Below each one, I'll give some examples.

Social
Interaction opportunity
Pressure from peers

Psychological
Advertisements
Emotional comfort
Habit

Philosophical
Values and Beliefs
Cultural traditions

Physical
Cost
Taste
Availability
(Sizer & Whitney, 2012)

Personally, I have learned so much in my coursework and in my own weight loss journey that I don't feel threatened by many of these things anymore.  The social aspect used to plague me the most.  Family time and friend time always revolved around food and drink.  I had trouble even thinking up fun things to do that did not include meals or dessert.  Now, I happily meet up with friends for a run or a walk.  If we do go to a restaurant, we split an appetizer to save money and calories.

I do, however, still worry about these influences and my children, especially media and advertising.  I can lead and show by example, but advertising is a very strong influence in our society.  Check out this fun ad for food that isn't very healthy. Bright colors, characters, and toys!  Broccoli has some tough competition!   



Marketing scheduled during times kids are home from school and on children's networks is actually meant to get kids to pressure their parents into making these unhealthy choices.  We can protect our kids and their eating habits by limiting television time and exposure to these ads, modeling healthy habits, setting set meal and snack times, and encouraging outdoor play (Healthwise Staff, 2014).

 

What about you?  What factors do you or your family struggle with the most?

 

References

 

Healthwise Staff. (2014, November 14). Healthy Eating in Children: Things That Influence Food Choices-Topic Overview. Retrieved from http://www.webmd.com/parenting/tc/healthy-eating-in-children-factors-that-influence-food-choices-topic

 

Inspiring diet [Digital image]. (2013, January 17). Retrieved January 19, 2016, from https://manfonhealth.wordpress.com/2013/01/17/you-are-what-you-eat/

 

Sizer, F. S., & Whitney, E. N. (2012). Nutrition: Concepts and controversies (13th ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.