Food and Nutrition

People enjoy eating delicious food because they want to get essential nutrition from them. Who can resist a quick burger and fries when time is of the essence? But do you know what you're eating? For example, do you know how many calories are in a Taco Bell Gordita? Have you ever considered how much sodium you're consuming with an Arby's Bac'n Cheddar Deluxe? The numbers just might surprise you -- some for the better, but others for the worse.

1. Influences on Food Choices

Food choices are influenced by many factors, age, gender, friends, family, cultural background and where we live. Although the main purpose of food is to nourish the body, food means far more than that to many people. It can represent much of who and what we are.

People bond and foster relationships around the dinner table and at celebrations with special meals and foods, such as birthday cake.

Fda

Tasty Food Abundance in Healthy Europe

Will eat for food

Some people express their creative side by serving dinner guests, as well as expressing their awareness and appreciation for others. Some people also use food to help them cope with stress by overeating or depriving themselves. Food may also be used as a reward for accomplishing a specific goal. Consequently, what people eat can reveal much about who they are socially, politically and religiously.

Factors influencing food preferences includes: taste, texture and appearance.

Economics - The cost of food affects what we eat.

Our early experiences with food - Food preferences begin early in life and change as we are exposed to new people and places. As children, our choices were in the hands of our parents. However, as we get older, our experiences with new people and places increase, thereby broadening our food preferences and choices.

Habits - Most of eat from a particular core group...