Reasons for food choices
Most food choices fit into one of three reasons – physical, philosophical, or psychological, as explained below. Some don’t fit neatly into one of these categories – for example vegetarianism may be for health or philosophical reasons. There are also various patterns that can be seen about which food choices are followed and when.
Physical / health reasons for food choices – “It’s good for me” or “It’s bad for me”
- Medical conditions – many chronic conditions may be helped by food choices, from diabetes to hypertension to celiac disease and many more
- Weight loss diets – there are hundreds of these, and new ones all the time, with different recommendations that people follow
- Healthy eating – food and nutrition recommendations for conventional and alternative health — e.g. low fat diet, reducing or omitting sugars
Learn more about physical food choices – number of people, recommendations, etc.
Philosophical reasons for food choices– “I believe this is the right thing to do”
- Religions and sub-groups within religions – e.g. kosher, halal, Jain, Seventh-Day Adventist
- Ethics / environmental — e.g. vegetarianism, sustainable seafood, local food
- Traditionalism – e.g. seasonal foods, macrobiotics
- Economics — can’t afford certain foods (this doesn’t quite fit in the category, except that choices are made how to spend money)
- Expressions of individualism — sometimes kids won’t eat something purely because their parents want them to eat it
Learn more about philosophical food choices – number of people, trends, etc.
Psychological reasons for food choices – “Yum!” or “Yuck!”
- Foods we are programmed to choose because of flavor or texture — prefer sweet and fatty; avoid bitter, slimy, grainy, and moldy
- Trained responses — it’s ok to eat blue cheese even though it’s moldy
- Unconscious responses after sickness — you can’t eat something if you got sick after eating it and subconsciously associated the food with the sickness
- Culturally acceptable foods and societal norms — many people don’t eat organ meats because everyone thinks they’re disgusting
Learn more about psychological food choices – origins, etc.
Patterns of food choices
- Individual foods
- Food groups — e.g. avoiding carbohydrates on a low-carb diet; some people with arthritis might avoid all foods in the nightshade family
- Combinations — e.g. avoid mixing carbs and proteins, or milk and meat
- Timing — e.g. eat only fruit in the morning; avoid certain foods during Lent
- Eating at home vs. eating away
Food choices for business
Food-related businesses may benefit from a greater understanding of food choices, to increase the share points of the foods they offer.
- Food manufacturers/CPGs
- Restaurants and foodservice
- Food media and recipe writers
- Food retailers and wholesalers
- Anyone else offering food and food ideas, e.g. meal delivery services, weight loss diet creators
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