The Different Factors Affecting Food Choices

With food being a major part of our everyday lives, there are many factors that must come into play including the food habits we have developed to this point in life. Looking at the food choices I have made in my life, | now realize how many factors truly influence my eating behaviors, such as my culture. Since I am Jewish and come from a family of Israeli background, my eating habits definitely become effected, First off, since my mother is Israeli, many of her cooked meals are influenced by her cultural background Therefore, with every meal comes a main protein dish, such as beef or chicken, as well as a side of bread with an abundant amount of spreads and salads.

My family, along with many other Israeli families, tend to eat a lot of meat and bread products which contributes to my protein and carb filled eating habits. Additionally, spicy foods have been a huge component to my diet because I was raised eating different types of spicy dishes.

For instance, “matbucha” is a very popular Israeli dish made from tomatoes and hot peppers, which Is typically eaten with bread. Because I grew up eating this spicy dish along with many other spiceienhanced meals, I have become very fond of different types of spicy food and will always try new spicy dishes offered. As I have always been a health conscious individual, the food choices that I make are effected by my knowledge of nutrition, When at the market place, I immediately avoid Tully’s, a fast-food deep fried chain, and rather go to the salad bar and make my own salad instead.

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The same idea takes play when I am at Night Owl. |wi|| never eat the food offered in the back, consisting of mac and cheese bites, mozzarella sticks, french fries, pizza rolls and more deep fried foods. However, on days when I am feeling to indulge, I will treat myself to unhealthy food options, such as chips or ice cream, as they are enjoyable in moderation. With the foods that I eat on a daily basis, I consider the nutritional value with every meal, For instance, I like to make sure I am eating plenty of fruits with my breakfast and vegetables in the evening alongside my dinner plate.

Practical considerations is also a factor that plays a role in my eating habits. In terms of food costs, 1 will usually eat moderately priced food with my friends that follows according to my budget. An expensive meal, such as lobster, at a fancy restaurant is a rarity as I am very cautious with spending money on food. Rather, I prefer to cook my own meals at home and go grocery shopping with a limited budget. Additionally, convenience of the meal will also affect my eating behaviors, as I would rather stop at a hot dog stand for a quick bite than eat at a sit- down restaurant for an hour. I feel that the environment mostly impacts my eating behaviors in terms of the quantity of food | consume. For instance, when eating with friends compared to eating alone, I find that I consume much less food when I am sitting at a table talking and laughing with a group of people rather than watching TV in my room. When I watch TV 1 tend not to pay attention to the quantity of food that I am eating, instead I continuously snack on whatever I have available in my room.

However, regarding social gatherings such as Shabbat, a religious dinner held every Friday celebrated with family and friends I find that I eat more than the normal amount I would eat on a typical weeknight. For example, when my family hosts a Shabbat dinner my mother provides two plates for each individual and prepares a superfluous amount of food, As a result, I will indulge myself to more than the average serving. In terms of advertising, aside from the random coupon or discount that l will receive to an IHOP or Chipotle, advertisements for the most part do not influence my eating habits. Although the cheeseburgers that I see in commercials do look appetizing, they do not really affect me to the point where I will call my friends and ask them to go grab a burger, However, I will also watch the occasional “Buzzfeed Tasty” video and follow one of their recipes, like banana pancakes‘ Overall, it is clear to see that my eating habits over time have been greatly influenced by factors of culture, environment, knowledge, advertisements, and practical considerations.