What Determines
Our Food Choices?
Food Biography
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List 5 food likes and 5 food dislikes
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Choose 1 from each column and explain why
Answer the following questions:
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1. Why do you eat? List 3 reasons why you
find yourself eating food. What is the purpose
of eating?
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2. Why do you eat what you eat? What
makes you choose to eat the foods you do?
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3. What do you think the difference
between appetite and hunger is?
What Determines Food Choices?
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AKA. “WHY DO I EAT WHAT I EAT???”
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1. Physical Reasons (ex. Hunger, survival, nutrition, senses)
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2. Psychological Reasons (ex. Emotions, moods, memories, etc.)
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3. Social Reasons (ex. Going to a restaurant)
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4. Cultural Reasons (ex. Tradition, religion, custom, environment,
exposure)
Other Factors That Influence
Food Choices
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Hunger vs. Appetite
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Hunger  the body telling you it is in need of food
(physical response)
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Appetite  the desire for food, independent of if it is
really necessary or even if you are hungry
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This can sometimes be mistaken with THIRST (body telling
you that you’re becoming dehydrated)
Can be due to emotions, boredom, habit, etc)
Senses
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(illicit a physical response but can also evoke
emotions)
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Taste being the biggest
Smell connects to memory, also effects taste
Touch  think slimy squid, AKA “mouthfeel”
Hear  (snap crackle pop, pop rocks)
Sight  beige food = blah
Other Factors That Influence
Food Choices
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Advertisements
Resources
What do I mean by resources?
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The objects or qualities that one uses to reach goals
 Time
 Knowledge
 Energy
 Money
 Ingredients
 Skills
What determines food choices?
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PHYSICAL NEEDS of Food
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Energy to survive: food nourishes our body so
that it can perform daily functions
Dietary Needs (football player, vs. senior citizen)
Age
Hunger (impulses from brain)
Food also helps to alleviate some health issues
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Calcium = Osterporosis
Vitamin C = Heart Health
Flax Seed = Lowers Cholesterol
Vitamin A = Vision Health
What determines food choices?
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Psychological needs
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Emotions
Experiences
Activity: Word Associations
What feelings are evoked by the following words?
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Carnival
Sick
Summer
Movie
Picnic
Campfire
Football
Airplane
Cafeteria
Comfort Foods
Comfort Foods
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZG5RrbU1IPk
Article:
“The Mood-Food Connection”
By Susan Lang
Journal Entry #1:
What was the article about? Summarize the main
idea.
2. Do you agree or disagree with this? Why?
3. Include at least two situations that you can
recall someone (or yourself) using food to
provide comfort. (think about movies, real life, tv…)
1.
The Fun of Food
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Enjoyment
Family & Social Ties
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Kitchen is the center of the home, often times
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Food brings people together
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Restaurants, Festivals, Television Shows
Adventure
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Special occasions, weddings, birthdays, sporting events,
holidays
Entertainment
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Eat and discuss over dinner
Trying something new
Comfort
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Often high in fat or calories and tend to evoke a feeling of
carefree childhood days
Eating Habits
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Eating tends to be a learned behavior.
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Developed eating habits when we are young by watching those around
us.
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Do you feel that your eating habits mirror those of your family? Explain
why or why not.
Think about:
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Portion sizes
Snacking behaviors
Etiquette
Food Advertising
http://www.thewvsr.com/adsvsreality.htm
http://pbskids.org/dontbuyit/advertisingtricks/foodadtricks.html
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fUjz_eiIX8k
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/cool/view/
Food Advertising
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Activity:
Using food magazines, locate 1 good and 1
bad examples of food advertisements.
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Questions:
1. What product is the advertisement for?
2. How does it make you feel? (don’t say hungry)
3. What do you like or dislike about this
advertisement?
4. Who do you think this advertisement is
targeted towards?
5. Would you purchase this product (was the
advertisement successful?)
Food & Technology
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Food Trends
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Prolonging the
 self
life of foods
 Nutritional value of foods
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Social trends like dual income homes
where parents both work
 Convenience
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foods
Examples of Food Fads:
 Energy
boosters
 “Low, No, Reduced, Free, Light”
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Recently: Trans Fat, Artificial Sweetener, Organic
Book Assignment
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Ch. 1: How Food Affects Life
 Pg. 16-30
 Complete questions #1-16 on pg. 31
Use COMPLETE sentences unless
the question is True/False, Multiple
Choice or Completion.