Eating Influences

What is Food? Foodways? §Food is defined scientifically as something that is comprised of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats that nourishes sustains living organisms§The foodways of a society are patterns of dealing with food-they govern how food is acquired, prepared, and eaten§What one group of people accept as a food is NOT always universal, and neither are the foodways American Foodways §American foodways are the result of 5 things: §Nutritional aspects of food §Status, religion, aesthetics, and lifestyle §Economic value §Availability §Consumers’ knowledge and information Nutrition §It is said that all animals feed but humans are the only ones that “eat”§Food scarcity is one of the largest problems worldwide, unfortunately Americans have obesity issues§The promotion of certain diets and eating patterns for better nutrition contribute millions to the American economy yearly (it can directly affect the market for raw ag products and shift prices) Status, Aesthetics, Lifestyle §Certain food is eaten as a status symbol, ex: caviar, name brand vs. generic§Lifestyle also influences food choices, for example: vegetarians, those who eat only organic products, low-carb, etc.§Restaurants often realize the principle that the way food looks can have a drastic impact on the customer’s perception of how it will taste (this is aesthetics—garnishes, decorations…) Religion §Religion makes a great impact on food choices§The doctrines of religious beliefs often limit which foods followers can consume and when §Examples: §Jews and Muslims do not eat pork §Catholics refrain from meat on Lenten Fridays §Kosher Jews must follow very strict diets in which even the slaughtering of meat animals must be overseen by a Rabbi §Many religions have celebrations in which certain foods are eaten or conversely in which no food is eaten (fasting) §Passover meals, Communion, Ramadan Availability §The immediate availability of certain types of food is greatly dependent on geography §Examples: seafood on the coasts, fruits and vegetables only grown in tropical states etc.§The U.S. has one of the most highly developed food transport systems making all types of foods available, but many regions in the world are limited to what is grown right around them Economic Value §Americans typically spend 8-11% of their income on food with less than 2% of Americans involved in production agriculture §In 2019, Americans spent an average of 9.5 percent of their disposable personal incomes on food—divided between food at home (4.9 percent) and food away from home (4.6 percent).§Citizens in developing nations (China, India, Philippines) spend 50-70% and more than 50% of their population is involved in production ag§For every $1 spent on food, only 14-15¢ goes back to the farmer remaining 85¢ is spent on the processing, transporting, packaging, advertising, etc.§Consumers’ choice of food is often based primarily on economics more than the other factors§Added incentives like manufacturer coupons help sell products§The US welfare system with food benefits alleviates some hunger problems that 3rd world countries endure§Food is often one of the first expenses that people set aside for in their budgets (back to survival) Consumer Knowledge §Consumers now have more access to information regarding their food than ever before§Advertising campaigns and the internet expose consumers to new products§What convinces people to buy something?§What are some examples why people avoid certain foods, food companies, restaurants, etc?