What should I eat today?

How do you decide what to eat? What drives your decisions on food choices? Convenience? Taste? Two years ago, I made all my food decisions on taste and convenience. However, after having my second baby, I became much more aware of how poor my decisions were. Of course I chose a big slice of pizza over a salad—pizza is delicious; and not to mention, convenient. So why do you make the decisions YOU make? 

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Maybe you make your decisions because of social factors. Social factors may include culture or religion, social status, and eating habits (Sizer, 2014). This can consist of lots of pastas and large portions in an Italian family or the habit of overeating on Thanksgiving. I usually choose to overeat on thanksgiving because that is what my family does. It is a habit I developed over the years. 

Psychological stress is a common these days and the influence of stress on food choice is complex. I usually do not find myself stress eating in excess— rather the opposite for me, I scale back when I am stressed. But, do you? The effect of stress on food intake depends on the individual, the stressor, and the circumstances (EUFIC, 2005). In general, some people eat more and some eat less than normal when experiencing stress. 

When I exercise in the mornings, I find myself making better food choices throughout the day. Maybe it is because I excrete my “happy hormones” (endorphins) and they drive me to keep up the “good work.” Or, I could quite possibly be using my body’s energy storage and craving certain nutrients to replace them. Whichever the case, our physical output and abilities also shape our nutrition choices. 

I am also guilty of basing my food choices on my own philosophical reasons. Are you a vegetarian? I am not, but I secretly (not so secret now, eh?) wish I was. So you are thinking, “Well, then just be a vegetarian.” It is not that simple. I was raised a meat eater and to believe that meat was a standard ingredient in most meals— part of those social factors coming through. I have slowly backed off meaty meals (proud supporter of “meatless Monday,” here!) I plan to continue choosing foods without meat as often as I can. 

Advertising, Availability, Cost, Emotional comfort, habit, personal preference, genetic inheritance, region of country, social pressure, values or beliefs, weight, and nutrition and health benefits all factor into people’s food choices (EUFIC, 2005). So, again, how do you determine your food choices? Becoming aware of how you make these decisions can be step one in making better decisions for your health. 

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References

EUFIC. (2005). The Determinants of Food Choice (EUFIC). Retrieved from http://www.eufic.org/article/en/expid/review-food-choice/

Sizer, F. & Whitney, E. (2014). Nutrition: Concepts and controversies (13th ed.). Mason, OH: Cengage Learning. ISBN: 9781133603184