Factors Which Influence Food Choice

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Factors Which Affect Food Choice

Here are 5 different factors that affect what people chose to eat:

Physical Activity Level (PAL)

Different people will need to eat different amounts of calories depending on their PAL.
- E.g. someone who is very active (walks more than 5km per day) should have a 20% higher daily calorie intake than an inactive person.
Athletes may deliberately tailor their diets to enhance performance.
- E.g. by consuming more high carbohydrate foods to boost endurance.

Healthy eating

People may choose to eat lots of highly nutritious foods and not so many foods high in sugar or fat as part of a healthy diet.
If a person is allergic or intolerant to a type of food, they'll avoid eating it.

Cost

Price is an important consideration when buying food.
Some people may choose to spend more on food that's better quality.
People can save money on food through supermarket offers, and through comparing foods by price per gram.
Bulk buying foods can save costs.
Generally, buying ingredients to make meals from scratch is cheaper (per portion) than purchasing ready meals.

Seasonality

Not all foods are available year-round.
Some foods that are grown in the UK (like blackberries) are only available during certain months.
Increasingly, people are concerned about the impact food miles have on the environment. To cut international imports, people may choose to purchase seasonal local produce.

Food availability

People like convenience, and will probably end up eating what's readily available to them rather than going out of their way.
Online shopping is making this less of an issue, as people in rural or isolated areas can order from large supermarkets and don't just have to rely on what's near them.

Factors Which Affect Food Choice

Here are 5 different factors that affect what people chose to eat:

Enjoyment

People can enjoy foods for a variety of reasons, including how food looks, smells, tastes and its texture. Naturally, people often chose to eat foods that they like.
The foods we enjoy most may not always be the healthiest options (e.g. very sugary cookies and cakes or fatty chips).
People may take a while to adjust to bitter flavours, like cocoa and cranberries.

Special occasions

People often base special occasions around celebratory meals.
Food choices are not often very healthy - e.g. a sugary birthday cake.

Lifestyle

Busy people may not always have enough time to prepare a nutritious meal from scratch. They may rely on unhealthy ready meals for convenience.
Stress and boredom can lead people to comfort eat fatty or sugary foods.
People can pick up bad eating habits, like eating meals close to bedtime, which doesn't give the body enough time to digest food properly.
Peoples' eating patterns vary - some may choose to eat 3 big meals at set meal times, while others may eat smaller meals more frequently.

Income

The higher a person's income, the more likely they are to purchase expensive foods. Higher price tags suggest better quality.
The lower a person's income, the more likely they are to purchase cheaper foods. Often, unhealthy processed foods are cheaper than more nutritious fresh ingredients, like fresh vegetables and meats.
People from lower income groups generally have more unhealthy diets than those from higher incomes groups.
- This is a generalisation and is not always true .

Culinary abilities

Some people find the prospect of cooking a hard-looking recipe daunting. They may be worried about getting things wrong or not enjoying the process.
Ingredients can be expensive, so people who are not confident cooks may go for a safer, ready-made option.

1Food Preparation Skills

1.1Food Preparation Skills

1.1.1General Practical Skills

1.1.2Knife Skills

1.1.3Preparing Fruit, Vegetables & Using Equipment

1.1.4Cooking Methods: Prepare, Shape & Combine

1.1.5Sauce Making, Tenderising & Marinating

1.1.6Dough & Pastry

1.1.7Shaping & Finishing Dough

1.1.8Raising Agents & Mixtures

1.1.9End of Topic Test - Food Preparation Skills 1

2Food, Nutrition & Health

2.1Macronutrients

2.1.1Proteins

2.1.2Proteins 2

2.1.3Fats

2.1.4Carbohydrates

2.1.5Carbohydrates 2

2.2Micronutrients

2.2.1Fat-Soluble Vitamins

2.2.2Water-Soluble Vitamins

2.2.3Minerals & Water

2.2.4Minerals & Water 2

2.2.5End of Topic Test - Macro & Micronutrients

2.3Nutritional Needs & Health

2.3.1Informed Choices for a Balanced Diet

2.3.2Informed Choices for a Balanced Diet 2

2.3.3Energy Needs

2.3.4Nutritional Analysis

2.3.5Diet Modifications

2.3.6Diet-Related Problems

2.3.7Diet-Related Problems 2

2.3.8End of Topic Test - Nutritional Needs & Health

3Food Science

3.1Cooking of Food & Heat Transfer

3.1.1Reasons for Cooking & Heat Transfer

3.1.2Water-Based Cooking Methods

3.1.3Fat-Based Cooking Methods

3.1.4Dry Cooking Methods

3.1.5Dry Cooking Methods 2

3.2Functional & Chemical Properties of Food

3.2.1Proteins & Carbohydrates

3.2.2Fats & Oils

3.2.3Raising Agents

3.2.4End of Topic Test - Food Science

4Food Safety

4.1Food Spoilage & Contamination

4.1.1Microorganisms & Signs of Food Spoilage

4.1.2Enzymes & Signs of Food Spoilage

4.1.3Food Poisoning

4.1.4Bacterial Contamination

4.1.5Microorganisms in Food Production

4.2Principles of Food Safety

4.2.1Temperature Control

4.2.2Ambient Foods & Food Labels

4.2.3Preparing, Cooking & Serving Food

4.2.4End of Topic Test - Food Safety

5Food Choice

5.1Factors Affecting Food Choice

5.1.1Factors Which Influence Food Choice

5.1.2Food Choices

5.1.3Religious Food Choices

5.1.4Food Labels

5.1.5Mandatory Food Labels

5.1.6Optional Food Labels

5.1.7Marketing Influences

5.1.8End of Topic Test - Food Choice

5.2British & International Cuisines

5.2.1British Cuisine

5.2.2Japanese Cuisine

5.2.3Japanese Ingredients & Dishes

5.2.4Spanish Cuisine

5.2.5Spanish Ingredients & Dishes

5.3Sensory Evaluation

5.3.1Taste Receptors & Olfactory Systems

5.3.2Sensory Testing Methods

5.3.3Sensory Testing Methods 2

5.3.4End of Topic Test - Cuisines & Senses

6Food Provenance

6.1Environmental Impact & Sustainability of Food

6.1.1Food Sources - Intensive & Organic Farming

6.1.2Food Sources - Genetically Modified Crops

6.1.3Food Sources - Reared Food

6.1.4Food Sources - Caught Food

6.1.5Food & The Environment

6.1.6Food & The Environment 2

6.1.7Sustainability of Food

6.1.8Sustainability of Food 2

6.1.9End of Topic Test - Environmental Impacts

6.2Food Processing & Production

6.2.1Primary Food Processing

6.2.2Primary Food Processing 2

6.2.3Secondary Food Processing

6.2.4Fortification

6.2.5Additives

6.2.6End of Topic Test - Food Processing & Production

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