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Factors affecting food choice

Food choiceThere are many factors which may influence our food and drink choice.

What examples can you think of?

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• Age• Nutritional needs• Time of the day• Knowledge• Money• Likes and dislikes• Environment• Special occasion• Allergy/intolerance• Food provenance

Age

People of ages need and choose different foods.

Throughout life, we all need different amounts of energy and nutrients.

We may make different food choices based on the amount of energy and nutrients we need.

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Time of dayWe choose different food and drinks depending on the time. For example foods we choose for breakfast, we may not choose for our evening meal.

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Preference

Individuals have personal preferences about the food they like and dislike.

What’s your favourite food/dish?

What’s your least favourite food/dish?

Discuss with the rest of the class.

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Vegetarians and vegans

Some people choose not to eat certain foods.

Vegetarian – does not eat any meat, fish, seafood or any other animal by-products, such as gelatine.

Vegan – does not eat meat, fish, seafood or other animal by-products such as gelatine; dairy products; eggs or foods containing eggs such as mycoprotein and honey.

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Religion

Around the world, people choose to eat or avoid certain foods depending on their religious belief. Some beliefs have been followed for centuries and are well established as part of life.

Religions with particular beliefs around food include: Islam; Hinduism; Judaism; Sikhism; Buddhism (strict); Seventh-day Adventist Church and Rastafari Movement.

Find out about the food choices people of certain religions may make. Discuss this with the class.

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Culture

Around the world, people choose different foods due to their culture. People may choose local ingredients and traditional dishes of their area.

Look at the dishes below. Where in the world are they from?

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Special occasions

On special occasions, people may choose to eat different foods. This includes religious occasions (e.g. Christmas, Passover), birthdays and weddings.

On what occasions would you eat the following foods?

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Negative responses to food

A small number of people can have a negative response to food, e.g. gluten, nuts, eggs, shellfish and milk. This can alter the food choices an individual makes.

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Lactose intolerance

• Lactose intolerance occurs in individuals who lack or have low levels of the enzyme lactase, which is needed to digest the sugar lactose (found in milk).

• In most cases, cutting down on or avoiding sources of lactose and replacing them with lactose-free alternatives is enough to control the symptoms of lactose intolerance.

How would lactose intolerance affect an individuals food choices?

More information available here: http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/lactose-intolerance/Pages/Treatment.aspx

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Coeliac disease• Coeliac disease is a common digestive

condition where a person has an adverse reaction to gluten. Coeliac disease is an autoimmune condition. This is where the immune system – the body's defence against infection – mistakenly attacks healthy tissue.

• There is no cure for coeliac disease, but switching to a gluten-free diet should help control symptoms and prevent the long-term consequences of the disease.

How would coeliac disease affect an individuals food choices? More information available here: http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coeliac-disease/pages/introduction.aspx

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Other health reasons

Some people may choose or avoid certain foods due to other health reasons (e.g. weight loss, cholesterol levels).

Information labels on food often help people make these choices. For example, people trying to lose weight may look at the energy (kilojoules or calories) on a food label.

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Money

The amount of money available will affect the food choices you make. If people have less money, they may choose to buy more basic, essential food items. If people have more money, they may choose to buy more luxurious items.

If your budget for food decreased, what different food choices would you make?

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Acknowledgement

For further information, go to: www.food4life.org.uk © LMC 2015

© Livestock & Meat Commission for Northern Ireland 2015