Lesson 1.2 What Affects Food Choices? Learning Outcomes After reading this lesson, you will be able to • list factors that affect food choices. • explain how reflecting on your food choices is helpful. W hy do you eat some foods and not others? When people get hungry, why do some eat hot dogs? Why do others choose green snake soup? Why do still others prefer roasted termites? Appetites guide them to eat certain foods to satisfy their hunger, social needs, and emotions. Appetite is the desire to eat certain foods and reject others. Factors That Affect Food Choices No doubt, people desire foods with flavors they like. They may prefer some foods because their cultural group and family eat them. Busy people may desire foods that are easy to prepare. Those concerned about their health desire foods they think are good for them. Appetite and food choices depend on factors such as personal likes, culture, and custom. Other factors include lifestyle, environment, and knowledge (Figure 1.5). New Terms appetite the desire to eat certain foods and reject others culture the knowledge, beliefs, religion, and traditions shared by a group of people custom a practice a group of people do often lifestyle the type of life you lead environment your surroundings and all the experiences you have food desert a community that has limited access to a variety of healthy foods food swamp a community that has many restaurants offering mostly high-calorie foods at low prices and few fruits, vegetables, and reduced-fat dairy products food marketing any type of action that a company takes to persuade you to buy their food Adventures in Food and Nutrition Copyright Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. 10