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Influences on food choice (Physical Activity Level (Different people have…
Influences on food choice
Physical Activity Level
Different people have different physical activity levels
People with higher PALs need more calories
A person who has an active lifestyle will need to consume around 20% more calories per day than someone with a sedentary (inactive) lifestyle
Sportsmen/sportswomen may choose food to help improve their performance, e.g high protein foods to help build muscle, or high carb foods to help with endurance
Healthy Eating
People trying to eat healthily will choose foods based on their nutritional value, e.g foods low in sugar and fat, and high in vitamins and other nutrients
People will allergies or intolerances will need to avoid certain foods
Cost of Food
People choose food based on its price. Generally they'll go for the cheaper option, unless they think its worth paying more for better quality
People will go for foods on special offer
Supermarkets often show a price per gram to help people compare different products. Some people will buy food in bulk to get a lower price per gram
It can be cheaper per portion to make your own food than buy ready meals, but it'll usually cost more to buy the ingredients all at once than buy a single ready meal
Income
People on high incomes are more likely to buy expensive items, because a high price means (or at least suggests) its of higher quality
People on low incomes are more likely to go for the cheaper food option. Fresh meat, fruit and vegetables can be pricey, so its more likely they'll opt for cheaper, processed foods (often high in fat and salt)
In general, people on lower incomes tend to have poorer diets than high income groups
Culinary skills
Some people are great cooks, some are less able - many just lack the confidence to cook
People may not try difficult-looking recipes in case it all goes wrong or they just don't enjoy it. THey may not want to risk wasting their money on ingredients, especially if a ready-made alternative is available
Lifestyle
People who are feeling stressed or bored are more likely to go for comfort food (generally high in fat or sugar)
People leading busy lives, e.g long working hours or time-consuming hobbies, can struggle to find time to make a proper meal. This can make it tempting to just grab unhealthy food 'on the go'
People have different eating patterns - some have proper meals at set times of the day, others tend to 'graze' throughout the day
Some people have bad habits like eating very late just before bed (not good for digestion) or regularly skipping breakfast (probably the worst sin of all)
Seasonality
Certain UK grown foods are only available at certain times of year eg UK grown courgettes are available between June and September
People worried about the environmental impact of food miles may buy local foods that are in season and avoid imports from around the world
Availability
People are more likely to buy and eat foods which are readily available. e.g people in rural areas may have to shop at a small local store with limited food options
However with online shopping on the rise, more and more people in rural areas have the supermarkets deliver
Special Occasions
Special occasions are often celebrated with a large meal e.g. fattening meals such as turkey roast and suet pudding are at served at Christmas time in the UK, but they are far less common at other times of year
Enjoyment
Unsurprisingly, people tends to choose the food that they enjoy
You might think that it's all about flavour, but smell, appearance and texture all affect a food's platability
One downside of eating what you enjoy is it's often not very healthy. Humans are generally drawn towards sweet or fatty foods
People generally aren't drawn towards bitter foods, although some bitter foods are hugely popular once you get a taste for them