Food Habit and Nutritional Assessment

Topic: Introduction to
Food Habit and
Nutritional Assessment
04/17/2023 1
FOOD HABITS
 What is food habit?
• Food Habits are the way in which a community
or a population group choose, consume and
make use of available food in response to social,
cultural , environmental and economic pressure.
• Dogulas (1972) noted that ‘Drinks are for
strangers, acquaintances, workmen, and family.
Meals are for family, close friends, honored
guests...Those we only know at drinks we know
less intimately’.
 Development of food habits

Personal
Food habit of an Cultural
individual is widely Religious
influenced by the
following factors. Social
Economical
psychological
 Apart from those factors,
• Food habit also depends on

Food Personal
Economics
availability food beliefs

Everyday Family
living relationships
 Personal
• Hunger and satiety- Eating food is the response
to feeling of hunger for which we consume
various nutrients for energy
• Taste/palatability- Palatability increases as the
pleasure an individual experiences from eating
a food increases. The taste, smell, texture and
appearance of a food all impact on the
palatability of a food.
• Food allergies
 Cultural
• Traditions, beliefs and values are among the
main factors influencing preference, mode of
food preparation, and nutritional status.
• Cultural background and customs largely
determine what is eaten.
• Food habit change when individual move to a
new place and adapt in their local culture.
 Religious
• A person’s level of commitment to their
religion may affect whether they adopt the
dietary practices of that religion.
• Hindus worship many animals and relatively
are vegetarians.
• Buddhist abstain from eating meat and fish
but it is not forbidden. Moderate eating is a
common practice.
 Contd..
• Jewish dietary law includes rules regarding
selection, slaughter and preparation of meat.
• These are called Kosher food product and are
marked as K or U on the labels.
• They do not combine milk and meat in a
single meal.
• They prohibit consumption of pork and
seafood that do not have fins and scales.
 Contd..
• Islam are advised to share food. They
prohibit eating swine and alcohol.
• The ritual of fasting observed during the 30
days of Ramadan, requires abstaining from
all food from sunrise until sunset.
 Social
• Social context includes both the people who
have an impact on an individual’s eating
behavior and the setting in which an individual
consumes their dietary choice.
• People influence an individual’s food choices
directly and indirectly:
 By buying food on behalf of an individual is a
direct impact and if we do the same from a
peer’s behavior it has an indirect impact.
 Contd..
• Social support (e.g. families) can
have a beneficial effect on
individual’s food choice by
encouraging and supporting
healthy eating practices.
• The setting for food consumption
(e.g. home, school, work, and
restaurants) will affect food choice
by the availability of food options.
 Contd..
• Food symbolizes acceptance and warmth in social
relationships.
• Certain foods trigger childhood memories.
 Economical
• Family income, cost of food and accessibility
plays an important role in food choices.
• Low income families have:
 Less food choices and quantity to afford items
 Hunger, illness and malnutrition
 Greater tendency to consume imbalanced
food due to lack of knowledge
Whereas,
 High income families tend to:
 Eat diversified food items
 Develop conditions like obesity, diabetes and
metabolic syndrome due to overeating.
 Individuals may resist buying new foods for
fear that the food made be wasted as the
family may reject the food.
 Food distribution may not be equal among all
family members.
 Psychological
• Stress- It is believed that stress induced
changes in dietary pattern may be due to
changes in motivation (e.g. reduced concern
for weight control), physiological (reduced
appetite), changes in eating opportunities,
food availability and meal preparation.
• Mood- Individuals report food cravings
(especially among women during the
premenstrual phase).
 Contd..
• People on diet may feel guilty after indulging
in food or attempting to restrict food and
increasing the desire for the food.
• Toddler’s may become a picky eaters.
• Food Neophobia- fear of unfamiliar foods
 Food fads/ food taboo
• Food fad refers to any popular fashion or
pursuit without substantial basis or any
scientific evidences that is followed for a
short time with a view of improving health.
• Food taboo- It is abstaining people
from food and/or beverage consuming due to
religious and cultural reasons.
• It can be permanent or temporary.
 Some examples
• Hot and cold food- Foods with temperatures
that are wrong for them can get sick. 
• “Hot” foods include chili peppers, garlic,
onions, most grains, expensive cuts of meat,
oils, and alcohol.
• “Cold” foods are most vegetables, tropical
fruits, dairy products, and inexpensive cuts of
meat.
 Contd..
• Papua New Guinea - Women are not allowed
fresh meat, juicy bananas or any red colored
fruits during menstruation.
• Hindus are prohibited to eat cow and
Muslims abstain pork and alcohol.
• Jamaica- It is believed that if children eat
chicken before they learn to speak, they will
never talk.
 Contd..
• Pregnant women are abstained from eating
papaya.
• In Amzonian culture, deer are not eaten.
• In US blood products are not eaten.
• Dogs are not eaten in Western world.