In case you didn't know from my other blogs, I'm Italian and love to cook and eat. Nothing shows how much I care like the labor of love of a pot of marinara simmering away on a Sunday, waiting to be ladled on a bowl of pasta. There is no doubt that my Italian heritage and cultural upbringing has influenced my attitude toward food and nutrition; in my family, being a member of the "clean plate club" meant you appreciated the person who cooked and were eating healthy. I'm learning that other people's culture also has a direct influence on their food choices. In fact, partaking in traditional cuisines is a part of one’s heritage which can be considered symbolic or celebratory (Sizer & Whitney, 2017). There is a strong link between food choices and culture.
In addition to familial culture, social factors can influence our food choices. I know that I tend to eat more when I am out in a social setting. The same is true for drinking alcohol. If I am at home by myself, I am unlikely to have fried mozzarella sticks as an appetizer. However, if I am out at a restaurant and my best friend orders some, of COURSE I want to share with her! Maybe it's time that I start to drive the change and be the influential friend who encourages my circle of peeps to eat better. I found a recipe for a baked version of mozzarella sticks that I can make at home for our next get-together. Check it out HERE. Baby steps, right? A lot of small changes can add up!
I'm also learning that there are other influences which drive our food choices. For example, psychological factors. I have noticed a trend in my own dietary patterns. When I am stressed out I tend to emotional eat, which is defined as which is defined as a behavior which occurs as a response to emotions and not true hunger. (Serin & Sanlier, 2018). Just like the happy hours I mentioned earlier, emotional eating can also be a result of celebrations. Cake anyone?
Another influence on our eating patterns is contemporary or popular ways of eating such as Atkins, South Beach, Keto, or Paleo diets. A few decades ago the dieting and nutrition trends were low-fat and sugar-free. These diets and nutritional plans gain momentum by being highlighted on television shows, in magazines, and by word of mouth. I can personally list off at least 10 friends who are on some type of popular diet. Although there may be some validity to these ways of eating, one should be cautious as diversity is important in nutrition. Eliminating whole food groups such as carbohydrates can be dangerous to your health! The body might go into a state of false famine; additionally there is little known about long term effects of fad diets and many dietitians subscribe to the school of thought that the healthiest diets are moderate and well balanced (Rouden, Rasuli, & Lu, 2007).
References:
Applebees. (2018). Mozzarella Sticks [photograph]. Retrieved from https://www.applebees.com/en/menu/appetizers/mozzarella-sticks
Rouden, D., Rasuli, P., & Lu, X. (2007). Potential long-term consequences of fad diets on
health, cancer, and longevity: Lessons learned from model organism studies. Technology in Cancer Research and Treatment, ISSN 1533-0346 Volume 6, Number 2.
Serin, Y., & Şanlıer, N. (2018). Emotional eating, the factors that affect food intake, and basic approaches to nursing care of patients with eating disorders. Journal Of Psychiatric Nursing / Psikiyatri Hemsireleri Dernegi, 9(2), 135-146. doi:10.14744/phd.2018.23600
Sizer, F. & Whitney, E. (2017). Nutrition: Concepts and controversies (14th ed.). Mason, OH: Cengage Learning.
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