1. Psycological
1.1. Def: The food choices we make based on how our mind thinks or how our emotions are.
1.1.1. For an example of how our psychological needs and thoughts impact our food choices is when people begin to dislike foods which other important people in their lives dislike too. They do this subconsciously to feel a belonging, connection or to appear more like them.
1.2. PERSONAL EXAMPLE- A personal example of how my emotions helped me make a decision about food was when a while back I was feeling sick and I decided to have chicken noodle soup because soup is a food which I have always associated with comfort.
2. Food Availability
2.1. Def: The food choices people make which has to do with the food most available in they area they live.
2.1.1. For an example for how food availability affects the food choices we make is when people who live next to the ocean are able to receive a surplus amount of seafood which is fresher and less expensive. Their location allows them easy access to the seafood which would make seafood a large part of their diet.
2.2. PERSONAL EXAMPLE- A personal example of how food availability used to impact me is when I was younger and living in India eating food with lots of spices was and is very common. India grows a large precent of the world's spices such as black pepper because of the tropical weather. With so much spice available it was incorporated into the daily diet.
3. Meal Appeal
3.1. Def: The food choices people make which has to do with how the food appears, smells, tastes and feels. (Foods which you appeal to are foods which you like.)
3.1.1. For an example of how meal appeal impacts the food choices we make is when you are given a choice on what to eat and you chose a food which you prefer. The choice is usually based on your preference of flavour, texture, colour, shape/size, temperature and variety.
3.2. PERSONAL EXAMPLE- A personal example of how meal appeal impacted a food choice I made was when I was at a restaurant I had difficulty choosing between two foods. With out being able to pick I looked at a picture of the two foods, after seeing how they appeared the one food seemed to have a better crisper texture and looked more appetizing. The appearance and texture of the food gave it meal appeal.
4. Physiological
4.1. Def: The foods you need to eat to live and grow. The foods we eat which provide us with nutrients and things we need as humans.
4.1.1. For an example of how our physiological needs impact our food choices is when you are encouraged to healthy foods such as fruits and vegetables over processed foods such as chips. This is because fruits and vegetables supply your body with very important nutrients we need to stay healthy. Unhealthy foods such as chips do not provide your body with much to almost no good nutrients or benefits. Your body wants you to eat foods which help it grow and heal.
4.2. PERSONAL EXAMPLE- A personal example of how my physiological needs impact my food choices is when I make sure to have a food from each food group (grains, vegetables and fruits, meats, dairy) everyday. I do this because it is important to our bodies to gain many different nutrients to grow, live and heal.
5. Cultural
5.1. Def: The food choices which are passed from families or from the country you are from.
5.1.1. For an example of how culture affects our food choices is when your family is from a different country now living in another area. Then most likely the food you eat would be still food from that country.
5.2. PERSONAL EXAMPLE- A personal example of how my culture has impacted my food choices is when my family (who all came from India) continue to make Indian food.
6. Social
6.1. Def: The food choices we make which can be influenced by the people, media, lifestyle, current trends and advertising around us. The relationships with those around us impacts the choices we make when it comes to food.
6.1.1. For an example of how the relationships around us affect our food choices is when we are surrounded by people who can eat only certain things. For say if you had a friend that was a vegetarian. When you were out with them you would feel socially pressured to pick things which are also vegetarian too so you do not upset them.