Influences on Nutrient Intake and Food Choices

Tabs 2

When we make decisions about what to eat, there are a variety of factors that can influence this choice. These factors might include food accessibility, dietary restrictions, culture, food safety, or current “diet” trends to name a few.

In the Unit 9 assignment, you will be given the opportunity to examine the reasons why you choose the foods you eat.

The following resources may assist you with completing this assignment:

  • Leng, G., Adan, R., Belot, M., Brunstrom, J., De Graaf, K., Dickson, S., Smeets, P. (2017). The determinants of food choice. Proceedings of the Nutrition Society, 76(3), 316-327. https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/proceedings-of-the-nutrition-society/article/determinants-of-food-choice/BD52A32B893967EB025706AAAB432369
  • Roberto, C., & Findling, M. (2015, September 25). Hungry: food choices are often influenced by forces out of your control. The Conversation. https://theconversation.com/hungry-food-choices-are-often-influenced-by-forces-out-of-your-control-46303
  • The European Food Information Council. (2006, June 6). The factors that influence our food choices. https://www.eufic.org/en/healthy-living/article/the-determinants-of-food-choice
  • Zelman, K. (n.d.). Why we eat the foods we do. WebMD. https://www.webmd.com/diet/features/why-we-eat-the-foods-we-do#1

Assignment Instructions:

  1. Review your Unit 3 Food Intake Record and reflect on the foods you choose to eat.
  2. Write an essay that discusses the many factors that influence your food choices.
  3. Your essay must include one factor from each of the following categories (do not use the examples given):
    1. Environmental (i.e., organic food does not contain pesticides),
    2. Psychological (i.e., trying to lose weight to feel “good about myself”), and
    3. Social factors (i.e., low carbohydrate diets are the “trend”).
  4. Explain how each of the factors influences your food choices now.
  5. Explain how each of the factors may influence your food choices in the future.
  6. Your cultural background might influence what you eat or how food is prepared. Identify three specific examples of how culture impacts food choices or food preparation.

Basic Assignment Expectations

  • This assignment should be a Microsoft Word document that is a minimum of 500 words (not including the title and reference pages).
  • The body of the paper should follow APA formatting guidelines including an introduction, conclusion, spacing, font size, paragraph style, and margins.
  • Your submission must be written in Standard English and demonstrate exceptional content, organization, style, and grammar, and mechanics and use non-offensive, inclusive, and respectful language.
  • Your submission should have no evidence of plagiarism. Paraphrase information taken from references.
  • Include a minimum of two reliable and/or scholarly sources. A separate page at the end of your submission should contain a list of references in APA format. Be sure to include references for all sources and to cite them using in-text citations where appropriate.
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