HOSA - Food Habits and Cultural Patterns

Personal food habits

develop as part of a person's social and cultural heritage as well as individual lifestyle and environment

Social and economic

change often results in alterations in food patterns

American eating patterns

are influenced by many different cultures

Social structure

Groups may be formed by economic status, education, residence, occupation, family

Group affiliation influences food attitudes and choices

Food and social factors

Food symbolizes acceptance and warmth in social relationships

Certain foods trigger childhood memories

Psychologic Influences Diet patterns

Food has many personal meanings

Psychologic Influences Food and psychosocial development

Food relates closely to psychosocial developmental development

Toddlers may become "picky eaters" to control parents

Food neophobia (fear of unfamiliar foods) is normal developmental factor

Marketing and environmental Influences

Media

Peers

Convenience items

Grocery stores

Cartoon Characters

Family income

Low-income families suffer extreme need

Illness, hunger, and malnutrition are more common in this group

About 14.3% of Americans live below poverty-level

Cultural Development of Food Habits

Food habits are learned through everyday living and family relationships

Food habits are primarily based on food availability, economics, personal food beliefs

Cultural background and customs largely determine what is eaten

Food may take on symbolic meaning

Traditional Cultural Food patterns

Shift in focus from "melting pot" to "diversity"

American cities retain pockets of ethnic groups

Cultural food habits are retained

Religious Dietary Laws

Christianity

Catholic

Protestant

Eastern Orthodox

Judaism

Hinduism

Buddhism

Islam

Jewish

Different dietary laws depending on orthodox, conservative, or reform beliefs

Dietary laws are called Rules of Kashruth, foods prepared according to these laws are kosher

Meat should come only from animals that can chew their cud and have cloven hooves, no pork or birds of prey

Meat and milk products are not mixed

Shellfish and crustaceans are avoided

No eggs with blood spots are eaten

Influences of Festivals (Jewish)

Many traditional Jewish foods relate to festivals of the Jewish calendar

Ex. bagels, blintzes, borscht, challah, gefite fish, kasha, knishes, lox, matzo, strudel

Muslim

Dietary laws depend on restriction or prohibition of some foods, promotion of other foods

Milk products permitted at all times

Fruit and vegetables: permitted unless fermented

Breads and cereals" permitted unless contaminated

Seafood and land animals: permitted

Pork and alcohol: prohibited

Representative Foods (Muslim)

Bulgar

Falafel

Fateyeh

Kibbeh

Pilaf

Pita

Tabouli

Influences of Festivals (Muslim) Ramadan

30-day period of daylight fasting

Nights often spent in special feasts

All Muslims, regardless of condition, observe this fasting

Some patients (e.g. pregnant or breast-feeding) may have complications

Spanish Influences Mexican

Basic foods are dried beans, chili peppers, corn

Small amounts of meat and eggs are used

Fruit consumption depends on availability and price

Spanish Influences Puerto Rican

Food Patterns is similar to Mexican

Tropical fruits and vegetables are added

Basic foods include viandas (starchy vegetables and fruits) rice, beans

Native American

Indian and Alaska Natives

Many diverse groups

All have spiritual devotions to the land

Food has religious and social significance

Food differs according to what can be grown locally, harvested or hunted on the land, or fished from local waters

Influences of Southern United States African Americans

Food patterns developed through creative ability to turn basic staples into memorable food

Traditional breads include hot breads (biscuits, spoonbread, cornbread)

Wide variety of vegetables and leafy greens (turnip, collard, mustard) are used

Pork is a common meat

French Americans

Cajuns in southern Louisiana are descendants of the French colonists of Arcadia (now Nova Scotia)

French culinary background blended with Creole cooking around New Orleans

Foods are strongly flavored, spicy

Seafood is abundant

Asian Food Patterns Chinese

Use a Wok for quick stir-frying with little fat

Vegetables are rice are staples

Meat, eggs, and tofu are sources from protein

Asian food patterns Japanese

Rice is a basic grain

Many variations of fish and shellfish used

Vegetables usually steamed

Diet is high in Sodium, low in milk

Southeast Asian, Vietnamese, Indonesian, Cambodian, Laotian

Rice is a staple

Soups are common

Fish, shellfish, pork, chicken, and duck are common

Red meat eaten only once or twice a month

Mediterranean Influences Italian

Bread and Pasta are basic ingredients

Cheese, meats, poultry, fish, sausages, cold cuts, and vegetables commonly used

Olive oil, garlic, herbs, and wine used in cooking

Mediterranean Influences Greek

Bread is the center of every meal

Cheese, yogurt, vegetables, rice, lamb, and fish commonly used

Changes in American Food Habits Basic determinants

Physical

Social

Psychosocial

Changes in American Food Habits Factors influencing change

Income

Technology

Environment