FACTORS EFFECTING FOOD SELECTION

FACTORS EFFECTING FOOD SELECTION

Food Acceptance: Each one of us has certain foods we like; certain foods we do not like. But food tastes can be cultivated. As we move from one place to another, we can enlarge our acquaintance of foods, by trying the foods of that place. It helps us to enjoy our new environment. Learning new ways of using available foods is another way of bringing variety in meal planning.

Tradition: Most of our food selection is influenced by tradition, be national, regional or food family traditions. A lot of traditional selection is based on experience, but sometimes some poor practices become part of a tradition and must be dispensed with.

Table: Comparative Cost of Vitamin C Foods

Food Source	Cost / 100 g EP (Paisa)	To provide ¼ RDI
		Amount	Cost in Paisa
Amla	50	2 g	1
Guava	50	6 g	3
Drum stick Leaves	50	15 g	8
Coriander Leaves	50	22 g	11
Cabbage	25	22 g	6
Radish tops	75	30 g	23
Capsicum	50	22 g	11
Knol-Khol bitter gourd	50	30 g	6
Drum sticks	100	22 g	22
Cauliflower	50	45 g	23
Banana	62	60 g	37
Mausambi	80	25 g	20
Orange	50	40 g	20
Tomato	30	50 g	15

It is a good practice to evaluate traditional food selection in the light of knowledge of nutrition. Thus we can retain good foods habits and change those that result in poor selection.

Food Misinformation: Food is an important topic of conversation, articles in newspapers, magazines, and even books. You see and hear about it in advertisements too. Some of this information may be useful, but a large part may not be. False ideas about food are common, as also wrong information. But many of these originate in ignorance. But as you learn about food composition you will be able to use this knowledge to guide food selection.
It is your duty to spread the knowledge gained to others so that they discard false ideas about food, which interfere with their food acceptance and health.

Other Factors affecting Meal Planning --- Skill in Food, Preparation: Skill in food preparation is an essential part of an acceptable, enticing meal. Skill in food preparation is acquired by practice. Ingenious combinations improve acceptability of foods, add to variety and thus make food enjoyable. For example, some dark green leafy vegetables have strong flavor, which can be diluted by addition of other, milder foods, or modified by addition of other ingredients. Methi leaves are bitter, if ground dal or beson is added to it the bitter flavor is diluted and the mild flavor of the product is enjoyable; similarly addition of grated coconut or jiggery also makes the flavor of the finished vegetable acceptable. It is this skill that makes the flavor of the finished vegetables acceptable. It is this that makes a hot soup at home more appetizing than a meat at a first class restaurant. One can develop skill by observing people who perform well and by practice. It is important to try and perfect the skills acquired, until it becomes a habit.

Variety: The enjoyment of food can be enhanced by learning ways to prepare dishes from other regions of India and other countries. If a new dish prepared once a week, the monotony in meals is avoided.