1.2. Identify factors that influence food choice

This guide will help you answer 1.2. Identify factors that influence food choice.

Understanding the factors that influence food choice is essential when working with children and young people in health, social care, and early years settings. Food choices are shaped by many internal and external factors, including a child’s environment, personal preferences, and cultural background. As a support worker, recognising these factors enables you to support children in developing healthier eating habits and meeting their individual needs.

Cultural and Religious Influences

Culture and religion can have a significant impact on food choices. Many children and young people grow up in families where certain foods are encouraged or avoided based on cultural or religious beliefs. Understanding this is key to respecting their individual preferences, ensuring inclusivity, and providing suitable dietary options.

Some examples include:

• Halal or Kosher Diets: Some religions, such as Islam and Judaism, require children to follow specific dietary rules, such as eating Halal or Kosher meat.
• Vegetarian or Vegan Diets: Some families may follow plant-based diets influenced by religion, such as Hinduism or Buddhism, or for ethical reasons.
• Fasting: Older children and young people may observe fasting during religious events, such as Ramadan in Islam.

By being aware of these practices, you can support their choices and ensure meals offered align with their cultural or religious needs.

Family and Home Environment

Children often adopt food preferences and eating habits from their families. Parents or carers have a significant role in shaping the food choices of young people. If a household places a high value on healthy eating and balanced meals, children are more likely to develop similar habits. However, if unhealthy foods are readily available, such as sugary snacks or processed meals, children might develop a preference for these instead.

Some factors in the home environment that influence food choice include:

• Foods Regularly Purchased: Children eat what is accessible at home.
• Parental Eating Habits: If parents eat varied, balanced meals, children are often more open to following these habits.
• Family Mealtimes: Eating together at family meals can encourage children to try new foods in a relaxed and positive setting.

Peer Influence

Children and young people are often influenced by their friends and classmates. They may wish to eat the same foods their friends enjoy to feel included. For example, they might choose more “fun” or trendy snack options, like sweets or crisps, because they see others eating them at school or social gatherings.

Group settings, like school lunchrooms, can also foster curiosity about new foods, as seeing peers eat something different may encourage children to try unfamiliar dishes.

Marketing and Media

Marketing and media have a powerful impact on food choices, especially in children. Food companies often advertise unhealthy snacks, sugary cereals, and fast food using techniques aimed at appealing to younger audiences. Bright packaging, cartoon characters, and promotions like free toys can strongly influence children to ask for these products.

Television, social media, and online platforms also play a role in promoting these less nutritious options. Children may request or demand foods they’ve seen advertised, even if these foods don’t support their health.

Education and Knowledge About Food

A child’s knowledge about health and nutrition can shape the decisions they make about food. Children who learn about healthy eating in schools or through family conversations may be more likely to make balanced choices than those who don’t understand the nutritional value of foods.

As a support worker, you can help educate children about the benefits of healthy food. Simple lessons, using games or engaging resources, can offer insights into what fuels their body and helps them grow. Familiarity with tools like the Eatwell Guide reinforces this learning.

Individual Preferences and Sensory Factors

Personal taste preferences and sensory experiences have a strong influence on food choices. Children naturally prefer certain flavours, textures, and smells over others. This is often tied to their developmental stage:

• Sweet Preference: Many children prefer sweet-tasting foods as they associate them with comfort.
• Texture Sensitivity: Some children dislike certain textures, such as mushy vegetables or chewy meats.
• Aversion to Bitter Tastes: Vegetables like spinach or broccoli can seem bitter to sensitive taste buds, making them less appealing to young children.

Over time, as children are exposed to a wider range of foods, their preferences often expand. Through repeated, gentle exposure, children may also learn to enjoy less familiar tastes and textures.

Convenience and Cost

Convenience and affordability are major factors influencing food choices in families. Some parents or carers may choose foods that are quick to prepare or inexpensive, especially in busy households or on tight budgets. Unfortunately, convenience foods like ready meals or fast food often have higher salt, sugar, and fat content than fresh, homemade meals.

As a support worker, you can encourage affordable, healthy options by introducing families to simple recipes made from low-cost, unprocessed ingredients. For example, meals incorporating beans, vegetables, or pasta can be healthy, inexpensive, and easy to prepare.

Health Needs and Allergies

Some children and young people have specific health needs that influence their food choices. These include:

• Allergies: Common allergens include nuts, dairy, eggs, and gluten. Children with allergies must avoid these foods to prevent potentially severe reactions.
• Intolerances: Children with intolerances, such as lactose intolerance, may need alternatives like dairy-free products.
• Medical Conditions: Diabetes, coeliac disease, or metabolic disorders require carefully planned diets tailored to individual needs.

Health conditions require close collaboration between you, families, and healthcare providers to manage safe and nutritious options.

Social and Emotional Connection to Food

Food plays an emotional role for children and young people. They may associate certain foods with celebrations, comfort, or routines. For example:

• Birthday cakes and sweets are often connected to positive social occasions like parties.
• Comfort foods, such as biscuits or chips, may be eaten in response to stress or sadness.
• Familiar meals from their culture or home environment might provide a sense of security and belonging.

Being attentive to how children feel about certain foods can help you better understand their choices and guide them towards balanced alternatives when needed.

Accessibility and Availability of Food

If healthy food options like fresh fruit and vegetables are not readily available, they are less likely to be chosen. For children living in “food deserts”—areas with limited access to fresh, affordable foods—this can become a significant barrier. In such cases, heavily processed or unhealthy foods may be more accessible and affordable.

Within schools or care settings, providing a selection of balanced food choices is key to promoting healthier eating habits. Offering fruit and vegetable snacks or balanced school meals can help children make better choices.

Time of Day

The time of day can influence what foods children eat. Breakfast might include quick options like cereal, while lunch and dinner may involve more variety. Snacks eaten between meals are often determined by availability and convenience. Skipping meals due to busy schedules or long school days can also impact what—or how much—a child eats later.

Helping children stick to regular meal times with balanced meals and snacks can reduce overeating or unhealthy choices later in the day.

Peer Pressure and Social Norms

Children and young people often want to fit in with their peers. If their friends eat unhealthy snacks like crisps or chocolate during breaks, they might feel pressure to follow suit. On the other hand, being part of a group that promotes healthy options can encourage positive choices.

Social norms also extend to role models like teachers or carers. Positive reinforcement, such as celebrating healthy choices in group settings, makes balanced eating a more desirable option.

Conclusion

Recognising the wide range of factors that influence food choice helps you support children and young people effectively. From respecting cultural practices to encouraging education about nutrition, understanding these elements leads to healthier food choices and improved well-being. Taking a flexible and supportive approach makes it easier for children to find balance in their diet while enjoying a positive relationship with food.