Food Influences
Liberty University
Non-Degree Seeking
HLTH 640
Personal Food Influences and Choices
Kendra L. Gillis
ID: L00099267
August 28, 2022
Words: 719
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Food Influences
There are many things that influence the type of food that I eat as well as my eating
habits. Most influences come from my family environment and the culture of the African
American family from the days of slavery. Growing up in an African American family, I am
used to eating most things that are considered very unhealthy or prepared in an unhealthy way.
Yet, my military background has opened me up to a diversity of cultures that have now allowed
me to experiment with some of those same foods in a much healthier way.
For my African American family, my food choices have been influenced by what I grew
up eating as a child that satisfied my palette over the years. A food’s availability makes it more
easily become part of a culture, and many foods can be regularly eaten out of habit.1 Many foods
that we ate were foods of survival such as chitterlings or friend chicken from the animals we
raised. We grew our own vegetables for caning for the winter. This is how it was for our family
throughout the years. Growing up, we were told that food without fat had no flavor, so we
always packed our cooking sessions with lots of lard or bacon grease. Even in our vegetables,
we added bacon meat or ham meat for flavor.
For my military journey, I learned that I can still have flavor with my foods but not utilize
the lard or bacon grease to accomplish that. I witnessed friends from different cultures
implement a variety of fat sources that aided in good flavor but was also healthier alternatives. I
was influenced by the desire to learn their culture by experimenting with their cooking styles and
their cooking condiments.
For 26 years, my military career afforded me the opportunity to maintain my weight due
to weekly exercise but also the cultural relationships I gained which privileged me to cooking a
variety of foods that my family would not adventure to try. Because I joined the military at 17,
my family influence became more of a social factor when I temporarily came home two years
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Food Influences
ago to help with my parents. It is only when I am in social settings with my family that I indulge
myself in the foods I grew up loving. Eating is an important way to bond with others.1(5)
However, we are constantly getting together weekly or monthly and that has greatly packed on
the pounds which I am trying to get rid of now. One eating habit that has remained the same is
that my day must start with breakfast no matter the cultural or social setting.
When I don’t exercise regularly, my eating habits are controlled by my emotions of
anxiety. I will binge eat to console myself but know that is not healthy in no way. The
relationship that influences this is my mother who knows that I am trying to control my eating
but will put tempting food in front of me and then bash me if I take it. It is always food that she
knows I won’t turn down. Also, we were also raised that if we put it on our plate that we were to
eat it. There was no room for wastefulness.
When it comes to taste and food choices, I prefer salty or tarty products. I am biased
towards foods that have vinegar such as vegetables like cabbage or stringbeans. I also like tarty
candy and fruit that is tarty such as cherries, strawberries or blackberries. When it comes to
protein, I prefer chicken prepared in a variety of ways. Growing up with my family eating lots of
vegetables, it has influenced me to keep them as regular part of my diet plan for many reasons;
bowel regularity and calorie control.
I do feel that my past will influence and shape those I will be encountering. As I am still
learning about proper nutrition, I will be dealing with people on both sides of the spectrum of
what I have learned thus far. Some people are sensitive about their cultural eating habits and
won’t change without proper knowledge to do so. I will be able to understand their stance on
their eating habits and help them to adjust to a better eating lifestyle.
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Reference
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