Cultural Changes in Dinner Manners “Omnivore’s Dilemma”, Research Paper Example

Introduction

People’s ideas that pertain to elements of diets and contents of foods are considerations that affect nutrition. Consumers’ cultures such as religion or customs are prevalent aspects in the determination of food beliefs. For example, some religions believe in the custom of fast because it shows faith in God. This helps in preservation and conversation of foods for future utilization. Omnivores Dilemma’s theory of food consumption habits and challenges tackled at dinnertime. A person who does not eat during the day can determine the suitable food to take at dinnertime. Therefore, this eliminates the occurrences of conflicting ideas concerning dinnertime. Cultural beliefs can influence individuals eating habits at dinnertimes towards promotion of urgent changes, which contributes to a healthy nation. Although it is significant to take diverse foods from different sources, cultural affiliations can assist in limitation of overconsumption of industrialized and organic meals.

Cultural affiliations like religion helps in the elimination of overconsumption of industrialized meals because they recommend suitable foods that shall add nutrients in the body. For instance, Catholics celebrate their rituals by advising believers about taking foods free of spices and numerous fats. The priests suggest that the industrialized foods are rich in chemicals that are detrimental to the body. This is a different notion of the Americans who prefer taking ready-made foods from the convenience. Difference in beliefs and religious between the Latinos and Americans is evident in the illness that Americans experience from the foods that they take. This is due to the actuality that Americans are suffering from obesity while Latinos enjoy nutritious free illnesses (Bawadi, Al-Hamdan and Ershidat, 2012).

Cultural affiliations also limit over utilization of industrialized meals because of the choices that consumers opt for at dinner times and the deliberations that determine the genuine meal times. Latinos prefer sharing meals cooked at their homes during celebrations such as weddings and funerals. This happens when the church elders request believers to attend funerals or weddings with cooked foods. Unlike the Americans prefer purchasing foods from supermarkets and food stores, mainly observing the principles of the chain. Since the church teachings on the virtues of mutual appreciation and living as per the standards of one’s financial needs, organic foods are not a preferred food to them. This is due to the actuality that organic foods are costly to acquire because of the mineral enhancements used to manufacture them. This influences the food choices on the surroundings that are supplementary to the prices and benefits accrued (Bawadi, Al-Hamdan and Ershidat, 2012).

Lastly, elimination of dinnertime dilemmas depends on the beliefs that food sources are significant consideration. Some cultures consider farming their own foods, which they labour to enjoy. Food source determines the cost of consumption and nutrient derived from the foods. This is achieved by consuming varied natural foods, which are acquired through recognized sources, and evading oily, unhealthy products (Hellen, 2008). The author is instrumental in directing readers on how to eat the diverse foods in the food chain. This implies that a person should not eat many foods from one category in the chain, but try to combine the other clusters in the food chain. According to Pollan, the three food chains offer different nutritional values that consumers ingest. Pollan suggests that eating traditionally reared meats and planted foods from the farm offers solutions to dilemmas that people experience during dinnertime. Therefore, individual’s beliefs stimulate cultural and religious affiliations that should help them in reducing the amount of organic and industrialized meal that they take during dinnertimes (Hellen, 2008).

References

Helen, K., M. (2008).Eating habits and the drive toward thinness: A cross-cultural Comparison. Psychotherapy. The American University.

Bawadi, H., Al-Hamdan, Z., Ershidat, O., Hammad, F., et al. (2012). Cultural Eating Practices among Jordanians. Food and Nutrition Sciences. Scientific Research Publishing. Irvine. 790-795.