How Culture Impacts What, How And When We Eat

Health and Food Name Institution Introduction Culture refers to the characteristics and knowledge of a particular group of people, and it involves social habits, religion, beliefs, values, and attitudes. When an individual grows up in a distinctive culture, it is bound to influence his or her lifestyle and most specifically the diet. It is important to note that cultural influences result in the differences which occur in the constant consumption of specific types of food, preparation techniques and in some cases it also restricts the use of certain foods. Cultural influences are also likely to change, especially when one moves from one country to another. This paper describes how culture impacts what, how and when we eat. A culture may encourage or discourage the consumption of given foods by individuals from different groups. This is mainly because of the advantages or risks of taking these types of food at specific times of life or during particular conditions. For instance, most cultures disapprove consumption of alcoholics when one is pregnant, because of the adverse effects that this may have on the unborn child; it can damage and affect the growth of the baby’s cells, and it can also cause cognitive issues such as poor memory and learning disabilities (American Addiction Centers, 2009). Religion also has a considerable influence on the type of foods consumed by the members of a given society. For example, in some regions such as Buddhist and Hindu people are discouraged and restricted from consuming pork and beef. In these religions, such foods are considered to be unclean since it has been prohibited in the ancient scriptures. Additionally, most Buddhists and Hindus have also taken this cultural value to the extreme by refusing to take any meat despite being allowed to consume chicken. Besides, in other regions such as Islamic and Judaism, people are prohibited from taking beef while they are permitted to take beef. It is keynoting that different types of meat in these religions must be taken after special prayers are carried out to cleanse it. Individuals who are new to a place always encounter many challenges such as not understanding whether the foods available are produced following the existing religious rules (Moffat & Mohammed, 2017). For example, Muslims have to ensure that meals are prepared, processed and store as stipulated by the Islamic law. However, in my religion, Christianity, people are allowed to consume all types of meat without necessarily conducting special prayers. People from the Jain religion are not permitted to take any meat or vegetables that are grown beneath the soil (Dindyal & Dindyal, 2003). Jainism considers eating meat as one of the gravest sins as it gives immense pain to that living thing and Jains, therefore, depend on plant-based food and dairy products. Furthermore, culture has also defined how men and women should eat. Individuals who take female-identified foods are seen as being more feminine while people whom consumer male-typed foods are regarded as being more masculine. Also, female who eat small quantities of meals are considered to have higher social appeal. In my society, women who eat lightly and who eat small portions of food are perceived more positively, and it has implications on their body satisfaction. On the other side, from where I come from men are supposed to take heavy foods such as meet and those who are vegetarians frequently encounter substantial social critics and other men also question their masculinity (McClintock, 2015). Also, male vegans are also ridiculed and challenged by other men. It is for this reason that I regularly take meat to develop the manly feeling even though ...