The choices we make about food are influenced by several factors, like what foods are available, how much they cost, our culture, and our health needs. Understanding these factors can help us make better or "informed" food decisions.

For example:

• Availability and Cost: Sometimes, we may choose fruits and vegetables that are in season because they’re fresher and more affordable. Knowing this helps us make healthier choices that fit within our budget.

• Health Needs: If we know that certain foods are good for our bodies (like fruits and veggies are high in vitamins), we might choose those over sugary snacks. Learning about nutrition helps us pick foods that support our health.

• Family and Culture: Often, we eat foods that our families and cultures love, like certain holiday dishes. We can learn to make these foods in a healthy way, so we enjoy our traditions and stay healthy.16

By thinking about these factors, we can make decisions about food that keep us healthy, fit our lifestyle, and are enjoyable!

Fig. 3.1 Factors Affecting Diet

Healthy eating is not about a strict diet or depriving yourself of your favourite foods. Instead, it's about increasing your health, mood, and energy levels while feeling great.

Eating healthy doesn't have to be difficult. Making conscious, good food choices is what matters.

People around the world follow different diets; some may be vegetarian, vegan, nonvegetarian, etc.  Good food choices will be different for different people, and it will support their diet.

• Food and time:

Good food choices can provide us with the convenience we need.  Often, we might have the time to prepare a meal from scratch and we can include more fresh fruits and vegetables in our diet.

That is not always the case. At times,we might have to opt for ready to cook foods/ packaged foods/ order food. Deciding which food to buy based on the contents of the meal or after reading the food labels helps us make healthy diet choices.

• Filling our plate:

We can create nutritious, well-balanced meals using the Healthy Eating Plate as a guide, whether they are served at the table or carried in a lunchbox.

Fig. 3.2 Healthy Plate Model 4

Advertising that encourages the purchase of a particular food or food product is known as food marketing. Many advertised foods and beverages include excessive amounts of sodium, sugar, or saturated fat, which might affect our eating habits.

Food Ads are designed to 

1. develop eating habits (food trends)

2. convince you to purchase particular foods or beverages

3. establish relationships between specific foods or companies and a lifestyle

4. create brand loyalty to encourage you to stick with a specific retailer or brand of goods.

Knowing about food marketing is a skill that can help you:

• Recognise when foods are being promoted to you. 

• Determine whether a food item is healthy by using food labels rather than depending solely on marketing statements. Before buying consider the question why you want to purchase a certain food or drink. 

• Is it cool?

• Is it healthy?

• Will it improve your mood?

• Will it provide nutritional benefits?

Watch this video to know how advertising affects food choices among children:

According to research, social media may be changing how we view food and causing us to rethink our typical eating habits. There is evidence that if friends in your social network post frequently about a particular meal, it may inspire you to copy them, and our peers have a major impact on our eating habits. Being around people who eat well may inspire you to make well-balanced meal decisions, whereas following social media posts with plenty of sugar and carbs may make you want more junk food13.