KWAME NKRUMAH UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

DEPARMENT: HUMAN RESOURCE AND ORGANIZATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

PROGRAMME: BSC. HOSPITALITY AND TOURISM MANAGEMENT

COURSE: FOOD PRODUCTION AND NUTRITION

COURSE CODE: HTM 257

GROUP 9
NATIONAL EATING HABITS – THE INFLUENCE OF RACE AND
RELIGION ON THE NATION’S EATING HABITS.
 PRESENTAION OUTLINE

• WHAT ARE EATING HABITS?

• IMPORTANCE OF EATING HABITS
• CATEGORIES OF EATING HABITS
• TYPES OF EATING HABITS
• FACTORS THAT INFLUENCE EATING HABITS (FOOD CHOICE)
• HOW RACE AND CULTURE HAS INFLUCENED THE NATION’S EATING HABITS
• SOME RELIOUS CITERIA THAT INFLUENCES FOOD
 WHAT ARE EATING HABITS?
Eating habits are defined as the conscious, collective and repetitive behaviors, which lead people
to select, consume, and use certain foods or diets, in response to social and cultural influences.

IMPORTANCE OF EATING HABITS

A healthy diet is important for good health and nutrition. It protects you against many chronic
noncommunicable diseases, such as heart diseases ,diabetes and cancer. Eating a variety of foods
and consuming less salts , sugars, and saturated and industrially-produced trans-fats , are vital for
healthy diet.
 CATEGORIES OF EATING HABITS

• GOOD EATING HABITS

• BAD EATING HABITS

GOOD EATING HABITS – This is the act of eating healthy by following eating patterns that includes , a variety of
nutritious foods and drinks. It also means , getting the number of calories that is right for the body ( not eating
too much or too little).

BAD EATING HABITS – This is the act of under eating or over eating , not having enough of the healthy foods we
need each day , or consuming too many types of food and drinks , which are low in fiber and high in fat , salt, and/
or sugar.
 TYPES OF EATING HABITS (BY DANO SPIES).

There are main four types of eating habits, namely;

•Fuel eating
•Fun eating
•Fog eating
•Storm eating
FUEL EATING- is when you are eating foods that supports your body and its needs. This is clean eating . Eating real, whole, natural, minimally processed foods that provides you with energy and nourishment
and feels good in your body. It is advisable to eat fuel foods 80% of the time .

FUN EATING- is eating any food that you love to eat that does not necessarily give you anything back. In other words, food that tastes great and you enjoy but does not offer any real nutritional value ( ie . Cake ,
wine, potato chips, candy etc.) . You would want to pay careful attention when eating fun foods .

FOG EATING- is anything you eat without awareness . For instance , you are munching on your friend’s biscuits and peanut butter while making lunch , you finish off a whole box of biscuits before you even
realize how much you ate and you don’t even remember what it tasted like .Fog eating is not enjoyable or purposeful, it is an unconscious munch that we are not aware we are doing.

STORM EATING – is also known as binge eating or eating out of control . It usually anytime you cant stop yourself from eating , you are fully aware that you are eating but you cant stop ,even if you want to .
This happens if we let ourselves get too hungry and sometimes it happens when we do not want to feel or have and overwhelming emotion . Many at times. It is done in private or in hiding and it is usually
followed by regret .
 SOME FACTORS THAT MAY INFLUENCE
OUR FOOD CHOICE (EATING HABITS )

• TIME
• EDUCATION
• CONVIENCE AND ACCESS
• COST
• PASSION FOR COOKING
CONT’D
TIME- Time plays a major role in our food choices because, the reality is that most of us do not have the
time to prepare healthy meals and would purchase whatever we can get our hands-on. The busier we
get, the less time there is to cook and prepare meals in our homes, hostels etc. so many people rely on
fast food or meal delivery services .

EDUCATION- Education also influences our choice of food and the more education we have regarding
the nutritional value of foods, the more likely it is that we will make informed choices when it comes to
our meals.

CONVENIENCE AND ACCESS- Most people will buy food available in stores close to their homes
because it is convenient and will select foods that the store has in stock. Food choices are often entirely
based on what is available , which can sometimes make it hard to eat nutritionally-balanced meals

COST- People will purchase products they can afford so that they will factor in the price of food and their
income. Many people will not have much choices due to these factors and will have to select foods
within their budget regardless of how unhealthy they may be . You must know how to work with a tight
budget to purchase healthy food.
 CONT’D
PASSION FOR COOKING- Some people love to cook others do not . The
passion for cooking influences food choices ,as those who enjoy cooking will
put more thought and effort into their food choices , whiles those who do not
enjoy cooking will rely more on processed or package foods.
 HOW RACE AND CULTURE HAS
INFLUENCED THE NATION EATING HABITS

WHAT IS RACE ?
Race is the categorization of humans based on shared physical or social qualities into groups generally viewed as distinct
within a given society.

CLASSIFICATION OF RACE BY THE OFFICE OF MANAGEMENT AND BUDGET (OMB) STANDARDS.

• The Whites
• The Black or African American
• The American Indian or Alaska Native
• The Asian
• The Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander
 HOW RACE HAS INFLUENCED FOOD
HABITS
• African salves for example, used their knowledge of their West African heritage for forage food, a well
known cuisine in American South.
• The acceptance made to these foods practices during the time of slavery reduced the nutritional value of
the previously healthy West African meals/dishes.
• The African Americans faced persecution in the hands of the government and the society in a whole, after
creating a relatively unhealthy culture food pattern through slavery.
• Through the racism brought about in the Jim Crow era , the African Americans were forced into
discriminating conditions which reduced their access to food resources.
• By understanding the food practices of the Africans in the sixteenth century, we will be able to trace the
linage of African food tendencies to the patterns of food choices for African Americans in the US today.
 WHAT IS CULTURE?
Culture is said to be way the way of life for a particular group of people . In Ghana, we have a lot of cultures , and each
culture has a significant eating pattern. When you travel from the east coast of Ghana to the West, you will notice that
there are various ways in which food commodities are used. Maize for example , is used to make ‘akpele’ by the Ewes , Gas
would use it to make ‘k)mi’ , Efutus would use it for ‘etsew’ , Fantes would make ‘ ntew’ and the Ashantis would use the
maize for a dish called ‘ fomfom’. These corn/ maize dishes are eaten with different kinds of sauces and soups depending
on who is eating it.
Cultures can be influenced by a number of different factors , one of these factors is food. There are some culture food
staples which travelled from their place of origin to be integrated into the food culture ( cuisine) of another.
The role of food in the religious culture is an important part of showing respect among their communities and many of
these religions obey their various religious commandments, hence , food is prepared in different ways. The relation of food
goes beyond just nourishing the body, but answers questions like , What we are to consume? , How are we to acquire those
commodities?, Who prepares the food ?, Who eats the food ?etc., all these enriches our cultural bases .
 HOW CULUTURE HAS INFLUENCED FOOD
HABITS

• Family traditions / customs

• Geographical location
• Superstitions
• Religious beliefs
COND’T
FAMILY TRADITIONS / CUSTOMS- food habits or patterns are transferred from one generation to another there by causing some
food behaviors to stay among a certain group of people for centuries , and these passed behaviors influences the way these people
may eat to survive.

GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATION- the climatic conditions of place will also determine the type of food that can be cultivated, for example,
the climate in Bono , Ahafo and Ashanti regions makes it possible to grow foods such plantain , cassava, palm fruits, maize, cocoyam,
etc. whiles, the climate in the Northern parts of the country being dry, makes it possible to grow foods like, guinea corn and millet. This
climate conditions determines what the land can produce the food habits of the people within the areas mentioned.

SUPERSTITION- some foods are forbidden because of cultural beliefs . In some cultures , certain foods are considered unholy whiles
others are considered right . For example , the Krobos do not eat snails because they believe they will get rashes meanwhile, the
Ashantis eat snails to their satisfaction. Muslims also do not eat meat such as beef or lamb that has been slaughtered by the halal
method. In some other cultural beliefs , children are not allowed to eat too much meat and eggs because they believe they will grow
up to become thieves.

RELIOUS BELIEFS – food plays an important part in many religious rituals. For example , while the Islam community prevents its
members from eating pork, the Catholic churches also prevents its members from eating meat during lent. Islam also calls for the
slaughtering of cows and goats according to a particular ritual for the animal to be killed and considered as clean meat , some people
too are lacto vegetarians, they eat fresh fruits vegetables , cereals, and eggs, but not meat and fish. Orthodox Jews and some
conservative Jews follow dietary laws known as the kosher diet to enhance spiritual health.
 SOME RELIGIOUS CRITERIA THAT
INFLUENCES FOOD

Religion is another important influence on food choices . Religious beliefs

affects the diet of many by declaring which foods are acceptable and
unacceptable and by specifying preparation procedures. By designating
certain foods for specific occasions and assigning symbolic value to some ,
religious principles wield further influence .
CONT’D
BUDDISM – Many Buddhists consider it uncompassionate to eat the flesh of another living creature , so vegetarianism is often followed; however , not all Buddhists are
vegetarian depending on their personal choice , the religious section to which they belong , and where they live .

HINDUISM- Hinduism also promotes vegetarianism among some , but not all , of its followers. The goal of Hinduism and Buddhism is to reach “enlightenment” or
“nirvana” , in which the soul transcends ego and unites with the cosmos’ higher state of consciousness. It is believed that souls who do not reach this stage are
reincarnated . So it is against their belief to injure or kill a person or animal. Thus, strict Hindus reject poultry, eggs , and the flesh of any animal but yet still the dairy
products from cattle is accepted and even considered as spiritually pure .

SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST CHURCH- A vegetarian diet is recommended but not required for the members . About 40% of its members are vegetarians , the majority of
them are lacto-ovo-vegetarians , meaning that they allow milk and egg products . Consumption of between –meal snacks , hot spices , alcohol, tea, and coffee is
discouraged .

CHURH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS ( MORMON CHURCH)- The Church of Jesus Church of Latter Day Saints discourages the consumption of alcohol,
coffee, and tea.

JUDAISM- The kashruth is the list of dietary laws adhered to by orthodox Jews . The kosher dietary laws focuses on the major issues ;

• Kosher animals allowed

• Blood not allowed

• Mixing of milk and meat is not allowed

In this religion, foods are sorted into three groups : meat, dairy and pareve. Where , milk and meat cannot be prepared together or consumed in the same meal . There has
to be at from 1-6 hours before the other can be consumed. Foods considered to be kosher include , fruits , vegetables, grain products, and with some exceptions during
Passover like , tea , coffee and dairy products from kosher animals as long as they are not eaten simultaneously with meat or fowl. Kosher animals are ruminants , such as
cattle, sheep, and goats that split hooves and chew their cud, chicken, turkey , goose and certain ducks can also be considered as kosher meats. They do not eat foods such
as carnivorous animals, birds of prey, pork, fish without scales , sturgeon, catfish, underwater mammals , reptiles, or egg yolk containing blood. These foods are considered
unclean or treif.
 COND’T

ISLAM-The Koran , the divine book of Islam , contains the halal dietary food laws recommended for Muslims that described Halal (permitted) or Haram ( prohibited) foods.
The five major areas addressed by the halal follow:
• Animals not allowed
• Blood not allowed
• Improper slaughtering method not allowed
• Carrion (decaying of carcass) not allowed
• Intoxicants not allowed
Many of the halal dietary laws are similar to the kosher laws. They slaughter their meat in a way all the blood will be drained. Halal meat is also defined as any meat from
approved animals processed according to Muslim guidelines . Most meat allowed except pork, carnivorous animals with fangs , birds with sharp claws , land animals
without ears etc . , alcohol , wine vinegar tea and coffee are also discouraged .

CHRISTIANS – More than 85% of the Americans and some of the Blacks claims to be Christians , and their bread (wafers) and wine served by various denominations during
communion symbolizes the body and blood of Christ . A traditional holiday meal with a turkey or ham as the main entrée is usually served at Christmas and/ or easter . The
eggs used at easter symbolizes new life and were originally painted to represent Christ's blood . Early Christians exchanged these eggs to recognize each other . Another
food used among the Christians is fish, with for many Catholics , until recently , was served on Fridays instead of meat .
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