Dietary choices, cooking styles and eating habits are all influenced by a number of factors. In part, they are the product of personal preferences, but they are also determined by the availability and cost of food, by the ways in which food and nutritional advice are promoted and distributed, and by cultural values – those attitudes, beliefs and customs that shape our behaviour and help to dictate our choices. Continue reading →

We eat for nourishment, but food is about much more than nutrition. What we eat is meaningful, and food is an especially intimate area of daily life, tightly linked to our conceptions of self. Think about your own food preferences: a nostalgic meal from your childhood, a treat you indulge yourself with on special occasions, a religious sanction against certain foods. Continue reading →