Eating habits and lifestyle

The category of "eating habit" has been a classic concept in anthropology of food. It was
introduced and used by pioneers like Richard, Guthe, Mead, Passin, Bennett, Douglas, etc., which the
they conceived as forms of feeding behavior deeply rooted in the ways of life members of a
culture. They use this concept to describe and understand the ways of routine and spontaneous
behavior that guide the choice of foods consumed daily members of a social group and therefore
make their eating habits. Their analysis and interpretations were extremely useful because in an era
that began to consolidate new eating habits arising from food industrialization, allowed design
healthy nutritional recommendations for the population. And above all were important contributions
because they highlighted the importance of sociocultural factors. It began to recognize that eating
habits are an essential part of the culture of a people (Messer 1989: 33; 2002 Garrote:5; Contreras
and Gracia 2005: 406).
Eating habits can be described as routine food consumption patterns. They are
trends to choose and consume about certain foods and to exclude others. It comprises a set of skills
playing the role of decision - making mechanisms which organize and guide the ordinary behavior
and therefore our eating habits: what we eat and how as we eat, that is, the daily food intake. In this
area they have been defined as "line of conduct which are selected, used and consumed the whole
of foodstuffs present in the diets consumed by a population group "(Bello Gutiérrez 2005: 5). They
are the basis of a type of eating behavior in which creatively combine genetic traits and cultural, a
mode of behavior in which converge the biological, social and emotional reasons in a unitary
synthesis. They encompass a set of rules of conduct governing routine nature feeding behavior and
whose knowledge helps us understand what we eat and why we eat what we eat.
One of the fundamental characteristics of eating habits is its stability, ie its resistance to change. Most
adult eating habits are habits that have 2 formed many years ago, why they are difficult to change. It
is shown that although produce changes in attitudes and intentions not thereby change. Resistance
is strongest in affluent societies of the West, where autonomy and individual freedom is exalted. The
concepts of independence and personal autonomy are inexorably linked to the activities of the daily
life. But eating habits are not immutable as they are also schemes modifiable behavior, open to
change through all the potential offered by life everyday. The social context is crucial to the extent
that can trigger an evolution noticeable in eating habits of citizens (Delormier et alii 2009: 218;
Sebastian 2009: 285).
Well, to combine individual and social dimension in understanding the change that is
producing in eating habits we will use the category of lifestyle. Orients daily practices in different
spheres of life among which include the consumption. In this field generates a symbolic order that
conveys the decisions people make in choosing, buying and consumption of goods. In food
consumption is a fertile category because it will allow the sphere public and private, to understand
how people within the channels offered by the company
They maintain their own identity in their eating behavior. This is true in modern society that It
characterized by a tendency to individualization in decisions about what you eat made possible the
ability to acquire and also choose the amount of food available and, Consequently, the ability to make
decisions according to one 's style of life (Simmel 2001:147; Douglas and Isherwood 1979:
38; Featherstone: 2000, 142; Contreras and Gracia 2008: 186).
The lifestyle can be described as a series of patterns of behavior followed by a group
Reasonable people agree in their way of living, spend your money, spend their free time, etc.
It is a way of life based on a specific set of behavioral patterns that structure temporary organization,
the social system of relations and consumption patterns of a distinctive group individuals. It refers to
a way of being personal based and led by a particular socio - cultural environment in constant
transformation process originated by the conscious action of its members integrated. The structure
of a lifestyle is resolved in a set of practices, habits, values, attitudes, trends, consumption, life forms,
etc. It can be described as an original form individualized in the way each person lives everyday life,
specifically abide by norms of their group, class and global society to which they belong. It has been
defined as "a set of practices more or less integrated than an individual adopts not only because they
satisfy needs utilitarian, but because they give material form to a specific chronicle of the identity of
the self "(Giddens 1991: 81; Ruiz 1994: 200; Rodriguez and Agulló 1999: 250; Chaney 2003:
147; Soldevilla 2009: 20). It is a way unitary conduct to the extent that relates desires and choices in
a model more or less organized. It has the ability to structure and organize much of the daily activity
members of a social group. It is a kind of standard accepted by the group but always interpreted by
the subject that allows prohibits or encourages the consumption of certain goods and
services. Lifestyles are ways of investing patterned social and symbolic value to certain aspects of
daily life, and that doubt that among these aspects must be included food. It has many layers and
multiple expressions among which include the choice and consumption of food that people do.

Vegetarianism
Vegetarianism is a popular choice for many individuals and families. But parents may wonder if kids
can safely follow a vegetarian diet and still get all necessary nutrients. Most dietary and medical
experts agree that a well-planned vegetarian diet can actually be a very healthy way to eat. But
special care must be taken when serving kids and teens a vegetarian diet, especially if it doesn't
include dairy and egg products. And as with any diet, you'll need to understand that the nutritional
needs of kids change as they grow.
Types of Vegetarian Diets
Before your child or family switches to a vegetarian diet, it's important to note that all vegetarian
diets are not alike. Major vegetarian categories include:
lacto-ovo vegetarian: eats no meat, poultry, or fish, but does eat eggs and dairy products (what
most of us mean when we say "vegetarian")
lacto-vegetarian: eats no meat, poultry, fish, or eggs, but does eat dairy products
ovo-vegetarian: eats no meat, poultry, fish, or dairy products, but does eat eggs
vegan: eats only plant-derived foods. And many other people are semi-vegetarians who have
eliminated red meat, but may eat poultry or fish.
The Choice of Vegetarianism
Kids or families may follow a vegetarian diet for a variety of reasons. Younger vegetarians are
usually part of a family that eats vegetarian meals for health, cultural, or other reasons. Older kids
may decide to become vegetarians because of concern for animals, the environment, or their own
health. In most cases, you shouldn't be alarmed if your child chooses vegetarianism. Discuss what it
means and how to implement it, ensuring your child makes healthy and nutritious food choices.

Nutrition for All Ages

Your doctor or a registered dietitian can help you plan and monitor a healthy vegetarian diet. Parents
should give their kids a variety of foods that provide enough calories and nutrients to enable them to grow
normally.

A well-planned vegetarian diet can meet kids' nutritional needs and has some health benefits. For
example, a diet rich in fruits and veggies will be high in fiber and low in fat, factors known to improve
cardiovascular health by reducing blood cholesterol and maintaining a healthy weight. However, kids and
teens on a vegetarian diet may need to be careful that they get an adequate amount of certain vitamins
and minerals.

Here are nutrients that vegetarians should get and some of their best food sources:

 vitamin B12: dairy products, eggs, and vitamin-fortified products, such as cereals, breads, and soy
and rice drinks, and nutritional yeast
 vitamin D: milk, vitamin D-fortified orange juice, and other vitamin D-fortified products
 calcium: dairy products, dark green leafy vegetables, broccoli, dried beans, and calcium-fortified
products, including orange juice, soy and rice drinks, and cereals
 protein: dairy products, eggs, tofu and other soy products, dried beans, and nuts
 iron: eggs, dried beans, dried fruits, whole grains, leafy green vegetables, and iron-fortified cereals
and bread
 zinc: wheat germ, nuts, fortified cereal, dried beans, and pumpkin seeds

Depending on the type of vegetarian diet chosen, kids may miss out on some of these important nutrients
if the diet isn't monitored by the parents. The less restrictive the vegetarian diet, the easier it will be for
your child to get enough of the necessary nutrients. In some cases, fortified foods or supplements can help
meet nutritional needs.