Red Meat
Knowing the key features of a person’s diet provides an insight into their personality. Elite red meat eaters eat meat of the finest quality in small amounts once, or possibly twice a week. They are likely to be in fairly well paid jobs where educational level has a bearing, they understand the dangers associated with too much read meat as well as the benefits of having the right kind of saturated fats.
The care taken over their choice will be reflected in other parts of their lives where quality rather than quantity will always be the primary consideration. They will exercise regularly and maintain their ideal weight. The primary driver for the parent with a shopping trolley full of cheap red meat products is likely to be cost. They know about the health hazards of too much red meat but their income dictates what they can buy and they believe by buying the best they can afford they are providing their family with a balanced diet.White Meat
Whilst a variety of birds fall into this category, in reality we are really referring to chicken, now freely available fresh or frozen. The irony is that whilst people who eat predominantly chicken as their source of animal protein are likely to be health conscious, much of the chicken on sale in supermarkets may not be as health as they think due to fast growing, hormonal enhanced, factory farmed poultry.
The person who eats chicken as their animal protein source is likely to eat sensibly and exercise. These people know a little bit about health eating and more knowledge would help them make even better choices. At the other end of the spectrum, like the elite meat eaters, are the elite white meat eaters who will only eat organic, free range birds. They will have an income to support their habit and their fastidiousness is probably reflect in other areas of their life. They are likely to exercise very regularly and probably in quite a scientific way.Eggs
Eggs contain essential amino acids and are relatively cheap considering that it is possible to produce several meals out of a dozen eggs. Eggs may be the only animal protein in the diet of a person who has either chosen not to eat meat and fish or is unable to due to digestive problems.
Eggs are extremely versatile and this person will take great care to cook their eggs in a variety of ways and in combination with other vegetables; and I don't just mean chips! Predomination of eggs in the diet could indicate that the person eating them is a strength athlete of some kind, like a weightlifter, who has to use protein to build muscle; bodybuilders are another example. Alternatively, a person who otherwise eats like a vegetarian might include eggs in their diet occasionally just to provide a nutritional boost.Fish
Eating fish might seem much less of an issue for those who, for ethical reasons, have chosen not to eat meat. Others of course may have decided that fish can provide all the nutritional benefits of meat but without the associated risks. In particular they may be keen to realise the benefits of regularly ingesting Omega 3.
Again, income and frequency of consumption comes into the equation because fresh fish is not cheap and in some neighbourhoods it is difficult to even find a supplier. A person, who eats only fish, will in my view seek quality over quantity. They will be adventurous in the way they cook their fish and will ensure that they regularly get their 5 a day. A person who has once been a meat eater and now only eats fish by choice is likely to take all aspects of their diet and health seriously.Vegetarians
The reasons people choose only a vegetarian diet are too numerous to cover. Suffice to say that generally the focus of such people is health. Ensuring a balanced diet full of nutrients, vitamins and minerals can be quite a challenge so vegetarians are likely to have a good knowledge about food acquired through their ability to research the subject and understand what they have read.
If that is not the case then it could be their diet is deficient in some way and they could soon start to experience problems that need to be rectified quickly. If the choice of vegetarianism was made for ethical reasons it is likely that the person will be interested in other causes to do with animals and nature. Politically they may have liberal leaning and an interest in promoting a fair society including supporting a number of humanitarian causes.Vegans
In addition to meat and fish Vegans will not eat eggs, dairy or any products derived from animals. It is a more extreme form of eating than vegetarianism and whilst the primary motivations may be similar the vegan is likely to have a strong opposition to the commodity status of animals.
Although, to many, the vegan diet seems austere, vegans will have thought long and hard before making their commitment and done a lot of research on both how animals are used in the food industry and how to ensure that, as a vegan, they maintain a nutritionally sound and well balanced diet. There is a strong possibility that ethically they may only consume organically grown fruit and vegetables and it is highly likely that they will be activists, to a greater degree than the average vegetarian, in one or a number of pro-animal welfare groups.
Fast Food
Fast food doesn't have to be nutritionally bad but it usually is; although I wouldn't suggest that a fast food meal now and again will do anyone any harm. Food is produced quickly (fast) because it involves pre-cooked or reheated food. Although burgers and fried chicken are available in abundance from a range of multi-nationals on almost every high street, fast food chains are now much more open about the calorific value of their food and are providing healthy options.
The requirement to keep prices down reflects the highly competitive nature of the industry. It would have to be a very affluent and probably very overweight family who ate fast food on a regular basis. The average family sized pizza package cost around £20. However, for single people or couples with busy working lives calling for a pizza on the way home might be more preferable than going in to cook a meal.Junk Food
This is the term for food of low nutritional value, high in sugar, fat and salt. Unfortunately products of this type are usually the ones supermarkets offer as BOGOFs. Whilst there is a cross over between some types of fast food and junk food, it is possible to make sensible choice over fast food whilst all junk food is nutritionally unsound. A junk food diet is one of desperation.
A desperation that says, I can fill this trolley with these special offers for the same money as I could get significantly less fresh, more nutritious food that my children would neither eat or be satisfied with. Studies have shown that the poor eat more junk food. Strangely though this doesn't seem to be because they do not understand the value of more healthy food but because anxiety about where their next meal might be coming from affects their judgement and they choose instant gratification.Mediterranean Diet
Scientific studies do show that eating a diet rich in olive oil, fruit, vegetables, fish and unrefined cereals plus a little meat and the occasional glass of wine decreases mortality and fosters good cardiovascular health. It is a great diet for those who want to be seen to be eating healthily, they can boast that they get their five a day and have cut out saturated fat, but it is also a diet where a poor understanding of the principles or a lack of self-discipline can lead to over indulgence.
People eating in this way may well be frequent visitors to the Mediterranean and memories of the freshest food available combined with good wine and the sun may well explain the appeal of the diet. The irony is that the countries bordering the Mediterranean all have diets which differ in some significant ways from the Mediterranean diet to the extent that no one diet could be called by that name and be wholly healthy.All food types but on a restricted eating plan
My final category is those people who will eat anything and enjoy it but who seem to be constantly on a diet. Weekly diet clubs cater predominantly for women although they have had some notable successes with men. Although no food is banned the watchword is moderation and dieters must stick to the regime consistently.
One can’t help feeling that the weekly social meet is a driver in for participants who range from the grossly overweight to those who have hit their target weight but just want to loose another two pounds. Nevertheless, people on these eating plans must have some self-discipline because of the need to stock a wide variety of foods to make the recipes and yet, something must be going wrong as some seem to maintain the same weight season after season.For More Posts Go To Main Blog
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