As adolescents mature, their food decisions become much more their own, as parents have less of an influence on choices. This new independence, combined with the social and environmental changes, can erode healthy eating habits. Several factors come into play.

Personal food preferences and familiarity with foods start to dictate choice.

Nutrition knowledge and awareness can also have a significant influence on food choice. For example, studies show that student intakes of vegetables, fruits, and whole grains and their overall diet quality improve after they take nutrition courses.

Economic factors such as the price of food and an individual’s budget affect food selection.

In addition, social and cultural influences also have a significant effect on food choice and eating behavior.

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A 2014 review of literature in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics concluded that the “I’ll have what she or he is having” phenomenon is particularly common in college-aged students: individuals conform to social norms in deciding what and even how much to eat, and, as mentioned before, they tend to eat more when they have more company and variety, as well as bigger serving sizes.

For college students, too, the structure of the meal plan and students’ schedules affect how they eat, and the campus environment dictates access to and availability of healthy options: if a dining facility or vending machine provides mostly nutrient-poor choices, that’s what students are likely going to eat. Even the design of a campus cafeteria can make a difference. If the salad bar is farther away from the cafeteria entrance making it less visible and convenient, for instance, people are often less likely to opt for salad. Likewise, if candy and potato chips require people to go through separate checkout lines, they are more likely to forgo them. (INFOGRAPHIC 19.1)

Question 19.1