Food and Culture

In our topic on Food and Culture, we spent a lot of time discussing the various factors that influence why individuals across the world eat what they eat. As we discussed, culture is one central factor that shapes how we prepare similar food ingredients and what foods we consume. These …

We are about to end our unit on “why we eat what we eat” and will soon begin discussing the obesity epidemic. The two topics that are clearly related, since a major question related to the obesity issue is why so many of us eat too many calories. Indeed, addressing …

As discussed in our “why we eat what we eat” topic, eating habits in the U.S. have shifted as more calories are being consumed away from home than at home. According to this 2021 “What We Eat in America, NHANES” study, Americans actually eat out quite a lot. Consider the …

One of the most noticeable changes on college campuses over the past generation has been the availability and quality of foods served in dormitory dining halls and cafeterias. Dorm food use to be very institutional and very boring. Meat from who-knows-where, canned vegetables, with lots of sauces to compensate for …

Since its introduction more than 20 years ago in 2003, Starbucks has sold nearly a billion Pumpkin Spice Lattes (aka PSL). If you include similar pumpkiny beverages from competitors, the total number is even greater. The Starbucks PSL’s are popular for a lot of reasons. Consumers certainly like the flavor …