However, as we get older, our experiences with new people and places increase, thereby broadening our food preferences and choices. Habits - Most of eat from a particular core group of foods. About one hundred items account for 75 percent of the foods most people eat. Having a narrow range of food choices provides us with security. For example, going to a particular fast-food restaurant provides common expectations and experiences.
Many people also have the cooking habits of our mothers or grandmothers.
Culture - Religious rules can affect food choices. For example, Hindus do not eat beef, and some Jewish people do not eat pork. The region that people are from can also affect eating behaviors. Swedish people would not eat an ear of corn, because it is considered food for hogs. In the United States, we don't normally eat insects, but many other cultures regard them as preferred foods.