FOOD CHOICE - A CONCEPTUAL-MODEL OF THE PROCESS

Interviews examining the food choice process were conducted with 29 ad ults, primarily individuals making grocery store food choice decisions , who were sampled for their diversity. These people were asked about how they chose foods when shopping and in other settings, and what inf luenced their choices. Verbatim transcripts of the interviews were ana lysed using qualitative methods that included constant comparison, con cept mapping, and case summaries, and a conceptual food choice process model was developed. Data from the interviews are presented to illust rate the structure of this conceptual model. People's life course expe riences affected major influences on food choice that included ideals, personal factors, resources, social contexts and the food context. Th ese influences informed the development of personal systems for making food choices that incorporated value negotiations and behavioral stra tegies. Value negotiations weighed sensory perceptions, monetary consi derations, health and nutrition beliefs and concerns, convenience, soc ial relationships and quality of food choice decisions. Strategies emp loyed to simplify the food choice process developed over time. The con ceptual food choice process model represents the rich and complex base s of food practices, and provides a theoretical framework for research and practice in nutrition. (C) 1996 Academic Press Limited