Social class & food preferences

[tvdxer]

Originally Posted by user_id

Yes there are more differences in diet between the social classes, it has to do with nutritional knowledge, marketing efforts, and social makers. Lower income households are most susceptible to marketing and once marketers get these households hooked, addiction keeps them there. I've been amazed at the energy drink trend, these are highly addictive due to the sugar and caffeine and these drinks are almost exclusively consumed in the lower social classes.

But the expanded palette of the higher social classes also has to do with social distinction, its not just nutrition. Take wine, health wise its not much different than the bud light consumed in the lower social classes, but it does provide a convenient marker. Namely, if you don't know about wine....well you're probably not a member of a higher social class.

Interestingly, Budweiser (from their advertisements) appears to be going after a young, hipper, more affluent demographic now, somewhat reminiscent of Walmart.

[aspentree]

OP, I think you what you say is true up to a point.

I also think some so called foodies make it a point to let others know how special their preferences are.

[Ohiogirl81]

Eating more expensive food does not necessarily equate a healthier diet.

Traditional folk foods -- I'm lookin' at you, polenta -- have often become trendy. Those poor folk knew about them first.

[Fontucky]

If eating caviar indicates elevated social status, I'll forever wallow with the hoi polloi.

[Bulldogdad]

Lobster and oyster were once considered trash food only good enough for the unwashed masses.

[Happy in Wyoming]

Originally Posted by Fontucky

If eating caviar indicates elevated social status, I'll forever wallow with the hoi polloi.

Iranian caviar is the best of the best. I eat the whole jar and lick it. But I do save a bit for my pets.

Back when it was cheap I would occasionally mix a bit of hard-boiled egg yolk into it; but when I have only an ounce it's really best straight. I wish the Pahlavi clan were still running the place.

Vive le shah an shah (king of kings)

This thread would have been better named "Educational level and food preference". That would include intelligence, income, and social standing, all indicators of an individual likely to be adventurous in the gustatory arena.

[Elle Oh Elle]

Originally Posted by Gerania

Well, it doesn't always work out that way. I grew up on the wrong side of the tracks, but, my mother was from England so we would eat things like plum pudding with hard sauce during the holidays. My brilliant eldest brother spent a college semester in France and came home with all sorts of knowledge about wine, cheese. After that, he served in the Peace Corps in Morocco for a couple of years and returned with even more food knowledge. He loved to cook and would throw a family dinner party using all of his skills while introducing us to foods new to us. After that, he worked in northern NJ for a few years and took me to Manhattan a couple of times a year. Restaurant was often my choice, but always had to be a different ethnic cuisine.

I'm pretty sure that I look like a picky eater now, but only because I'm an excellent cook and I've eaten the world's finest foods.

When I was 5 years old, I was pouring Lucky Charms into my cereal bowl while a few older siblings and a dad prepared for the day. I'm pretty sure that my older sister had to pour the milk for me.

I expose my offspring to every sort of cuisine that I can reach. The last one was a highwayside BBQ place. BBQ was excellant, beans were a little too sweet and they were out of greens, bummer.

That's being diverse and open with your foods, but are they necessarily really expensive foods? Unless you're choosing three-digit specialties from each cuisine to expose them to I don't think it really counts as social class. Trust me, I was born to Chinese immigrants myself. I grew up in an area with mostly Hispanics and East Asians and we were pretty much the same way but none of the food were equivalent to $500 meals. As a matter of fact, I'd say they were more affordable than most European food. Being open and being pretentious with food are two different things. Then we had those people in BH who wouldn't settle for anything under $25 salads.

[MelanieGermany]

The "lower class and less educated" people in Germany are often more fat than the richer and more educated people. if you`re driving thru our "ghettos" in germany, you will see a lot fat people or people with much overweight. More educated people are more interessted in WHAT they are eating. Less educated people are just eating and dont think about fat, calories, healthy products,... Its starting with going to more expensive supermarkets. When i go shopping in expensive supermarkets, i do only see slim and nice dressed people while in supermarkets like "Real" or Wal Mart you can see the women with overweight, buying chocolate, chips and coke, fastfood, pizza, icecream. Really, I HATE to see these people, already much to fat, buying chocolate and chips for their KIDS, which are already also too fat. I would like to scream / yell? at them, but i dont. This overweight people cost the health insuance companies so much money.

Kids often have overweight, if the parents have overweight. in good and well educated familys the percentage of owerweighters are less.

I love to cook, even when a dish takes 2 or more hours. I am using fresh products, no canned foods. If i would eat at fast food restaurants, pizzas or burgers, i would look like a pancake. so i dont.