The foods we eat as children program our brains to create emotional associations. Yup, that goes to show how food shapes our lives. Psychologists discovered how our adult preferences and eating habits are determined by memories that we formed before age ten. Understanding the memories we have with food can explain why certain dishes become our comfort food or the food we hate. Here are 8 food memories that shape the way we eat.
8. Cultural Food Identity
The cultural foods we once consumed as kids maintain our connection with our families. If you’d notice, these foods carry emotional weight that’s beyond taste. With this, adults frequently seek their childhood foods in times of homesickness or stress. We’re lucky if a restaurant that serves our ethnic foods is easily reachable within a five-minute walk.
7. Food Timing
Our childhood experience of food availability and timing can actually affect how we treat food. It can also affect adult meal planning and even eating frequency. Adults who experienced food scarcity may hoard food or eat it quickly. Meanwhile, those who have unlimited access may struggle with portioning. The good news is that they’re easily treatable once we shift our minds and start training ourselves when it comes to eating. You’d be surprised how your appetite easily adapts.
6. Family Dinner Atmosphere
The atmosphere in family meals can create an association with our eating and social dynamics. Those who experienced a pleasant and positive family dinner may view meals as a time for social bonding. Meanwhile, those who endured tense or stressful mealtimes may associate eating with anxiety and opt to eat alone. As parents, it is important to make meal times a positive experience for your children.
5. Cooking Participation
Children who were included in food preparation often become adventurous eaters and confident cooks. Their hands-on experience is a story to tell when they grow up to be confident in the kitchen. On the other hand, children who were excluded may struggle with independence as adults. They’d rather opt to eat outside or order food. But through willingness, they can also become confident cooks if they give time for themselves time to learn.
4. Celebration Food Traditions
Foods that are associated with holiday or birthday celebrations recreate the feelings of joy and belongingness in an individual. Take birthday cake, for instance, which is something that adults would run to after a heavy or confusing day. The idea of sitting in your car in a supermarket parking lot as you eat your supermarket-bought birthday cake is a form of destressing you can do with your “adult money.”
3. Special Occasion Foods That Were “Too Expensive”
There are certain foods that we reserve for special occasions, and with that, we deem them “too expensive.” Certain foods, like steak or fancy cheese, that were rare are a way for adults to mark achievements or reward themselves. This mindset, created around “celebratory” dishes, can lead to either restriction or overindulgence in adult years.
2. The “Clean Your Plate” Rule
This isn’t a bad thing at all. Many of us grew up with parents telling us to finish everything on our plate and think of starving children. This innocent childhood rule is one that we continue to do. However, this rule doesn’t really apply to giant portions of food. You can always leave some for later.
1. Mom’s Sick Day Foods
The foods that mom made during our sick days are a powerful association with a taste of being cared for. Whether it was chicken noodle soup or toast with butter, they were the “medicine foods” that became our go-to choices in adulthood. Whenever we felt unwell or stressed, we tried to recreate these magical dishes just to feel safe.