Wonder why you had that meal? Here’s the reason

IT’S a well-tried formula – a healthy but filling breakfast, a familiar favourite at lunch... and something more indulgent for dinner.

Now a study has found what we eat – and why – largely reflects the time of day, with breakfast chosen out of hunger, lunch driven by habit and dinner mainly about pleasure.

Researchers at Kansas State University asked around 300 people to state why they would eat certain meals and snacks, and the foods they liked to eat over a week. The study found the main motivations for what we have for breakfast were hunger – and a desire to be healthy.

Convenient, pre-made foods were more likely to be enjoyed at lunchtime.

And these were often based on other factors, such as habit and price.

And pleasure, socialising needs and variety were the key ingredients when it came to choosing what to have for dinner.

The researchers, led by Dr Uyen Phan, say the results could be used to help people diet more successfully.

‘Motivations for food choice changed throughout the day, with daytime eating more motivated by functional-oriented factors such as need and hunger, health, weight control, habit and price, while night-time eating was to satisfy “psychological or emotion needs” such as to socialise with people or to please the self and others,’ said the professor. The study, published in the journal, Food Quality and Preference, also found 42% of participants ate virtually the same foods every day.

Another 42% try to alternate the foods they eat but do not use a wide variety of ingredients.

Researchers used online questionnaires to ask 198 adults about their latest meal or snack and the motivation behind it.

Another 100 people were asked to create a ‘food choice map’ using 700 pictures of food and drink, then provide the reasons for consuming each.