Drivers and patterns of food preparation and consumption
Acceptance and adoption of new foods and diets
What we eat is largely predetermined by how we eat. This means that our food preferences and choices are actually contingent on countless decisions and activities related to domestic practices. In fact, the way we routinely plan our meals, shop for groceries, manage the pantry and the refrigerator, cook, serve, and eat foods, clean up afterwards, and store or dispose of leftovers influences our eating patterns considerably.
Domestic food practices have a profound effect on the quality of the diet and the health of individuals, while revealing a great deal about their culture and values, socioeconomic status and everyday family life. Importantly, they can act as either barriers or levers for behaviour change, hindering or enabling the transition to healthier diets, more sustainable eating habits and increasingly egalitarian societies. Yet, consumers' domestic foodscapes remain mostly unchartered territory as far as science is concerned.
The Food Behaviour Lab carries out research at the intersection of food, epidemiological and behavioural sciences to advance understanding of domestic food practices and their impact on how people evaluate, choose and consume foods.