What do you think is your biggest food influence? Many of us think that we are the master of our own fate, and we are to some degree. We have the ultimate power to decide what we eat, but most of us realize that habits, genetics, mood and other factors affect our food choices. The biggest influence is our nutritional gatekeeper. This is the person in your family that does most of the grocery shopping and cooking. Traditionally this has been the wife but as times have changed, more husbands are sharing in this responsibility or are assuming the primary role. It is estimated that the nutritional gatekeeper controls 72% of the food decisions of their children and their spouse.

When surveyed, people that considered themselves good cooks, suggested that their influence on their family was even higher. The majority of these good cooks could be classified in one of 5 major categories: Giving cooks, Healthy cooks, Innovative cooks, Methodical cooks, and Competitive cooks. Giving cooks are the most common at 22%. They were considered friendly, well liked, and enthusiastic. They use a limited number of recipes, relying instead on traditional favorites. Giving cooks tend to cook many home-baked comfort foods. The Healthy cook accounts for 20%. They are considered optimistic, book-loving cooks that like to experiment with fresh ingredients. Innovative cooks make up 19% of the total. They seldom use recipes. They experiment extensively with ingredients, cuisine styles, and cooking methods. 18% of the cooks are Methodical cooks. These are weekend hobbyists who rely heavily on recipes. They may not be as talented as some of the others, but they are determined to make the dish look like the picture in the cookbook. The smallest group are the Competitive cooks at 13%. They have dominant personalities, are perfectionist, and cook to impress others. All of the groups appeared to help their family eat healthier, except one – the Giving cooks. Because of their high-fat, high-carbohydrate cooking tendencies and the use of limited ingredients and recipes, they have the least positive impact on their family’s health.

If you are the nutritional gatekeeper, you have a lot of power over the health of your family. Learn from the groups of cooks.

1. Buy different foods
2. Try different recipes (including ethnic ones)
3. Substitute different ingredients (especially vegetables and spices) into favorite recipes.
4. Take kids to the grocery store and let them chose a new healthy food.
5. Visit authentic ethnic restaurants.

When a child develops a taste for a wide variety of foods, it is easier for them to make healthy substitutes.

Here’s to the Journey!