How have food and eating habits changed in your country?

defending an argument

reasons

*Increase in the price of staples

*chain restaurants make deciding where to eat easier

less good jobs, means more people are opening restaurants, prices go down

exposure to foreign foods creates more demand

people are more health conscious

change in ingredients



Even though I have not been in Korea as long as others, I have noticed quite a few changes.  One particular area where I have noticed many new developments is in Korea eating habits.  This essay


Korea is a dynamic country that experiences rapid change.  One particular area with many new developments is Korea eating habits.  Some of the reasons for these changes are the pervasiveness of chain restaurants, an increase in health consciousness, and an increase in the cost of staples.

Korea has experience an explosion in chain restaurants.  Restaurants and cafes like Bongoose and Manoffin offer cheap standardized food.  Following in the footsteps of Cafe Benne, and others who have expanded aggressively, these restaurants are everywhere.  Because they have the same products at each branch, and the branches are in convenient places, people don't need to think too much about what to eat.  This "thought convenience" has lead to an increase in the consumption of these types of food.

Other chains have also expanded to become almost ubiquitous.  Chains like Beetle Juice offer standardized products, but their focus is on healthy choices instead of low prices.  This reflects a growing health consciousness in Korea.  There are now many sugar free, gluten free, and soy free products available.  Probably because people prize a thin figure, there has been an increase in health consciousness.

The last reason for a change in eating habits is the increase in the price of staple goods.  Over the past several years the price of vegetables has skyrocketed.  Sometimes meat is cheaper than vegetables, even though we know that it takes much more water and energy to produce meat.  This has lead to people eating less of everything, but especially fresh vegetables.  Whether this is due to bad weather, free trade agreements, or climate change the fact is people are eating less vegetables.

As described above, the most recent changes stem from a change in availability, attitude, and cost.  The changes in Korean eating habits are bound to continue.  Hopefully we can all eat well for the rest of our lives, but there will always be factors that influence our decisions.