The Examination of Healthy Eating Across Cultures: An Existential Phenomenological Approach

Adhering to a healthy eating plan has been a topic of discussion across World regions. Moreover, Americans often attempt to mimic the eating habits of other regions of the world, such as the Mediterranean or Eastern Asia, in an attempt to live a long and healthy life. Satia et al., (2000) suggest that healthy eating perceptions can be influenced by food and beverage exposure, family norms, preparation methods, and geographic locations. Although this is the case, little research has been found which has examined healthy eating perceptions across regions from a qualitative perspective. Thus, the purpose of this study is to examine the cross-cultural perceptions of healthy eating patterns. Mothers native to two countries (America and Italy) were interviewed from a phenomenological perspective on their experiences with eating healthy. The results revealed similarities in both what foods were perceived as healthy and how these foods were obtained. Discussion of nutritional perceptions and mindsets are presented