Food Habits Under Pressure From Global Shocks

Recent reports point to rising pressure on food prices. An analysis from The Conversation explains how disruption in the Strait of Hormuz may affect the global food supply. Coverage from Reuters notes continued increases in world food prices, and Business Insider reports rising produce costs linked to higher oil prices during the ongoing conflict in Iran.

The discussion is often framed at the level of supply chains. For many households, the effect appears in a more immediate dilemma: deciding what to buy for their next meal.

A person stands in the store, comparing two options. One is familiar and slightly more expensive. The other costs less but requires figuring out how to cook it. The hesitation involves both preference and risk. If the meal does not turn out well, the cost is not just money; it is time, effort, and a missed opportunity to feed one's household.

This kind of decision is influenced by more than price. French sociologist Pierre Bourdieu described how taste develops through cultural capital and habitus—the experiences and routines people carry from their upbringing and environment. Food preferences form through repetition: what is cooked at home, what ingredients are available, and what meals are known to work.

Research supports this, showing that familiarity and exposure strongly influence food choices, beyond income alone. What people eat is closely tied to what they know how to prepare and what they expect others will accept.

A familiar scene in the film Titanic helps illustrate how comfort with food connects to social setting. The contrast between formal first-class dining and the more communal third-class meal shows how expectations around eating are learned. The example is symbolic, but the underlying idea recurs in smaller, more practical ways, in what feels comfortable to cook, serve, and share.

That boundary can form early. In school settings, some immigrant children bring meals prepared at home that carry strong aromas or unfamiliar ingredients. Reactions from peers, whether curiosity or distance, can lead to self-consciousness. As this repeats, some adjust what they bring to avoid attention. Food becomes linked not only to taste, but to acceptance.

Price increases can make these patterns more visible. As familiar items become harder to afford, other options come into view. These may include ingredients commonly used in different cultural traditions or foods that require more preparation. Even when they are affordable, they may not feel like immediate options if they are unfamiliar or time-intensive.

In earlier work on food systems published in Food Policy, I argue that consumption depends on recognition as much as price. A food has to be seen as something usable, something that fits within existing routines. Without that, lower cost alone will not lead to change.

Changes in diet often happen through contact with others. Social scientists describe this as social capital. Bonding ties reinforce what is already known within families. Bridging ties introduce new foods through neighbors, coworkers, or community spaces.

Because these processes are social, they rely on what I call symbolic infrastructure—the signals that make a food feel familiar enough to try. This can be as simple as seeing a vegetable used in a short video, hearing a friend explain how they cook it, or noticing it being prepared in a community setting, which can reduce uncertainty. Without these signals, unfamiliar foods can remain unused even when they are affordable.

Evidence supports this. Studies of social networks show that people are more likely to adopt new behaviors, including dietary changes, when they observe others doing the same.

At the same time, constraints remain real. Some lower-cost foods require more time, preparation, or knowledge. For households managing tight schedules and limited resources, these factors matter. Adjustments are often incremental rather than immediate.

Cross-Cultural Psychology Essential Reads

Are Muslim Arabs Especially Likely to Believe in Fate?

Something to Live For: Lessons from the Science of Purpose

A practical starting point can be modest. Choose one unfamiliar ingredient that is relatively low-risk. Prepare it using a familiar method, adding it to a dish that is already part of the routine rather than building an entirely new meal around it. This reduces the chance of waste and makes the change easier to manage.

Support from the surrounding environment can make this process more feasible. Media can feature simple, low-cost recipes that show how ingredients are actually prepared. Community programs can offer opportunities to learn cooking methods in practical, hands-on ways. In schools, offering more diverse food options in cafeterias can help students become familiar with a wider range of ingredients early on, making those foods feel more normal rather than unfamiliar. Even small changes such as sharing recipes among coworkers, seeing neighbors cook certain dishes, or watching short cooking clips online can make a difference in how approachable a food feels.

Food price increases will affect households in different ways, but many will face some level of adjustment. What becomes visible in these moments is how closely food choices are tied to familiarity, time, and risk, not only preference.

The moment in the grocery aisle reflects more than cost. It reflects what feels possible to prepare, serve, and eat. When that sense of possibility expands in small, manageable ways, new options can begin to fit within existing routines.