One situation in which food choice was influenced by social norms was when my friend decided to become a vegetarian. She learned about the process that meat goes through from the animal to the market and she did not like the process. Along with the existence of media that shows the inhumane methods that exist in factory farms, she decided to stop eating meat. She did not want to support the treatment of animals, such as cows and pigs, where they were inhumanely killed in order to be used for their meat. The treatment of these animals in factory farms is often very poor and the ethics behind these places is not the greatest. It is clear to see that these animals are suffering while they live in these factory farms and this has lead to my friend’s decision to stop eating meat.

One societal issue that vegetarianism relates to is nutrition. With vegetarianism it is important that you still consume the necessary nutrients so that your body can operate and be healthy. Although some people think that it is not possible for people to consume the required nutrients, it is actually rather easy. By looking at the Healthy Eating Plate we can see what an optimal meal should be comprised of. One important factor to mention is that most of your meal should be comprised of fruits and vegetables, rather than being comprised of proteins such as meat, like many people think. Although meat can be important in someone’s diet, it is important to moderate the quantities of what you eat. For vegetarians, moderation is also very important but it is also important to obtain nutrients, which could come from foods such as meat, with other foods that are just as nutritious.