In the selection of foods, personal likes and dislikes play an important part. These are called “food fads”. The food fads may stand in the way of correcting nutritional deficiencies.

Foods fads are of various kinds have perished ever since. For example, bitter gourd is reputed to cure diabetes mellitus or brown sugar is reputed to possess higher nutritive value than white sugar.

Yogurt,wheat gram,and honey have been widely promoted by some food faddists as possessing extra ordinary nutritional and medicinal qualities.

Following foods are considered to be food fallacies in many countries: Fruits especially citrus and tomato are too acidic to be handled by the body. Garlic cures high blood pressure and beets build blood.

Food cooked in aluminum vessels will cause cancer or following combination of foods are poisonous like milk and orange juice or other citrus fruits; milk and fish.raw cucumbers without salt are poisonous.

A good way to diet is to skip breakfast. Honey is not fattening and meat gives strength.Fruit juices do not contribute calories to the diet. Adults do not need milk or skim milk has no nutritive value.

Changes due to technology: Milled rice and white flour are preferred to under milled rice and whole meal flour because of their eye appeal. Sago(starch globules) and corn starch are considered as nutritious foods and are used for feeding weaned infants and preschool children in some countries.

Cults: For many years vegetarianism has been practiced on religious grounds by Hindu, Zoroastrians, Jain’s etc.Strict vegetarians do not even consume milk and hence suffer from vitamin B12 deficiency.

Changing Food Habits: Food fads and faulty food habits are the important contributory causes for the wide prevalence of malnutrition among preschool children, expectant mothers and nursing mothers in developing countries. These can be overcome by only education in nutrition.The guiding principles is:

1. Change cannot be superimposed but must be integrated into the existing cultural pattern.

2. Proposed changes should be acceptable to the individual’s concerned.

3. The changes should be minimal and use such foods which are familiar to the people concerned.

4. Participation of representatives of the group in implementing the proposed change is essential.

5. The individual should be satisfied that the changes in food habits have improved their health.