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A family eating a meal

Much can be said about who a person is and where they come from by the food they eat. The quantity and most importantly the quality of food consumed by a person can reveal the Social Class they are from, or which one they are in.

The food quality and quantity of someone in the working class tends to lean more towards the saturated and trans fat, with high levels of sodium and added sugars foods, while someone from the upper class enjoys a more balanced diet. Many factors play into this comparison, however the main issues is the availability and quantity of a variety of food groups to each class.

The working class is confined by time, money, and/or location of markets. As a result, they tend to purchase the most convenient and cost effective food, which is processed, and cheap, and can satisfy their hunger craving quickly.

Whereas the upper classes has the means and ability to purchase a more balanced diet with grocery stores and markets more readily available in their neighborhoods, as well as having the income and time to support such a diet. The upper class may have a more balanced diet, however it has been discovered that they also enjoy eating processed or highly fatty foods.

Lower Classes eat processed foods with high fats and added sugars out of necessity, whereas the Upper Class eat such foods in moderation and as a social activity or occasional treat.

Healthy Diet Comparison

According to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NIH) a healthy diet includes: A heavy emphasis on vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and fat-free or low-fat dairy products. It also includes proteins such as lean meats, poultry, fish, beans, eggs, and nuts. It also requires the person to limit saturated and trans fats, sodium, and added sugars. And above all, the portion size of each category must be balanced in the recommended amounts.

Harvard University School of Public Health provides this chart which clearly shows a well balanced diet for an average adult. This chart is in line with the NIH that a healthy diet must be balanced with whole foods while avoiding food without added fats and sugars, and processed foods.

Upper Class

luxury food typical for Upper class. (Steak with asparagus)

Customary forms of eating for royal upper classes include full course dinners often depicted in films; however, not everyone always eats expensive, healthy, privately catered meals like Queen Elizabeth II of England and Kim Jong il of North Korea; Warren Buffett, the third wealthiest person has history of regularly eating fast food and soda. "Although foods like truffles and caviar have traditionally been delicacies of the upper class, free-range and fair-trade foods are becoming increasingly important among the elite of Toronto, Canada."

China

"The highest-earning 10% of the urban Chinese drink over seven times as much wine and consume more than twice as much dessert as their counterparts at the bottom end of the wage scale; also fewer vegetables and rice, more fruits, nuts, beans, and tubers. The wealthy have been noted to drink less local beer while paying more for imported brands and craft brews.""Foods are normally animal food and rich in protein, and are hard to obtain because of the rareness, expensiveness, or the need for importation. (e.g.,)shark's fin, bear's paw, and lobster in traditional Chinese society."

Egypt

"Nobles ate vegetables, meat and grains at every meal, plus wine and dairy products like butter and cheese. Priests and royalty ate even better. Tombs detail meals of honey-roasted wild gazelle, spit-roasted ducks, pomegranates and a berry-like fruit called jujubes with honey cakes for dessert; wine consumed regularly with meals." King Tut and other Pharaohs were known to have ate various foods including meats, bread, fruit, fish, beer, dairy, and vegetables served on dish-ware made of precious metals.

England

Since the year 1066 English royalty ate lavishly. During the Victorian era, formal meals consisted of twelve or thirteen courses; informal meals of five or six courses. A single breakfast might have consisted of soup, roast turkey or pork with potatoes or rice, two vegetable side dishes, citrus ice, fresh rolls with butter, jams or jellies and sweet pickles, fancy cake and preserved fruit, coffee, hot punch and water. The regular food system was large breakfasts, small lunches followed by afternoon tea, and late suppers.

Israel

Diets of the upper class such as King Solomon frequently included meats from sheep, deer, gazelle, roebuck, and fattened geese.

Middle Class

In general, middle class has access to better food and resources than lower classes, thus on average the population is healthier. Cost of groceries is not a main concern and they can afford closer to luxurious food items (in comparison to upper class).

Historically, in Europe, middle class workers get paid before working class or lower class, so they have first choice of food in the market, and usually only leaving partially decayed cheese, wilted vegetables, bacon from diseased animals, etc. for the lower class to choose from.

Studies have shown that middle class is less likely to be permissive about cost and they tend to take their health into consideration, so not only do they care about their health, they also have concerns about the quality of the food.

Recently, in the United States, there were studies conducted that indicate middle class eat more and more processed food, and this class is actually a growing consumer and overtook the lower class in buying the most processed food.. There is a trend for eating fast food in the US set by middle-income families as they’re more likely to eat fast food since they work longer hours, so time to prepare meals at home is replaced with other activities. In the same study, researchers also found that people who live in an urban environment tend to eat more processed food then people in a rural areas, since restaurants are closer and more accessible.

Another study shows that the differences in fast food consumption is blurred between income classes, as the upper class eat about one less fast food meal than the lower class on average. Fast food consumption peaks in the middle-class income but the difference  is still not as clear, but one conclusion remains: the more hours worked, the more fast food a person consumes.

As a general consensus, as it appears in most middle classes that have established SES, food is of lower quality and the likelihood of disease, illness, short term longevity, decreased fertility, childhood obesity and fetal impairment are akin to this lifestyle. This can be clearly seen in the differences of general health between an average adult in the middle SES and someone from the upper SES. The main issue stems from the education a person receives. A more “educated” person thinks about healthy food options Whereas someone “uneducated”, in a balanced diet, consumes what is easily accessible. It appears at a young age humans are influenced by what options are presented to them, which is ultimately dictated by the amount of monetary value coming into the household. Which in turn is correlated to the SES of said group of peoples and food pressures of certain demographics.

The portrayal of “Social Class Differences” and its correlations to “Food Consumption” is one of global debate. In reference, here an article reflects this relationship of being “no influence” Simply, that people of a higher class “thought” of healthy options more frequently than those of the lower. Yet, it’s counterpart debates that this is nullified by the notion that it may depend on that specific geological location and its own general awareness of food and the implications of what nutrients are in certain foods or lack thereof (ie. quality)

In contrast to the US, China's middle class has a better concept of food quality and they focus more on health and style. They concentrate more on vegetables and green produces rather than meat, and organic products have been seeing a growth on sale and production with more and more organic farms being opened.

In other areas of Asia, the rising middle class has set a few trends in the food industry, such as reducing rice consumption and increasing consumption of wheat products; increasing in high energy and protein food, and increasing in convenient food.

Lower Class

Cheeseburger (fast food)

In America, having an income level lower than the poverty threshold would be considered lower class. The threshold is different for each household, based on the number of people in the home and the age of each person. In 2017, a family of four, consisting of two adults and two children under age 18, had the poverty line threshold of $24,858. Having lower income levels can cause families to choose cheaper and easier foods that contain enough energy to satisfy hunger. Therefore, low income families do not regularly meet the required daily servings of nutrient rich foods such as fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, compared to other households with greater incomes.  

Fatty meats, potatoes, pasta, canned corn, and cereal are among the most common foods purchased by many low income families. A study, consisting of 202 Chicago based households, concluded that low income households tend to buy less healthy foods in comparison to households with greater incomes. A low income household is likely to spend more money on purchasing sweetened beverages and packaged snacks over fruits and vegetables.

Among low income households, single parents or two working parents are increasingly common, which can leave little time and energy for food preparation. The United States Department of Agriculture concluded in a study that low income, full time working women spend around 40 minutes a day preparing and cooking meals, compared to nonworking women who spend around 70 minutes per day. Low income households also tend to be larger, less educated, and participants of SNAP. In order to qualify for SNAP, net income must not exceed 100% of the designated poverty threshold. In 2016, SNAP had over 40 million participants. Meats, sweetened beverages, vegetables, frozen prepared foods, and prepared desserts were the top items purchased by these SNAP participants.  

Many low income communities have limited grocery store options compared to an abundance of fast food restaurants. A study found that low income neighborhoods are less likely to have access to multiple supermarkets which provide healthy choices such as low-fat milk and high fiber bread. Such neighborhoods can be classified as food deserts. A food desert is a geographical area that lacks adequate grocery stores or markets that provide fresh and nutritious foods that are financially accessible to the people within them. People in these neighborhoods have greater access to restaurants and meals that are energy dense, high in calories, and low in nutrients.

Further reading

• Germov, John; Williams, Lauren (2008). A sociology of food and nutrition: the social appetite. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-555150-1. Retrieved 22 August 2011.
• Vannoni, F.; Spadea, T.; Frasca, G.; Tumino, R.; Demaria, M.; Sacerdote, C.; Panico, S.; Celentano, E.; Palli, D.; Saieva, C.; Pala, V.; Sieri, S.; Costa, G. (2003). "Association between social class and food consumption in the Italian EPIC population". Tumori. 89 (6): 669–678. doi:10.1177/030089160308900611. PMID 14870832. S2CID 8502421.
• Gibson, S.; Williams, S. (1999). "Dental Caries in Pre–School Children: Associations with Social Class, Toothbrushing Habit and Consumption of Sugars and Sugar–Containing Foods". Caries Research. 33 (2): 101–113. doi:10.1159/000016503. PMID 9892777. S2CID 1959755.
• Drewnowski, A. (2010). "The cost of US foods as related to their nutritive value". American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 92 (5): 1181–1188. doi:10.3945/ajcn.2010.29300. PMC 2954450. PMID 20720258.
• Irala-Estévez, J. D.; Groth, M.; Johansson, L.; Oltersdorf, U.; Prättälä, R.; Martínez-González, M. A. (2000). "A systematic review of socio-economic differences in food habits in Europe: Consumption of fruit and vegetables". European Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 54 (9): 706–714. doi:10.1038/sj.ejcn.1601080. PMID 11002383. S2CID 205676283.
• Hulshof, K. F. A. M.; Brussaard, J. H.; Kruizinga, A. G.; Telman, J.; Löwik, M. R. H. (2003). "Socio-economic status, dietary intake and 10 y trends: The Dutch National Food Consumption Survey". European Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 57 (1): 128–137. doi:10.1038/sj.ejcn.1601503. PMID 12548307. S2CID 23226657.