Application of An Eating Motivation Survey to Study Eating Occasions

This pilot study applied an eating motivation survey to explore motivations behind eating occasions by looking at specific choices of foods and beverages people consumed at various meal times. This study was conducted online with 198 people. The survey included questions about demographics, the most recent meal including specific food choices and an eating motivation questionnaire which contained 50 subscales to measure 17 motivations using Check‐All‐That‐Apply procedures. Data were analyzed by Correspondence Analysis. Liking was the strongest motivation that drove people to select certain foods, regardless of eating occasions. Need and Hunger, Habits, Price and Convenience were the main motivations for breakfast, lunch and dinner while Health and Weight Control were found to be the main driving factors for daytime snacking. Late‐night snacks were linked to Pleasure and Visual appeal. For dinner, people were additionally motivated by Variety Seeking and Traditional Eating. Practical Applications Daily food choice is a complex decision influenced by various factors and eating context is one of those. Food selection and the motivations of those selections are dependent on liking, but other motivators differed across eating occasions. This suggests that the intended meal time is a key factor that should be considered when testing food and beverage products.