Food preferences of Cherokee Indian teenagers in Cherokee, North Carolina

Food preferences of 257 Cherokee Indian teenagers living on tribal lands in Cherokee, North Carolina, were assessed. Differences between the sexes and body fat classes were also examined. There was a high preference for high fat foods and fried foods and a low preference for desserts and sugared foods. Males preferred a greater variety of foods than females, particularly for meats and wild game. Lean students preferred more sweets/desserts than the fat students. Fat students preferred more sweetened beverages, fried foods and high‐fat meats. There was low acceptance for traditional wild animals and wild plants among the majority of students. Overall, food preferences were found to be similar to those for the general United States teenage population.

Key words:

• American Indian
• Cherokee
• food preferences
• traditional foods
• obesity
• adolescents