Increasing vegetable consumption out‐of‐home: VeggiEAT and Veg+projects

H Hartwell,E Monteleone,A Giboreau,L Saulais,J Bray,L Depezay,N Lavrushkina,K M Appleton,V Rodrigues,F J A Perez‐Cueto

doi:10.1111/nbu.12464

Abstract

AbstractAdequate vegetable consumption is fundamental to a healthy, balanced diet; however, global compliance with recommendations to increase consumption is poor. There is a growing interest in the sustainability of current dietary patterns in light of expected climate change and an expanding global population where part of the response is increasing vegetable intake. Two international projects, VeggiEAT and Veg+, explored the determinants of vegetable liking and consumption in different age groups and countries and the effect of a nudging strategy on vegetable consumption in an out‐of‐home setting. The projects found that the importance given by consumers to natural or healthy ingredients, social norms, female gender and positive attitudes towards nudging all influenced vegetable consumption. Some sensory factors, such as bitterness and sourness, had a negative loading, while others, such as sweetness, had a positive effect on liking for vegetables. ‘Dish of the day’, as a nudging strategy in a workplace canteen setting, increased vegetable dish selection for some of the sample (adolescent females) but not for males or older people. Globally, there is a strong need to promote the consumption of vegetables as a public health issue but also to improve their availability and uptake, especially within out‐of‐home foodservice.

Highlights

Population health and the state of the planet rely on a food system that respects planetary boundaries and prioritises societal health
The aim of the VeggiEAT and Veg+ projects was to develop an evidence base for predictive modelling of vegetable intake that takes into account individual characteristics as well as environmental cues such as choice architecture
Study 1 focussed on vegetable supply and evaluated local farmers’ potential for vegetable production within a short food supply chain using semi-structured interviews (Table 1), while Study 2 assessed young adults’ attitudes to and consumption of vegetables, using the VeggiEAT questionnaire (Dinnella et al 2016; Appleton et al 2019) together with a validated questionnaire developed by the Nutrition in Foodservice Research Centre, Federal University of Santa Catarina

Summary

Introduction

Population health and the state of the planet rely on a food system that respects planetary boundaries and prioritises societal health. The main goal of the VeggiEAT project was to increase knowledge and understanding of the determinants of vegetable acceptability (liking), and consumption/intake; through investigation of the sensory characteristics and aspects of the eating environment and taking a lifespan approach (adolescents aged 10– 19 years and older people aged ≥ 65 years). This was achieved by three overlapping research areas: product and sensory analysis, recipe development and consumer behaviour. The Veg+ project involved collaboration between Bournemouth University and the Federal University of Santa Catarina, Brazil

Background

Findings

Discussion

Conclusion