How to turn fruit into a highly desirable snack

You want your family to eat a few more fruits and vegetables – and when pushed, they want to too.

But that apple loaded with valuable nutrients, doesn’t seem to stand a chance, when pitted against a twinkie or a packet of chips.

Well, you can change the odds…. a little.

The secret to turning apples into an acceptable reached for snack……….

Stick the fruit right under their nose

Yup, its that straightforward.

Research published in Environment and Behavior, discovered that the way to college students stomachs is exceptionally SIMPLE.

Make snacking on it REAL easy and REAL obvious.

Providing free food

Students are always keen on free food – so the research team stepped in and provided. Although the provision was done surreptitiously to ensure that the students weren’t aware of the details. If they knew – the whole thing would have been jinxed.

The carefully orchestrated affair, began with the students watching the snack being unpacked. On offer were apple slices and carrot cuts.

The snacks were presented to the students in a number of different ways–

• The type of bowl was altered – sometimes it was a clear bowl, sometimes it was opaque
• The position of the bowl was also altered – sometimes the bowl was left on the table where the students were sitting, on other occasions, it was left on a nearby table, approx 2 m away.

Once the snacks had been served, the researchers disappeared for 10 minutes, but as they left, they extended an invitation to the students in the room – to tuck in i.e. help themselves to the snacks.

No brainer snacking

And they did…..

As long as the snack was visible i.e. in the clear bowl and on the table where they were working.

Apples did go down better than carrots, probably because they’re significantly sweeter and unlike cats, our brain LOVES SUGAR.

But the point is, the healthy snacks did go down.

Accidental snacking

The take home message – make eating fruits and vegetables EASY.

It seems logical to hide that bag of big juicy Granny Smith apples in the fridge… to keep them around for longer, but tucked away in the fridge, no one thinks about them. So they never get devoured and after a “long” time, they get cleared from the fridge, into the trash.

But if it is UNDER YOUR NOSE – well, you’re more likely to eat it. Because its EASY and OBVIOUS.

Proximity and Visibility of Fruits and Vegetables Influence Intake in a Kitchen Setting Among College Students. Environment and Behavior (2012) G. J. Privitera, H. E. Creary.

 

Interested in applying a little ethical manipulation around the house ? 

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Further reading

Batman can rescue your child from poor food choices	Good table manners are a requirement for seed eating	Biting into too many “apples” the beginning of obesity ?

The 7 Big Spoons™…. are master switches that turn health on.

Balance Eicosanoids	Rein in insulin	Dial down stress	Sleep !	Increase Vit D	Culivate microflora	Think champion

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