Dispensary Corner

SCIENTIST in the USA have come up with a great way to get people to eat their vegies - give them “more seductive names”.

According to the team from Stanford University, when items in the student cafeteria were renamed more excitingly, vegetable sales surged 25%.

Examples that got people eating their greens (and other colours too) included “sizzlin’ beans”, “dynamite beets” and “twisted citrus-glazed carrots”.

By contrast, labels such as “wholesome,” “healthy” and “smart choice” were a turn-off - even though the dishes were identical in every way.

The sexy names resulted in 25% more uptake than just basic labelling with the name of the vegetable, and were 35% more successful than the “healthy positive” labelling options tried.

The study was reported in the latest issue of JAMA Internal Medicine

AND while we’re on the subject of eating your greens, the growing popularity of “smashed avocado” breakfasts looks to have been behind charges laid this week in a $300,000 grocery heist in the USA.

The “grand theft avocado” case saw three produce company workers arrested in California after a police investigation into unauthorised cash sales of the fruit from a ripening facility in the city of Oxnard owned by the Mission Produce company.

John Franchi from the Ventura County sheriff’s office said “we take these kind of thefts seriously.

“It’s a big product here and right across California. Everybody loves avocados,” he added.