Why you’re more likely to eat a sexier-sounding veg
CHEFS who describe vegetable recipes creatively on their menus may be on to something – as it makes diners more likely to eat the dishes, experts have found.
The crafty trick could be used to get more people to eat the five daily portions of fruit and vegetables recommended to keep them healthy – something two thirds of us fail to do.
People ate more ‘twisted citrus-glazed carrots’ than exactly the same dish when it was simply labelled ‘carrots’.
Other side dishes given so-called ‘indulgent labels’ such as ‘dynamite chilli and tangy lime-seasoned beets’ or ‘sweet sizzilin’ green beans and crispy shallots’ were also more popular than if they were merely called ‘beets’ or ‘beans’ in the study carried out at the cafeteria at Stanford University in California.
Indulgent labels encouraged an extra 2 per cent of people to select the vegetables than basic descriptions. The study, published in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine, said many people don’t think vegetables are tasty, but they are likely to eat them if they sound more appetising.