Researchers have discovered that people eat more vegetables if veggies have trendy labels. research team from Stanford University in USA found that sales of vegetables increased by 25 per cent after they were given trendy-sounding names. researchers conducted their research on 600 diners for several months at university canteen. They labeled all vegetable dishes in four different ways each day. Diners could select vegetable dishes with "basic" label (for example with just word "carrots"), "healthy restrictive" label ("carrots with sugar-free citrus dressing"), "health positive" label ("smart-choice vitamin C citrus carrots") or trendy label ("twisted citrus-glazed carrots").
Researchers gave diners wide choice of vegetables to see how effective trendy labels were. They used beetroot, butternut squash, carrots, corn, courgettes, green beans and sweet potato in their test. These had names like "twisted garlic-ginger butternut squash wedges," or "dynamite chilli," and "tangy lime-seasoned beets". They found that vegetable dishes with trendy labels were by far most popular. These dishes were 25 per cent more popular than those with "basic" labelling, and 41 per cent more popular than those with "healthy restrictive" labelling. researcher said: "Labels really can influence our sensory experience, affecting how tasty and filling we think food will be."
