Providing choice and/or variety during a meal: Impact on vegetable liking and intake

Abstract

Out-of-home catering services frequently offer consumers the opportunity to choose their foods from among different proposals and/or provide consumers with a variety of food. The aim of the present study was to assess the impact of choice and/or variety on food liking and food intake. Fifty-nine normal-weight adults were recruited under the condition that they equally liked three vegetable recipes (green beans with butter, zucchinis with olive oil, spinach with cream). Volunteers participated in four sessions at lunch time. In the no-choice/no-variety condition, volunteers were served one dish randomly selected from among the three. In the no-choice/variety condition, volunteers were served all three dishes. In the choice/no-variety condition, participants chose one dish from among the three dishes. In the choice/variety condition, volunteers chose as many dishes as they desired from among the three dishes. Results showed that providing choice increased vegetable liking and vegetable intake, while offering a variety of vegetables only increased their liking. No synergy effect between choice and variety was observed on vegetable liking and vegetable intake (i.e. the effect in the choice/variety condition was not significantly higher than the effects in no-choice/variety and the choice/no-variety conditions).

Associations Between Farmers’ Market Shopping Behaviors and Objectively-Measured and Self-Reported Fruit and Vegetable Intake in a Diverse Sample of Farmers’ Market Shoppers: A Cross-Sectional Study

“…Our ndings are in agreement with others that have found that greater vegetable variety is associated with higher intake of vegetables. [33][34][35] This study also adds to the literature regarding expenditures at farmers' markets: A Canadian study revealed that farmers' market shoppers spent, on average $5 CAD (~$3.60 USD)/trip to the market versus $20/trip in our sample. 36 In addition, the total variety of FV purchased in the Canadian study was 2.8, 36 and in ours was approximately three FV.…”

Greater vegetable variety and amount are associated with lower prevalence of coronary heart disease: National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 1999–2014

“…In accordance with other studies [ 10 – 12 ], we observed a strong relationship between vegetable variety and amount, which is important because vegetable amount has been strongly linked to reduce risk of cardiometabolic disease mortality [ 2 – 4 ]. Increased vegetable variety can increase liking [ 9 ], perhaps through reduced habituation, which in turn can increase the overall amount consumed [ 10 – 12 ]. Therefore, the recommendation to consume a variety of vegetables is still a potent message with important health implications for the general public.…”

“…Dietary variety also prevents habituation and decreased liking, which can occur if the same or similar foods are consumed repeatedly [ 7 , 8 ]. Increasing variety of vegetables in a single meal can increase liking of vegetables [ 9 ] and is positively associated with the amount of vegetables consumed [ 10 – 12 ].…”

Prospective Analysis of Vegetable Amount and Variety on the Risk of All-Cause and Cause-Specific Mortality among US Adults, 1999–2011

“…Previous studies have shown a strong relationship between vegetable variety and amount [ 13 , 25 , 26 , 27 ]. A greater variety of vegetables in the diet can increase liking [ 28 ], possibly through decreased habituation, which can increase the overall amount consumed [ 25 , 26 , 27 ]. This suggests that the recommendations to increase vegetable amount and variety remain important clinical and public health messages.…”