Here’s a little Hint to Help You Buy More Produce

Time after time, you hear the recommendation to eat more vegetables and fruits. I’m sure you have also heard, and maybe used, a slew of excuses as to why this recommendation isn’t realistic.

“It’s too hard”

“It’s too time consuming”

“It’s too expensive”

I know I have heard these “reasons” a thousand times. Apparently, so did researchers.

A recent social experiment tested whether creating a designated “fruits & veggies” section within shopping carts would change the contents of their cart at the checkout line. The idea stemmed from the thought that a produce section in grocery carts would remind people to include at least some produce in their regular shopping rotation.

In order to test this, researchers went to grocery stores in the United States and Canada and sectioned off grocery carts using yellow tape, indicating that one half of the grocery cart was meant to hold fruits and vegetables. It turns out that advising people to fill half their cart with produce did actually encourage them to buy more fruits and vegetables.

Taking the experiment a step further, it was revealed that making the fruits and vegetables area larger resulted in people picking out even more produce. It turns out that a subtle reminder can go a long way.

Along with these positive observations, there was an exception noticed throughout the experiment. Shoppers who arrived to the store hungry tended to ignore all guidance or advice provided. Rather than partially filling their carts with produce, they were more likely to stock up on unhealthy items. This is not too surprising as I always advise my clients to avoid food shopping on an empty stomach.

This social experiment may spark a change in the way people food shop. By providing subtle reminders for shoppers to buy more fruits and vegetables, there may be a change in what consumers check out with.

Don’t forget that there are various ways you can buy fruits and vegetables these days. If you are short on prep time, shop for pre-chopped vegetables and fruit. These are great to snack on or to quickly use in a recipe. Frozen fruits and vegetables are also available if you know you will not use fresh produce before they spoil. Just remember to choose “flash frozen” options because these will have retained the most nutrients from their fresh state.

Your Turn to Take Action: Have you ever caught yourself making up reasons for not buying fresh produce? Try using this shopping cart reminder on your next trip to the market.

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