What is healthy food? Objective nutrient profile scores and subjective lay evaluations in comparison. (1st December 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Bucher, T.; Müller, B.; Siegrist, M.
• Is Part Of: Appetite. Volume 95(2015)
• Page Start: 408
• Page End: 414
• Publication Date: 2015-12-01
• Subjects: Fake food buffet -- Meal composition -- Health perception -- Nutrient profiling -- Meal evaluation -- Food choice; Food habits -- Periodicals; Appetite -- Periodicals; Appetite disorders -- Periodicals; Electronic journals; 306.4613
• DOI: 10.1016/j.appet.2015.08.005
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0195-6663

Abstract

Abstract: To date, it is unclear how consumers evaluate the healthiness of individual foods and meals and how consumers' perceptions are related to expert opinions. This knowledge is essential for efficient communication of nutrition information with the goal of promoting healthy eating. This study used the fake food buffet method to investigate health perceptions of selected meals and of 54 individual foods and beverages. Lay consumers' subjective healthiness evaluations of meals and foods were compared to objective nutrient profile scores, which were previously shown to correlate highly with expert opinions. The results show that nutrition profile scores and lay evaluations were highly correlated, which indicates that lay people used similar criteria as experts to evaluate the healthiness of foods. However, lay consumers tended to neglect the amount of saturated fat, protein and sodium for their judgments. Also, it was found that while lay consumers were quite able to evaluate single food products, they had difficulties in evaluating entire meals. Future interventions should focus particularly on educating the consumer about the negative effects of diets high in salt and saturated fat and they should improve the consumer's abilities to evaluate entire meals. Highlights: Fruit/vegetable and fibre content is positively related to perception of a food as healthier. Sugar and fat contents are associated with negative healthiness perceptions. Consumer perceptions are strongly related to nutrient profile scores. People overestimate the calories they serve.