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Increasing the Consumption of Environmentally Friendly Foods in a University Dining Hall Using Menu Item Placement.

ABSTRACT: Creating a decision-making environment that promotes sustainable food choices is a priority for both the individual and society. This study aimed at encouraging plant-based menu choices by re-ordering the menu according to the carbon footprint values. The project was conducted in a grab-and-go eatery at a large United States public university, where students could order their meals choosing among different menu options that were customizable with various ingredients. The order of menu ingredients was changed twice: for five weeks, from the most to the least impactful in terms of carbon footprint; subsequently, for another five weeks the order was reversed. At both times, all sales data were recorded. A total of 279,219 and 288,527 items were selected, respectively, during the first and the second intervention. A significant association was found between menu re-ordering and customers' choices for almost all food categories considered. Overall, despite beef choices not changing, results showed that students were more likely to choose low-carbon options when these were placed at the beginning, emphasizing that food selections were impacted by ingredient placement on the menu list. These findings highlight the need for a multi-level strategy focused on raising students' awareness of the environmental impact of animal-based foods, particularly beef.

SUBMITTER: Franchini C

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10537694 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Increasing the Consumption of Environmentally Friendly Foods in a University Dining Hall Using Menu Item Placement.

Franchini Cinzia C Bartolotto Carole C Scazzina Francesca F Carpenter Catherine L CL Slusser Wendelin W

Nutrients 20230906 18

Creating a decision-making environment that promotes sustainable food choices is a priority for both the individual and society. This study aimed at encouraging plant-based menu choices by re-ordering the menu according to the carbon footprint values. The project was conducted in a grab-and-go eatery at a large United States public university, where students could order their meals choosing among different menu options that were customizable with various ingredients. The order of menu ingredient ...[more]

PMID: 37764657

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Dataset Information

Increasing the Consumption of Environmentally Friendly Foods in a University Dining Hall Using Menu Item Placement.

Publications

Increasing the Consumption of Environmentally Friendly Foods in a University Dining Hall Using Menu Item Placement.

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