Nudging strategies to promote plant-based and sustainable food consumption in canteens

Bibliographic Data

ID11360703
AuthorsSujita Pandey (0000-0003-2011-6775, University of Copenhagen), Annemarie Olsen (0000-0002-8335-0588, University of Copenhagen), Marianne Thomsen (0000-0003-2453-5141, University of Copenhagen, corresponding author)
Year2025
Volume207
Pages107874
Publication date2025-03-01
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueAppetite (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0195-6663 • E-ISSN: 1095-8304
PublisherElsevier BV (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1016/j.appet.2025.107874
PMID39837417
OpenAlexW4406588571
LanguageEN
Citations received3
References cited88

Transitioning towards a more plant-based diet can promote sustainable food consumption while simultaneously addressing environmental and health-related issues. Integrated nudging strategies are effective in promoting healthy eating behaviours. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the effect of an integrated nudging intervention to promote plant-based meals and determine its effect on promoting sustainable food consumption behaviour. The effects of two versions of a meal on the frequency of choosing a plant-based meal were tested through a quasi-experimental pre-post intervention at three educational context canteens. During the intervention, the priming tools were strategically positioned between the meat meal and the plant-based target meal. In total, 3870 purchases were analysed to observe their choices. Additionally, a total of 508 consumers completed a pre- or post-intervention survey. Approximately 60.5 kg (133.4 lbs) less of food waste was generated during the intervention compared to the baseline with a reduction of 6.5 % per plate. The purchase of plant-based meals increased by about 38% from pre-to during-intervention, while meat-based meals decreased by about 19%. The grams of meal consumed per meat-based plate differed significantly from pre-to post-intervention, while that of plant-based did not differ significantly. The environmental assessment reveals that adopting a more plant-based diet and minimizing food waste for each plate significantly reduces the overall environmental impact of the meal. The integrated nudging strategy indirectly influenced sustainable food consumption behaviour through its effect on attitudes and subjective knowledge. Price-health-conscious consumers exhibited higher sustainable food consumption behaviour. These findings suggest that integrated nudging interventions can effectively shift consumer choices towards sustainable food options by influencing their attitudes and knowledge, eventually benefiting environmental sustainability and public health

Agricultural economics · Biology · Business · Economics · Environmental health · Food choice · Food consumption · Food waste · Geography · Meal · Sustainability · Sustainable consumption · Waste management · Agriculture Sustainability and Environmental Impact · Engineering · Environmental Sustainability in Business · Food Waste Reduction and Sustainability · Medicine · Psychology · Food Science

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