It’s easy to trick your family – and even yourself – into making better food choices, a renowned food expert says.
"A healthy diet can be as easy as making the healthiest choice convenient, attractive, and normal," says Brian Wasink, director of the Cornell Food and Brand Lab and author of the book Slim by Design.
He calls his approach C.A.N. (Convenient, Attractive, Normal) and likens it to a fruit bowl, in which the items seem more enticing when they are when nicely arranged, displayed together, and easy to reach.
His team analyzed 112 studies on healthy eating behaviors and found that most eaters choose items like fruits and vegetables that are visible and easy to reach (convenient), enticingly displayed (attractive), and appear like a “normal” choice.
The study, published in Psychology and Marketing, shows that when fruit is put in a nice bowl next to your car keys or when a cafeteria puts it next to a well-lit cash register it becomes more convenient, attractive, and normal to grab a banana than the chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream in the far back of the freezer, Dr. Wasink said.
"With these three principles, there are endless changes that can be made to lead people - including ourselves - to eat healthier," Dr. Wasink added.