Can Providing the Right Information Influence Our Food Choices?
Summary
This article discusses the impact of providing the right information at the right time on people’s food choices. The article refers to a simple experiment conducted by the author to examine the relationship between the size of containers and how much people eat. The results showed that providing people with information and the power to make informed decisions has a substantial impact on their food choices. The article also highlights how the author applied these findings in Google’s micro kitchens to help employees make healthier food choices and control their portions.
Table of Contents
- The Experiment with Plate Sizes
- Providing Information to Influence Choice
- Applying Findings in Google’s Micro Kitchens
- Redesigning the Micro Kitchens for Healthier Food Choices
Introduction
Have you ever wondered why people make certain food choices? Do you think providing the right information can influence our food choices? As a professional writer, I was interested in exploring this topic, so I conducted a simple experiment to test the impact of providing information on food choices. In this article, I will share my findings and how we apply them in Google’s micro kitchens to help employees make healthier food choices and control their portions.
Q&A
Q: Can you describe the experiment with plate sizes?
A: The experiment was a simple one building on the research of Brian Wansink and others at Cornell. It indicated a very strong relationship between the size of the container and how much people eat. We put out plates in a cafe like Brian described, and we offered both a standard plate and a small plate. Most people used the large plate, but when we provided information about the connection between container size and how much people eat, we saw a 50% increase in the choice of small plates over large plates.
Q: Can providing information be enough to influence our food choices?
A: Providing people with information and giving them the power to make informed decisions has a substantial impact. However, it’s not always enough to provide a nudge; people need to make choices in an informed way. Our experiment showed that providing information helped people make informed decisions about their portion sizes.
Q: How did you apply these findings in Google’s micro kitchens?
A: At Google, we have something called micro kitchens, which are gathering places where employees snack. We used the findings from our experiment to help employees make healthier food choices and control their portions. We redesigned the micro kitchen and replaced M&M’s with healthier options such as fruits, nuts, and cereals. We didn’t take the M&M’s away, but we made them a little more difficult to get to. We put them in opaque bins and labeled them so that employees had to make a more deliberate choice.
Q: Did the redesign of the micro kitchens have a positive impact on employee food choices?
A: Yes, the redesign of the micro kitchens had a significant impact on employee food choices. In the seven weeks following the change, Googlers in the New York office ate 3.1 million fewer calories from M&M’s. By making the portions easier to control and requiring a deliberate choice on the part of employees, we helped them make healthier food choices.
Conclusion
In conclusion, providing the right information at the right time can have a significant impact on people’s food choices. In our experiment, we found that providing information helped people make more informed decisions about their portion sizes. This information was applied in Google’s micro kitchens, where we helped employees make healthier food choices by making the healthier options more accessible and making the less healthy options more difficult to access. By doing so, we helped employees control their portions and consume fewer calories.
