Behavioral Economics and the Psychology of Fruit and Vegetable Consumption

Behavioral economics is an emerging paradigm that challenges the assumptions and predictions of classical economics. This new paradigm emphasizes that consumers do not always make optimal use of available information nor do they always make choices and tradeoffs in a manner that optimizes their well-being. After describing some basic concepts in behavioral economics, this paper reviews the growing literature that applies these concepts to the consumption of fruits and vegetables. A toolkit to increase consumption of fruits and vegetables is developed based on an analysis of previous research. Three general kinds of tools are described: tools for 1) displays and settings, 2) incentives and prices, and 3) planning and habits.