Compared to participants who viewed a menu without a message, those who viewed the same menu with a … [+]
getty
When you sit down at a restaurant, the first thing you look at is probably the menu. Or maybe the daily specials displayed nearby. Mmm. You’re hungry. That’s why you went out to eat.
But what will you choose? The World Resources Institute says carefully crafted environmental messaging on menus can double the likelihood that people will order low-carbon, plant-based items.
Does that description whet your appetite? Will people be turned off by nudges to choose food that fits a “climate-friendly lifestyle”?
Not necessarily, says Edwina Hughes, head of the Cool Food initiative at World Resources Institute, a global research organization with U.S. offices in Washington, D.C.
“Restaurants are often nudging consumers to choose particular items—for example, the special of the day or saying what a customer favorite is,” Hughes says. “This is using behavioral science to nudge people towards making a more climate-friendly choice.”
The institute, or WRI for short, tested 10 different sustainability messages with more than 6,000 study participants in the United States.
Two of the message themes, “small changes, big impact” and “joining a movement” roughly doubled the percentage of vegetarian dishes that participants ordered (in a simulated, online ordering scenario).
A highlight from a slide deck on the WRI study
World Resources Institute
“Our study included asking consumers to look at menus with six meat dishes and two vegetarian dishes,” Hughes explains.
“An environment message was included at the top of the menu and people then chose what meal they wanted from the menu. When these two top-performing messages appeared at the top of the menu, the demand for plant-based dishes doubled.”
Messages seem to work better than labels.
“Labeling is certainly important because it can help consumers quickly spot which menu items are lower carbon,” Hughes says.
“WRI’s own Cool Food Meals badge does just that. But not every restaurant or food business is in a position to add a label to its menu right now. In the meantime, adding environmental messages can be a simple, straightforward and cost-effective thing to do now to make a difference.”
WRI believes the findings can be used by restaurants and food businesses to increase sales of lower carbon items. That’s a good thing, since food production accounts for a quarter of all greenhouse gas emissions and animal-based foods contribute twice the emissions of plant-based foods. More people eating lower carbon diets is critical for meeting global climate targets.
Advocates says today’s alt meat is not your grandma’s tofu. So maybe this research makes sense. WRI survey participants also said they’d be more likely to order a vegetarian dish the next time they ate out.
Hughes says her organization has shared the findings with a number of food businesses like MAX Burgers “and there’s a lot of excitement.
“A number are keen to work with us to start trialing more messaging with their consumers in restaurants.”
Examples of businesses already “doing the right thing” include Sainsbury’s supermarket in the U.K., which has a recent campaign telling consumers “If trying to eat better feels too hard, try your Halfest!”
Some tips on how to make your diet more friendly to the Earth (and consequently, your health):
“Choosing a vegetarian or vegan dish is always going to be more climate-friendly than going for a meat dish,” Hughes says.
“But if you want to have some meat in your meal—then choose meals where meat isn’t the star of the show and where vegetables, pulses (legumes) or grains make up the majority of the dish. Choose meals where there is only one animal-based product over a meal where there are two or more. Look for dishes where there is a little meat or dairy rather than a lot.”
WRI says this is the first study on the impact of climate messaging on diners’ food choices. The institute previously looked at how naming and descriptions of dishes can boost the sales of plant-based menu items.
