Why would the dishes be named so differently yet prepared exactly the same? If called "carrots" I would expect them to be all-natural, steamed or boiled carrots which provides the most basic of healthy, low cal choices. If called "twisted citrus-glazed carrots", I would expect the dish to have more flavors (not just natural carrot flavor), have some added calories (maybe too many?) and more enjoyable (for me). This is a stupid and inconclusive study if the students somehow were led to believe these are the same carrot dishes. No doubt this is a generation that has been exposed to even greater food choices and variety than previous ones so the preference for something more adventurous is no surprise as all ... as long as it delivers on the description.
So the conclusion is, people who eat college cafeterias are rather dumb.
This is one of those "firm grasp on the obvious " studies. The packaged food companies have proved this for years.
1
Many of them have done this with our kids and grands. It's called 'reframing.'
2
We all want to be seduced.
And what di d they eat these names with? and what did they drink with them? No we are not developing palates-- we are just manipulating nutrients & the result will be more fat Americans. Tell them to eat foods and beverages together and HOW MUCH.
labels are marketing tools and it's very possible that people might buy dog waste on a plate if it were given a french cuisine sounding title..so what does this "study" prove? did anyone say that they much preferred the taste of the carrots ala flame du nerd over the plain carrots? much ado about nothing.
1
Why not just call the vegetable by its name? That is so difficult these days: finding a decent vegetable that hasn't been ruined by someone else's seasoning and oily substance. The reason these people chose the fancy-named vegetable is because they thought they might actually eat one. I'm not sure they actually did once they realized it was just a vegetable with coating.
2
So people chose the option that promised more flavor - that might might enjoy more? Shocking.
11
This shows how cunning and sharp our college students really are, geez!
2
U got a hearty early morning laugh from me, thank u
Not surprising that students chose vegetables with the more gustatory, appealing name. But, I wonder how the name affected the amount of the product that was actually eaten. Can a name convince your brain, and thus your taste buds that the food is tasty?
8
The description, "caramelized," or, "ginger-turmeric," does more than just restate. It now describes how it was prepared and what to expect in taste. This makes a huge difference in choosing a dish at a buffet. If they were simple steamed veg with only name changes every other day, like "farm-fresh," or "crispy, sweet," then I'd put more stock in the conclusions of this experiment.
12
What do all of those appealing-sounding names have in common that the wholesome names don't? Sugar, salt and fat- the same triumvirate that has been the downfall of the American palate, waistline and pancreas over the last 30 years. Not surprising that words like "crispy," "buttery" and "citrus-glazed" hold more promise for vegetable hyperpalatability than the straight-up vegetable names (which imply no flavor-enhancing ingredients) or the truth-in-advertising words that inform the potential consumer that no hidden goodies were used in the preparation of the vegetable, so you might as well not bother. It's not the cuteness of the names that made the well-titled veggies more appealing, it was the implied extra gratification of the bad-for-you added ingredients.
6
But how many folks buy so-called "super foods" now, that would have consumed them a couple of years ago? That, too, is marketing.
5
Fewer than one third at any vegetables at all? Really?
Suddenly, the rates of obesity in this country are no longer shocking.
Suddenly, the rates of obesity in this country are no longer shocking.
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I doubt that our early ancestors cared much by how their carrots and sweet potatoes were described. A study like this is relevant only where people take food for granted and struggle with knowing whether they are spending too much time living to eat or eating to live.
Still, thank goodness the spice trade made it to the New World.
Still, thank goodness the spice trade made it to the New World.
13
I hear you, because our ancestors probably didn't look at written menus or labels on dishes in cafeteria buffets. But I think in every population and in every time period, there are people who take on the role of cook/chef/food preparer, and some...most? feel pride in the composition of ingredients they've developed and the presentation of the completed dish. Putting carefully chosen words to that presentation is another aspect of the same art of cooking. Full disclosure: I write recipes and take pictures of food, and feel so much appreciation for nature in a simple bowl of beans or pile of apples.
1
Um, doesn't this study just describe what we all call "marketing?"
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Does this research pertain to the field of medicine or to the world of advertising? I feel ambivalent about these studies that toy with "mass manipulation for the greater good". How ethical is it to implement such findings without the express consent of the people who are unconsciously influenced? To some extent, these tricks also look like short-term fixes that save us from tackling the roots of the issue.
3
Fast food companies have done this for years, for their bottom lines. At least the intent is good here.
1
Choosing versus eating. having had awful food which was nicely labeled-- I can tell you I don't eat what doesn't taste good! Marketing only works so long...
Actually I won't touch roasted corn on the cob dusted with cheese (don't want those extra calories) nor glazed carrots (ditto sugar), nor sweet potatoes with marshmallows, nor mashed potatoes with crème fraiche.
Remember portion size counts a lot.
Actually I won't touch roasted corn on the cob dusted with cheese (don't want those extra calories) nor glazed carrots (ditto sugar), nor sweet potatoes with marshmallows, nor mashed potatoes with crème fraiche.
Remember portion size counts a lot.
5
If you have experience cooking carrots...they need no added sugar to be sweet. Carrots normally have a lot of natural sweetness, and as you cook them, the sweetness naturally caramelizes. Indeed, ADDING sugar to carrots is overkill, and makes them almost sickeningly sweet -- like sugary sweet potatoes in syrup.
Simply a bit of olive oil and pop carrots in the oven, to roast until tender -- they will turn out NATURALLY sweet & delicious!
Of course portion size counts, LOL, but it is a rare person who ODs on carrots.
Simply a bit of olive oil and pop carrots in the oven, to roast until tender -- they will turn out NATURALLY sweet & delicious!
Of course portion size counts, LOL, but it is a rare person who ODs on carrots.
"Real men don't eat quiche." An old cliche, but it probably explains a lot about food choices. Joe Gibbs, former head coach of the Redskins used to say, "Work like a horse, eat like a horse, look like a horse." Now there's a real man. (I think he developed Type II diabetes.)
4
Um, he looks pretty healthy to me. A pretty all-around successful guy/minister from what I know.
Interesting. Makes me wonder if this approach could be applied to other areas, e.g., perhaps people would prefer to buy one automobile over another if it were given a catchy name, and perhaps described with evocative language and imagery, rather than just literal specifications. These researchers may have stumbled onto a whole new industry - we could call it "mercantiling" or "presentationing"... or, I don't know, maybe "marketing?"
25
Duh!!! Eating is a sensual pleasure. Touting the health claims of any food doesn't appeal to senses -- the smell, sight, taste, and mouth feel of eating, and even the sound of chewing certain foods as one eats. Occasionally, I'll offer a friendly wager with friends on the expected longevity of the newest health conscious restaurant that opens in the area. The eateries who tout their health benefits, but not the deliciousness of their offerings, won't last long. In my mind, if a restaurant promotes the health of its menu, then its food probably won't appeal to my taste buds. Tell me (or imply by re-labeling) that the food tastes good and I'll try it. Tell me it's healthy, and I'll pass.
5
Most of us already know, from long & painful experience, that food describes as "healthy" is nearly inedible and disgusting.
Or perhaps the citizen palate has become so habituated to sugar, salt and fat REAL food is longer satisfies, only the condiments.
Just as drug users need ever increasing doses to feel the effect, food is now ever more spiced, glazed, BBQ'd or bacon'd to within an inch of it's life. As a vegetarian, I find I must alter so many recipes now because of the current love affair with sardines as an de facto ingredient (are you listening NYT food writers?).
Even fast foods - the foundation of all that is salty & fatty - feel the need to ratchet up flavor. Commercials feature flames spewing forth from smiling mouths. How many people in the US even knew what sriracha sauce was 10 years ago? Now it's in everything.
This is, pure and simple, another symptom of an over stimulated society that must continually turn up the volume in order to be satisfied.
Just as drug users need ever increasing doses to feel the effect, food is now ever more spiced, glazed, BBQ'd or bacon'd to within an inch of it's life. As a vegetarian, I find I must alter so many recipes now because of the current love affair with sardines as an de facto ingredient (are you listening NYT food writers?).
Even fast foods - the foundation of all that is salty & fatty - feel the need to ratchet up flavor. Commercials feature flames spewing forth from smiling mouths. How many people in the US even knew what sriracha sauce was 10 years ago? Now it's in everything.
This is, pure and simple, another symptom of an over stimulated society that must continually turn up the volume in order to be satisfied.