In response some manufacturers decreased the proportion of sugar in their products and shifted from refined grains to whole-grain flours. Supermarkets also promoted healthier products, which increased sales of “Nutri-Score A” products and decreased sales of “E” (poor nutritional quality) products, says Touvier. Consequently, Nutri-Score labelling has been shown to change consumer behavior too.
Changing behaviour
So, short of systemic change in the food environment, is there a way we can navigate it better to make healthier choices?
Research suggests that encouraging individuals to change their behavior can change their eating habits. Research led by Samuel Dicken and Abi Fisher at University College London has recently shown that one-on-one support reduced how much UPFs the 45 study participants ate.
Individuals were given individualised one-on-one coaching, including information about where to buy healthier food and access to low-UPF meal plans. They were also given guidance on cooking from scratch.
“We know we need to improve the environment but also we need to give people skills and actions to improve their diets,” says Dicken. “It’s all well and good saying ‘cook a meal’ but if you don’t have a kitchen, if you don’t have pots and pans, if you don’t have a fridge to store it in, there’s no way you’re going to do it.”
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