Something Old or Something New?

In the midst of the economic crisis I've come across a number of nutrition columns about people's tendency to turn to familiar comfort foods when faced with financial uncertainty. Many of the articles I've seen have focused on the potential consequences of this from a nation already faced with a major obesity problem as the comfort foods we know and love are usually chalk full of a combination of sugar, fat and excess calories. So I was surprised when I came across this article this morning that suggests the connection between comfort foods and crisis may not be quite what we thought.

New research entitled"The Comfort Food Fallacy - Avoiding Old Favourites in Times of Change" presents 5 separate studies suggesting that during times of upheaval people may actually more likely to choose unfamiliar foods. Dr Stacey Wood, the lead researcher of this study argues that if consumers make considered choices about what to eat they may choose familiar foods but that many of the choices we make are instinctive and done quickly. She continues that in the midst of a changing situation or environment many people have a 'change mindset' and may actually be more open to trying new things.

Consumers may be more likely to choose new options in times of change because such times reduce cues that trigger habitual choices and create a more general change mindset - Dr Wood

In one of the studies, researchers asked participants to predict which product a person would choose based on whether they were in a stable situation or in the midst of changes. This was tested based on participant expectation of whether someone would choose a familiar 'American' potato chip flavour or an unknown British potato 'crisp' in an unusual flavour such as Camembert & plum. The prediction was that the stable person would choose the unfamiliar crisp because they would have more time & energy to try new things, while the person experiencing change would be more interested in choosing the 'sure' thing American chip.

Researchers concluded that this and the other studies carried out have implications in terms of how and when marketers target consumers with new products. It also suggests that the effect of the recession on dietary choices may not be the same for everyone, and may depend on how the economic situation effects people individually. I found this article interesting as it suggests that some people are willing to try new things during an economic downturn. To me this suggests that perhaps nutritional interventions may be more effective here than previously thought. I am not suggesting that we overlook the fact that healthy food is generally more expensive than cheaper yet less nutritious products. What I am suggesting is that perhaps nutritional interventions during times of economic crunch might be more successful than we thought, and thus worth trying! Instead of turning to calorie-dense Mac N Cheese for comfort, if we could interest those individuals who are 'willing-to-try-new-things' to make health improving changes to their diet, it would be fantastic! Switching to whole wheat pasta or ethnic noodle dishes - perhaps previously unfamiliar products - would be a desperately needed positive change that could have life long positive consequences.

Want to give it a go?
Check out the Cheap Healthy Good - a blog I discovered with healthy recipes that are recession-proof & worth a try: http://cheaphealthygood.blogspot.com