PRIMEMEAL: using consumer psychology to promote healthier meal choices

Overeating and the obesity epidemic are often associated to the decline of home cooking and the growing consumption of meals prepared away from home. Yet, notably few have investigated the self-regulatory processes by which consumers might be motivated to adopt and maintain healthier meal preparation and consumption habits. PRIMEMEAL is a research project funded by the Portuguese government (FCT) to investigate the efficacy of consumers’ motivational, volitional and involuntary self-regulatory responses in promoting healthy meal choices. Its ultimate goal is to contribute to the design of social marketing messages and public policy that successfully stimulate healthy eating habits. TASK 1 explores the impact of activating personal norms about home cooking on the self-regulation of meal preparation behavior. TASK 2 investigates the potential of using grocery shopping lists and meal plans to discourage impulse buying and help self-regulate food purchases. TASK 3 studies how the presentation of meal choices and nutrition information on restaurant menus can "nudge" consumers to make healthier, away-from-home food choices.