Use “Healthy” in your labelling

Sleboda and team’s work may be handy as you attempt to convince your family and friends to act in more environmentally responsible ways.  The researchers collected data as “Participants chose between one gourmet food gift basket without meat and dairy and another with meat and dairy. . . . the gourmet food gift basket without meat and dairy was less likely to be chosen when its label focused on its content (stating ‘vegan’ or ‘plant-based’) rather than on its benefits (stating ‘healthy’, ‘sustainable’ or both). Specifically, the ‘plant-based’ label did only slightly better than the ‘vegan’ label, leading, respectively, to 27% and 20% of participants choosing the gourmet food gift basket without meat and dairy. However, 42% of participants chose the gourmet food gift basket without meat and dairy when it was labeled ‘healthy,’ 43% when it was labeled ‘sustainable,’ and 44% when it was labeled ‘healthy and sustainable.’”

Patrycja Sleboda, Wandi de Bruin, Tania Gutsche, and Joseph Arvai.  “Don’t Say ‘Vegan’ or ‘Plant-Based’:  Food Without Meat and Dairy Is More Likely to Be Chosen When Labeled as ‘Healthy’ and ‘Sustainable.’” Journal of Environmental Psychology, in press, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2023.102217