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Research on the Factors Related to Food Choices to Promote Healthy Eating

A special issue of Nutrients (ISSN 2072-6643). This special issue belongs to the section "Nutrition and Public Health".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 25 March 2026 | Viewed by 1175

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Department of Business, Law, Economics and Consumption “Carlo A. Ricciardi”, Faculty of Communication, Public Relations and Advertising, IULM University, Milan, Italy
Interests: neuromarketing; neuromanagement; consumer neuroscience; food communication strategies; wine communication strategies; emotional food experience
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Business, Law, Economics and Consumer Behaviour “Carlo A. Ricciardi”, Università IULM, 20143 Milan, Italy
Interests: neuromarketing; neuromanagement; consumer neuroscience; food communication strategies; positive psychology; well-being at work
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues, 

With this Special Issue of Nutrients, we would like to focus on the reasons for specific food choices and to identify the main strategies to communicate and promote healthy eating behaviours.

It is well known that lifestyle changes, modifications and transitions in populations, and different communications strategies can occur in health and eating behaviours. Moreover, an ageing population, with the increase of obesity, represent an emergency that must be addressed to prevent diseases and excessive healthcare costs that could burden future generations.

In this framework, consumer psychology, consumer neuroscience, and consumer studies can be a functional key to understand those factors that lead people to certain behaviours, identifying new communication strategies to promote new healthy behaviours and choices. These disciplines, indeed, have long highlighted the complexity of human decisions, challenging the traditional view of consumers as purely rational. Emotions, perceptions, decisions, and stimulations are just a few elements that can interact in these dynamics. This Special Issue aims to collect studies and insights to deepen the understanding of food behaviours.

In the light of this, we invite you to contribute original research, but are not limited to, the following topics:

  • Emotions guiding food choice;
  • Emotional Food Experience;
  • The role of senses and of perception in food communication and food choice;
  • The role of nudge in food choice;
  • Neuromarketing and food choice;
  • Consumer neuroscience for the understanding of consumer choice;
  • Traditional research in food choice.

Prof. Dr. Vincenzo Russo
Dr. Margherita Zito
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Nutrients is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • food choice
  • healthy eating
  • eating behaviours
  • decision-making
  • consumer psychology
  • consumer neuroscience
  • food consumption
  • food communication
  • emotions
  • neuromarketing
  • nudge
  • consumer behavior
  • senses and perception

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

20 pages, 1470 KB  
Article
Nudging Healthier and More Sustainable Eating Habits in University Cafeterias: The FOOD-HACK Project
by Sara Basilico, Ilaria Zambon, Rachele De Giuseppe, Lidia Testa, Andrea Del Bo, Veronika Gamper, Valentina Moroni, Maria Elide Vanutelli, Hurisel Tosun, Htoi Lu Mai Hpau Yam, Maria Vittoria Conti and Hellas Cena
Nutrients 2025, 17(22), 3562; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu17223562 - 14 Nov 2025
Viewed by 913
Abstract
Background/Objectives: The global syndemic of obesity, undernutrition, and climate change highlight the complex health and environmental challenges faced by young adults. These challenges may intensify during the transition to university. As a matter of fact, limited budgets, time constraints, and insufficient culinary [...] Read more.
Background/Objectives: The global syndemic of obesity, undernutrition, and climate change highlight the complex health and environmental challenges faced by young adults. These challenges may intensify during the transition to university. As a matter of fact, limited budgets, time constraints, and insufficient culinary skills often lead to unbalanced diets and increased risk of obesity. University cafeterias, serving large numbers of students, represent an ideal setting to promote healthier and more sustainable eating behaviors. The FOOD-HACK Project aimed to design and implement a cafeteria-based intervention using nudging strategies to promote healthier and more sustainable lunch choices among university students. Methods: This pilot study employed a pre–post design with two independent phases in the Polo Cravino cafeteria at the University of Pavia. Food consumption was assessed over 12 non-consecutive days across four weeks. During the intervention, three nudging strategies were implemented: (1) choice architecture, (2) salient labeling, highlighting healthy and sustainable options, and (3) educational prompts. Results: Across both phases, 2400 tray photographs were collected. Post-intervention, the proportion of trays aligned with the Harvard Healthy Eating Plate and EAT-Lancet Planetary Diet models increased, reflecting higher consumption of vegetables and fruit. Legume-based first courses increased; however, legumes did not substantially replace animal proteins as the main protein source, and meat remained predominant in second courses. Reductions in trays containing multiple carbohydrate sources were also observed. Conclusions: The nudging intervention improved overall meal quality, demonstrating that subtle environmental modifications can guide students toward healthier dietary choices, particularly by increasing fruit and vegetable intake. However, the persistent preference for animal proteins highlights the challenge of shifting protein consumption toward more sustainable sources. These findings suggest that nudging can be an effective tool to promote healthier and more balanced eating behaviors in university settings, though complementary strategies may be needed to foster substantial changes in protein choices. Full article
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