Nudging Interventions Promoting Plant-Based Food Selection in Physical Food Environments. A Structured Literature Review

Abstract

Background: Current dietary patterns negatively affect health and environmental sustainability. In Sweden, dietary recommendations emphasize increased consumption of plant-based foods alongside reduced intake of animal-based foods, yet dietary behaviors remain inconsistent with these recommendations. Nudging has been highlighted as a promising tool for promoting healthier and more sustainable food choices without restricting freedom of choice or requiring active deliberation from the individual. Objective: The aim of this study was to map nudging interventions promoting the selection of plant-based foods over food derived from animals and examine whether these interventions were associated with increased, decreased, or unchanged selection of plant-based foods. Methods: A structured literature review was conducted using quantitative content analysis with qualitative elements to contextualize findings and capture details that could not be captured through the quantitative coding alone. Results: A total of 24 studies were included in the review. Most interventions applied multiple nudging strategies (n=15), were conducted in school settings (n=10) and most commonly targeted students (n=4) or both students and staff (n=4). Increased plant-based food selection was the most common outcome (n=13), particularly when interventions applied multiple nudging strategies (n=9). In contrast, among interventions reporting unchanged plant-based food selection, most applied a single nudging strategy (n=4 of 6). Conclusions and Implications: Nudging interventions that combine multiple strategies and are adapted to the context may represent a promising approach for promoting plant-based food selection in physical food environments and could complement public health initiatives and policy measures aimed at supporting healthier and more sustainable dietary behaviors.