Imagine standing in your kitchen, staring at that bowl of fruit. The voice in your head reminds you about those ambitious "5-a-day" goals that seem perpetually out of reach. What if, instead of that lofty target, you simply told yourself to eat just one more piece of fruit today? According to recent research, this subtle shift in framing might be the key to improving your diet.
A fascinating new study published in the journal Appetite reveals that setting more achievable dietary goals can significantly boost fruit and vegetable consumption compared to traditional public health messaging. Researchers discovered that simply telling people to "eat one more" fruit or vegetable can be more effective than the standard "eat five a day" approach that many health organizations promote.
This research synthesized findings from three independent studies that specifically examined how the "achievability" and "relevance" of nutritional goals affect actual behavior change. The results consistently showed that having any goal increases fruit and vegetable consumption compared to having no goal. However, the perceived ease of meeting that goal emerged as a crucial factor in determining success.
Perhaps most interestingly, Study 1 identified a "sweet spot" for effort—participants who reported moderate (not extreme) effort to meet goals experienced the most significant increases in fruit and vegetable intake. This suggests that sustainable changes beat overexertion when it comes to long-term dietary improvements.
The testing ground for these theories included university canteens across Bournemouth and Poole in the UK, where researchers displayed different health promotion messages on posters.
While the "eat one more" message generally outperformed the "eat five" message, the differences weren't always dramatic but were consistent enough to be meaningful. On average, participants increased their consumption by about half a portion per day, and canteen sales rose approximately 10% during goal promotion periods.
Contrary to what many health communicators might expect, the study found that emphasizing the "relevance" of eating fruits and vegetables (highlighting immediate or future health benefits) didn't significantly impact consumption. What mattered more was simply having a goal that felt achievable.
The research does have limitations—it focused primarily on British university students, which may limit how broadly these findings apply. Additionally, the observed effects, while statistically significant, were relatively modest. The researchers also acknowledge that their interpretation of "relevance" (current versus future benefits) may not have been strong enough to detect meaningful differences.
These findings carry important implications for public health messaging. Rather than pushing ambitious targets that may feel overwhelming to many people, a more effective approach might be encouraging smaller, incremental changes. The next time you're designing a health campaign or even just trying to improve your own diet, consider the power of the "just one more" mindset—small changes that feel achievable are more likely to translate into actual behavior change than lofty goals that inspire more guilt than action.
The takeaway is clear: perfect shouldn't be the enemy of good when it comes to improving nutrition. Starting with small, achievable goals might be the most effective path to meaningful dietary change.
