It’s safe to assume that most people enjoy feeling fit and comfortable in their own skin. Eating healthy to accomplish this though, might turn out to be a bit tricky. Whether people can’t stand the temptation of a quick snack or they simply don’t know how to eat healthy, help is on their way. A Healthy Hand is a trend focussing on stimulating healthy eating by constantly reminding people of what are healthy options through everyday life. A Healthy Hand is there to give the people a hand at the exact moment they might be thinking about food but still struggle to eat healthy. (own trend)
AH Groenteboost
Dutch Supermarket Albert Heijn is starting a new service called AH Groenteboost, which translates to AH Vegetableboost. This service works with Facebook Messenger. By sending a message in messenger, you can turn the service on. You will then automically receive various tips and tricks to eat more vegetables. This way the supermarket is aiming to stimulate the consumption of vegetables amongst its customers. (Albert Heijn, 2017) (Groen, 2017)
DISC
DISC (Delays to Influence Healthy Snack Choice) is a device that can be installed in vending machines. This device ensures that, when someone chooses an unhealthy snack, that person has to wait an extra 25 seconds. This way customers have to weigh their options based on the fact that they’ll have to wait longer if they want something less healthier. This makes option of choosing something healthier is more appealing. (Chen, 2017) (Young, 2017)
Brad Appelhans
Albert Heijn Vegetable Alternatives
Supermarket Albert Heijn is trying very hard to get their customers to eat more vegetables. In order to make that work, they’ve developed healthy alternatives made from vegetables. Their assortment contains products like spaghetti alternatives made from courgette and rice alternatives made from broccoli. This way people who find it difficult to eat vegetables, are still able to create their favourite meal, that usually doesn’t contain very much veggies, in a healthy and nutricient way. (Kraak, 2017)
Albert Heijn
Why
As for 2015 more than 46 percent of men and almost 40 percent of women has been diagnosed as overweight (CBS, 2016). Moreover it appears that only a quarter of the people consume the recommended number of grams of vegetables, causing them to miss on some essential nutrients (Groen, 2017) (Voedingscentrum, 2017). This means the majority of the Dutch people don’t eat as healthy as they should be doing, possibly leading to serious complications. Therefore it might be necessary to give these people a hand in their eating pattern, whether consciously or subconsciously, to put a stop to their bad eating habits. (Voedingscentrum, 2017)
Future Potential
The way I see it, there are two ways this trend can develop in the future. The first one is that now we’re aware of the effects of nutrition on our health, people will gradually start taking it into account on their own, once they know the basics. Products like the ones above helped the people, who found it difficult to eat healthy on their own, understand what is good for them and what not. Therefore these people can continue making their own choices, while completely understanding how to get all the right nutrients.
Another possibility is that this trend results in maintaining even more control over the consumers eating habits. Supermarkets could start selling entire boxes with personalised meals and a whole meal plan for the whole day or week for example. If the trend were to go in that direction it’s possible that exactly the opposite might happen. People will lose their knowledge of proper nutrition, since they won’t be composing their own meals anymore. Whichever direction this trend will take, I believe that health will become a more important factor in the future.
Bibliografie
Albert Heijn. (2017). AH Groente Boost. Opgehaald van Albert Heijn: https://www.ah.nl/ahgroenteboost
CBS. (2016, April 5). Lengte en gewicht van personen, ondergewicht en overgewicht; vanaf 1981. Opgehaald van CBS: http://statline.cbs.nl/statweb/publication/?dm=slnl&pa=81565ned&d1=a&d2=a&d3=0&d4=a&d5=29-34&hdr=t&stb=g1,g2,g3,g4&vw=t
Chen, A. (2017, March 31). Forcing People At Vending Machines To Wait Nudges Them To Buy Healthier Snacks. Opgehaald van Capital Public Radio: http://www.capradio.org/news/npr/story?storyid=522189753
Groen, A. (2017, April 21). Productnieuws: Albert Heijn helpt via Facebook Messenger aan hoger groente-inname. Opgehaald van Voeding NU: http://www.voedingnu.nl/Nieuws/Productnieuws_AH_helpt_via_Facebook_Messenger_aan_hogere_groente-inname-170421114550#.WP3BmsRoRQM.facebook
Kraak, H. (2017, March 23). Albert Heijn wint Jaarprijs Goede Voeding 2017 met courgette-spagetti en bloemkoolrijst. Opgehaald van VoedingNU: Albert_Heijn_wint_Jaarprijs_Goede_Voeding_2017_met_Courgette_spaghetti_en_Bloemkoolrijst
Voedingscentrum. (2017). Groente. Opgehaald van Voedingscentrum: http://www.voedingscentrum.nl/encyclopedie/groente.aspx#blok11
Voedingscentrum. (2017). Overgewicht. Opgehaald van Voedingscentrum: http://www.voedingscentrum.nl/encyclopedie/overgewicht.aspx
Young, S. (2017, April 6). This Vending Machine Uses A Time Delay To Stop You Buying Junk Food. Opgehaald van Independent: http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/food-and-drink/vending-machine-stop-junk-food-buying-time-delay-25-second-processed-snack-rush-medical-college-a7670506.html
CELINE AERTS 