A rapid evidence review of the Psychology of Food Choice

Abstract

This literature review aimed to provide insight into the situational, social, emotional and psychological roles of food and how variation among them influence buying and eating decisions. The report aims to respond to the following questions: What are the key psychological processes that we should consider when thinking about our food choices? What characteristics of a person, place or product can influence these processes? What approaches to influence food choice have been tried and found effective – and what is the psychology behind them? Which approaches to promoting positive food choices show the greatest promise? ‘Positive choices’ in this case infer those leading to better health or sustainability. How have inequalities been incorporated into research, and where is greater consideration needed? A scoping review of systematic reviews between 2016 and 2021 was conducted, with 39 reviews retrieved and used as primary evidence on which this report is based.