Can Taste and Presentation of Restaurant Menus Change Customers' Health Knowledge and Perceptions? A Natural Restaurant Field Experiment

This study examines the impact of menu taste and presentation on customers’ health knowledge and perceptions using behavioral economics in a restaurant setting. The increasing prevalence of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and obesity highlights the importance of dietary choices for health outcomes. Using a natural field experiment involving 349 participants in Chiangmai, Thailand, this study examines how experiments taste and alterations in menu design, specifically through convenience and visibility interventions, can encourage healthier meal selections. The experiment shows that taste significantly influences the perception of meal healthiness, while strategic menu presentation influences customers' meal choices and their ability to accurately estimate caloric content. The findings suggest that making high-calorie options more visible tends to lead participants towards choices with higher caloric content than estimated, indicating the potential of menu design in modifying consumer behavior towards healthier eating habits. Additionally, the study examines demographic factors such as age, gender, and Body Mass Index (BMI), alongside self-reported dietary practices, to understand their influence on meal selection decisions. This study contributes to behavioral economics by providing empirical evidence on how small changes in the food environment can promote healthier diets, addressing the global challenge of tackling non communicable diseases and obesity.