Obstacles to Overcome in Promoting Dietary Variety: The Case of Vegetables

Americans are being encouraged to consume a wider variety of vegetables. For example, the 5 A Day campaign has recently changed its message to emphasize variety. This study identifies factors influencing the variety of vegetables purchased by households. The results suggest that, if social marketing campaigns are to be revised to promote the consumption of a varied mix of vegetables, then traditional marketing campaigns may be a reasonable starting point. However, campaign designers may want to further focus on obstacles associated with household characteristics, such as children's tastes and working parents.