Not only veggies: Promoting healthy and familiar plant-based alternatives to traditional meat dishes with the AttiFood tool

Abstract

The prevailing dietary patterns across Western countries, characterized by reliance on animal-source products, represent significant contributors to health issues and environmental degradation. Growing evidence has highlighted the potential of transitioning from meat-heavy to more plant-rich diets to promote human health while respecting planetary boundaries. Psychological research contributes by studying people's attitudes and intentions to identify barriers and promoters of healthier food choices. This research falls within this framework, specifically focusing on plant-based protein food (PBPF). The primary aim was introducing AttiFood, a tool for investigating attitudes toward PBPF. The second was to apply AttiFood to examine the role of attitudes in increasing the intention to consume PBPF. The research consisted of three phases: creation and validation of a photographic set of stimuli featuring a wide range of protein sources, including animal- (i.e., red and white meat, fish, dairy, and eggs) and plant-based (i.e., legumes, grain, nuts and seeds) protein food; design and testing of a customized implicit association test; application study on an Italian sample assessing how the current behavior, automatic and explicit attitudes, and intentions intertwine. Results showed positive attitudes toward familiar and palatable plant-based protein food, although they were considered less tasty, convivial, and satisfying than animal-based counterparts. Multiple linear regression revealed current consumption and automatic and explicit attitudes as predictors of intention to increase PBPF consumption. This research suggests that promoting familiar and palatable alternatives to animal-based protein, as presented in the AttiFood tool, could inspire positive dietary changes.