Consumers having a strong unhealthy = tasty (UT) belief are less likely to choose healthy food even though they recognize its health benefits, because they assume healthy food to be unpalatable. The aim of this study was to profile consumers according to their UT belief and specify the strength of the belief among a demographically representative consumer group. The other aim was to investigate the effect of UT belief on expectations of two food products representing either an unhealthy or a healthy image. A total of 1537 consumers participated in the online survey. The scale-based (1–7) mean for UT belief was 3.27 and related positively to male gender and food pleasure orientation and negatively to general health interest. The results indicate that a strong UT belief correlates with positive expectations of unhealthy food and with negative expectations of healthy food. UT belief seemed to increase expected food-associated guilt, but other strong food-related attitudes (health interest with unhealthy food and pleasure orientation with healthy food) reduced this effect. In practice, understanding the relationship between UT belief and personal factors and attitudes, and the importance of this belief to food expectations can assist in finding the tools to encourage consumers towards healthier food choices.

Purpose: This study aims to increase knowledge of the ability of nutrition labels to guide consumer choices in real-life environments.Design/methodology/approach: Food consumption and plate waste data were collected from two self-service restaurants (SSR) with different customer groups over six observation days: three control and three intervention (with nutrition labelling) periods. Study Group 1 consisted of vocational school students, mostly late adolescents (N = 1,710), and Group 2 consisted of spa hotel customers, mostly elderly (N = 1,807). In the experimental restaurants, the same food was served to the buffets during the control and intervention periods.Findings: The nutrition label in the lunch buffet guides customers to eat fewer main foods and salads and to select healthier choices. Increased consumption of taste enhancers (salt and ketchup) was observed in the study restaurants after nutritional labelling. Nutrition labelling was associated with a reduction in plate waste among the elderly, whereas the opposite was observed among adolescents.Originality/value: The results provide public policymakers and marketers with a better understanding of the effects of nutrition labelling on consumer behaviour. Future studies should further evaluate the effects of nutrition labelling on the overall quality of customer diets and the complex environmental, social, and psychological factors affecting food choices and plate waste accumulation in various study groups.

Purpose: Dietary transitions towards reduced meat consumption are widely promoted for health and sustainability reasons, but empirical knowledge of current patterns of protein source consumption is limited. This study aims to examine consumer motivations and reported protein source choices among Finnish survey respondents following the publication of the updated Finnish Nutrition Recommendations, which were released in November 2024. Design/methodology/approach: An exploratory online cross-sectional survey (n = 617) was conducted in April 2025, approximately six months after the publication of the updated recommendations. The questionnaire assessed dietary patterns, the frequency of consumption of meat and plant-based meat alternatives and factors influencing protein source selection. The use of plant-based fish alternatives was also assessed to provide additional context for the study. Findings: Meat was the most frequently reported protein source, particularly among men and younger respondents. Women and older age groups reported more frequent use of plant-based meat alternatives and women placed greater importance on ethical considerations, sensory attributes, price, ease of use, availability and naturalness. Age-related patterns suggest that frequent meat consumption may coexist with experimentation with plant-based meat alternatives, especially among younger adults. Regional differences were modest, with lower use of plant-based meat alternatives in South Ostrobothnia compared with other regions. Overall, the reported consumption patterns were only partially consistent with the direction of the updated nutrition recommendations. Originality/value: By providing timely post-policy evidence from a high-income Nordic context, this exploratory study contributes to understanding associations between demographic characteristics, consumer motivations and protein source choices.