Determinants of vegetable food choice in families with limited food budgets in England: a focus group study to inform vegetable promotion programmes
Vegetable consumption in many countries is less than recommended and even lower in low-income households. This study explored the determinants of current vegetable food choice in households with limited food budgets to inform the implementation of a national vegetable promotion programme. Five focus...
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Cambridge University Press
2025-01-01
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| Series: | Journal of Nutritional Science |
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| Online Access: | https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S2048679025100165/type/journal_article |
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| author | Carol A. Williams Martina Gregori Nigel Sherriff |
| author_facet | Carol A. Williams Martina Gregori Nigel Sherriff |
| author_sort | Carol A. Williams |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Vegetable consumption in many countries is less than recommended and even lower in low-income households. This study explored the determinants of current vegetable food choice in households with limited food budgets to inform the implementation of a national vegetable promotion programme. Five focus groups and one individual interview were conducted with twenty-nine parents who self-identified as ‘shopping on a budget’ in an area of multiple deprivation in the southeast of England. Transcripts of audio recordings were coded in NVivo and analysed using inductive thematic analysis. Four main themes which shaped the range of vegetables brought into the home were identified: (1) attributes of vegetables, (2) attributes of parents including their vegetable norms, knowledge and skills (veg-literacy), and interest and opportunity to invest time and effort in vegetables, (3) family food dynamics, and (4) influence of retailers. Overarching this was parents’ capacity to absorb the risk of wasting food, money, time, and effort on vegetables and damaging trust in the parent–child food relationship. The data suggest there is a common set of ‘core vegetables’, which are routinely bought. When money is tight, parents only buy vegetables they know their children will eat and are generally not persuaded to buy ‘off-list’ in response to price discounts or promotions. Cost is not always the main barrier to increased vegetable purchase. To avoid unintentionally widening dietary inequalities, supply-side interventions to promote vegetable consumption need to be designed alongside targeted actions that enhance the capacity of low-income households to respond. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-61bbde78694140f6a7171c72df104ee7 |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2048-6790 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | Cambridge University Press |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Nutritional Science |
| spelling | doaj-art-61bbde78694140f6a7171c72df104ee72025-08-20T02:31:13ZengCambridge University PressJournal of Nutritional Science2048-67902025-01-011410.1017/jns.2025.10016Determinants of vegetable food choice in families with limited food budgets in England: a focus group study to inform vegetable promotion programmesCarol A. Williams0https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1735-2523Martina Gregori1Nigel Sherriff2https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5657-5047School of Education, Sport & Health Sciences, University of Brighton, Brighton & Hove, UKPublic Health Team, Brighton & Hove City Council, Brighton & Hove, UKSchool of Education, Sport & Health Sciences, University of Brighton, Brighton & Hove, UK Centre for Transforming Sexuality & Gender (CTSG), University of Brighton, Brighton & Hove, UKVegetable consumption in many countries is less than recommended and even lower in low-income households. This study explored the determinants of current vegetable food choice in households with limited food budgets to inform the implementation of a national vegetable promotion programme. Five focus groups and one individual interview were conducted with twenty-nine parents who self-identified as ‘shopping on a budget’ in an area of multiple deprivation in the southeast of England. Transcripts of audio recordings were coded in NVivo and analysed using inductive thematic analysis. Four main themes which shaped the range of vegetables brought into the home were identified: (1) attributes of vegetables, (2) attributes of parents including their vegetable norms, knowledge and skills (veg-literacy), and interest and opportunity to invest time and effort in vegetables, (3) family food dynamics, and (4) influence of retailers. Overarching this was parents’ capacity to absorb the risk of wasting food, money, time, and effort on vegetables and damaging trust in the parent–child food relationship. The data suggest there is a common set of ‘core vegetables’, which are routinely bought. When money is tight, parents only buy vegetables they know their children will eat and are generally not persuaded to buy ‘off-list’ in response to price discounts or promotions. Cost is not always the main barrier to increased vegetable purchase. To avoid unintentionally widening dietary inequalities, supply-side interventions to promote vegetable consumption need to be designed alongside targeted actions that enhance the capacity of low-income households to respond.https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S2048679025100165/type/journal_articleFood choiceInequalitiesLimited food budgetsVegetables |
| spellingShingle | Carol A. Williams Martina Gregori Nigel Sherriff Determinants of vegetable food choice in families with limited food budgets in England: a focus group study to inform vegetable promotion programmes Journal of Nutritional Science Food choice Inequalities Limited food budgets Vegetables |
| title | Determinants of vegetable food choice in families with limited food budgets in England: a focus group study to inform vegetable promotion programmes |
| title_full | Determinants of vegetable food choice in families with limited food budgets in England: a focus group study to inform vegetable promotion programmes |
| title_fullStr | Determinants of vegetable food choice in families with limited food budgets in England: a focus group study to inform vegetable promotion programmes |
| title_full_unstemmed | Determinants of vegetable food choice in families with limited food budgets in England: a focus group study to inform vegetable promotion programmes |
| title_short | Determinants of vegetable food choice in families with limited food budgets in England: a focus group study to inform vegetable promotion programmes |
| title_sort | determinants of vegetable food choice in families with limited food budgets in england a focus group study to inform vegetable promotion programmes |
| topic | Food choice Inequalities Limited food budgets Vegetables |
| url | https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S2048679025100165/type/journal_article |
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