Placing healthier food options more prominently on takeaway apps could help consumers order fewer calories, according to a UK-wide experiment involving more than 7,000 participants.

Researchers created four simulated versions of a takeaway app, similar to Just Eat or Deliveroo. Each version of the app was identical, other than the order in which restaurants and foods were displayed.

In the control app, where restaurants and foods were positioned in a random order, consumers ordered an average of 1,382 Kcal, which equates to 55-70% of an adult’s recommended daily calorie intake. Placing lower calorie foods at the top of menus led participants to order 6% less calories and placing restaurants with the lower calorie main meals at the top of the list led participants to order 12% less calories compared with participants using the control app.

Dr Filippo Bianchi, researcher at BIT and Nesta said: “Takeaways can be a nice treat, but tend to contain more calories than meals cooked at home and they’re linked with weight gain. Our study shows that giving more prominence to lower calorie options could help us select fewer calories without having to give up the occasional takeaway. In isolation, this would obviously not be sufficient to solve the high prevalence of obesity in the UK, but even small steps in the right direction are helpful.”

Dr Jonathan Bone, researcher at Nesta, said: “Even with these interventions we still end up ordering a lot of calories. The way that food and drinks are presented to us is important and retailers and online restaurants can help make it easier for us to select healthier options. On average, a person who is overweight consumes about 320 calories more than is needed every day. The most effective intervention in this trial could reduce this by about half. Making small changes that are repeated over time can make a significant difference. ”

Ends

Notes to editors

For more information on the analysis or to speak to one of the experts involved, please contact Mark Byrne, Head of Media, on 07745 234 909 or [email protected]

About the apps

1. Control app: In the control app, restaurants and foods were positioned at random, irrespective of calorie content. This resulted in an average order of 1,382 Kcal.
2. App repositioning foods: In the second app, lower-calorie foods were positioned at the top of menus and higher-calorie foods at the bottom. Restaurants continued to be positioned at random. This reduced total calories by 6%.
3. App repositioning restaurants: In the third app, restaurants with lower-calorie mains were positioned at the top and restaurants with higher-calorie mains were positioned at the bottom. Foods were positioned at random on menus. This reduced total calories by 12%.
4. App repositioning foods and restaurants: In the fourth app, restaurants with lower-calorie mains were positioned at the top of the restaurant selection page and lower-calorie foods were positioned at the top of food menus. This reduced total calories by 15%.

About Nesta

We are Nesta, the UK's innovation agency for social good. We design, test and scale solutions to society's biggest problems. Our three missions are to give every child a fair start, help people live healthy lives, and create a sustainable future where the economy works for both people and the planet.

For over 20 years, we have worked to support, encourage and inspire innovation. We work in three roles: as an innovation partner working with frontline organisations to design and test new solutions, as a venture builder supporting new and early stage businesses, and as a system shaper creating the conditions for innovation.

Harnessing the rigour of science and the creativity of design, we work relentlessly to change millions of lives for the better. Find out more at nesta.org.uk

About the Behavioural Insights Team

The Behavioural Insights Team (BIT) is one of the world’s leading behavioural science consultancies, working around the world to improve people’s lives.

BIT works in partnership with governments, local authorities, businesses and NGOs in over 30 countries, often using simple changes to tackle major policy problems and deliver improved public services and social outcomes.

BIT was established by the UK government in 2010. In 2014 it became an independent social purpose company, part owned by the Cabinet Office and innovation charity Nesta, and since 2021 has been entirely owned by Nesta.

For more information on our work and our team visit www.bi.team and follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and Medium.