Why Are We Apologizing for Fresh Produce?
DMA Solutions Intern Baharan Kishi offers an insightful look at the ways we address fresh produce when mentioned in commercials and other media and how we can change the message we communicate...
Have you ever noticed that there’s an apologetic attitude surrounding eating fresh produce when mentioned in commercials or other media? How many times have you heard that a dish is “really healthy, but don’t worry… tastes really good”? Or watched a commercial that claims kids will “never know” something is packed with vitamins and nutrients, as if vitamins and nutrients are undesired? Take this commercial where a mother is put in time out because she “almost let the kids know the ravioli had vegetables in it.”
According to the National Fruit & Vegetable Alliance (NFVA), the average American’s fruit and vegetable consumptions remain far below recommended levels, and with the way food is advertised and marketed in mainstream media, it’s no wonder.
My question is: Why? Why are we apologizing for healthy, fresh foods and why do we continue talking about them in a way that tells kids they should fear them? Wouldn’t it make more sense to say that a meal is really healthy and full of fresh vegetables, so naturally it tastes good?
As fresh produce marketers, we have the ability to change the way we eat, think and SPEAK about food that is grown. It’s not enough to swap the fries out for steamed broccoli on a child’s plate if we’re apologizing in the process. That kind of speak implies to kids and to moms for that matter that something is wrong with fresh fruits and veggies. We don’t talk about dessert that way – everyone wants dessert. Can we change our speak to make everyone WANT fresh produce, too?
I know we’re only human, and I personally can take down a carton of ice cream or bag of chips just like the next person (BBQ flavor, please). But it’s true that the way we approach food begins with our attitude towards it. The way we talk about fresh produce to our audiences and as fresh lovers ourselves has the ability to impact whether or not a young person makes fresh choices themselves.
It’s time we stop apologizing for eating healthy and fresh and own it instead.
