Eating an apple before going shopping causes a person to buy 25 per cent more fruit and vegetables, a study found.
US researchers discovered people can be primed to buy healthy food if they eat a wholesome snack before going to the supermarket.
The team, at Cornell University, recommend eating a piece of fruit before hitting the aisles, and argue that supermarkets should offer samples to shoppers to encourage them to make healthy choices.
The researchers carried out three studies to find out if healthy snacks cause shoppers to make better food choices in the shop.
In the first study, 120 shoppers were randomly given either a bit of apple, a piece of cookie or nothing at all when they arrived at the supermarket.
The researchers tracked their purchases and found those who were given the apple bought 28 per cent more fruits and vegetables than those given the cookie.
And they bought 25 per cent more fruits and vegetables than those given no snack at all at the start of their shopping.
Dr Aner Tal, of Cornell University, who carried out the research with his colleague Dr Brian Wansink, said: 'What this teaches us is that having a small healthy snack before shopping can put us in a healthier mindset and steer us towards making better food choices.'
The study was published in the Psychology and Marketing Journal.
