ORLANDO, Fla. — Despite decades of relentless “eat your veggies” campaigns, only 10% of Americans consume enough fruits and vegetables. It’s a gap that produce leaders say will only close when the industry trades health lectures for irresistible flavor, cultural rituals and frictionless convenience.
At the International Fresh Produce Association’s 2026 Global Produce and Floral Show, industry leaders and health advocates gathered for a breakout session titled, “From Appetites to Aisles: Proven Strategies for Making Produce the Star.” Moderated by Sophie Egan, founder of Full Table Solutions and strategic adviser to IFPA and the Foundation for Fresh Produce, the session brought together a cross-disciplinary panel of experts: Eva Monterrosa, co-founder of The Food Culture Alliance; Sonya Constable, senior vice president of fresh for Sprouts Farmers Market; and Brent Loken, global food lead scientist for World Wildlife Fund.
Together, they tackled one of the agriculture and retail sector’s most persistent paradoxes: why produce consumption remains flat despite widespread awareness of its health benefits.
The Reality of the Intention-Action Gap
Egan opened the discussion by framing the central challenge facing the industry. While eating fruits and vegetables is widely recognized as the single most effective dietary change for personal and planetary health, only 1 in 10 Americans meets recommended daily intake targets. Globally, half the population lacks sufficient access, and consumption figures have stalled for decades despite continuous public health campaigns.
To address this, the Foundation for Fresh Produce developed the “Power of Pull” framework — a model outlining 18 distinct drivers across individual, social and physical environments. The consensus among the panel was clear: Telling consumers that produce is “good for them” is no longer enough. Increasing consumption requires removing cognitive, cultural and physical friction at every point of decision-making.
Harnessing Food Culture and Reducing Cognitive Friction
Monterrosa emphasizes the role of cultural norms in shaping food choices, describing food culture as the “software” that can make produce an effortless preference. Cognitive friction — the mental effort required to plan, prep and cook — serves as a primary barrier to eating fresh food.
To overcome this friction, Monterrosa proposes leveraging three cultural mechanisms:
- Templates — Structural frameworks that show consumers what to assemble (e.g., tacos, grain bowls or fruit paired with nuts).
- Rituals — Repeatable social habits that dictate when to eat (e.g., “Taco Tuesday” or evening fruit-and-chocolate dessert rituals).
- Symbols — Conceptual associations that give food meaning (e.g., wellness, family connection or indulgence).
“Food culture is the software that’s going to make produce the easy choice, and we know from the behavioral science literature that cognitive friction is the main barrier to consumption,” Monterrosa says. “So, if we associate eating produce with more cooking, more planning, more prepping, it becomes a chore, and that’s what is going to make people eat less of it.”
By embedding produce into existing cultural rituals, the industry can help consumers default to healthier choices without adding decision fatigue.
Retail Reality: Flavor, Convenience and Modern Trends
From a grocery retail perspective, Constable emphasizes that driving repeat purchases depends entirely on delivering a positive sensory experience. Expecting consumers to eat vegetables out of obligation fails; they must want to eat them because the food tastes good and fits seamlessly into busy lifestyles.
Constable also addressed how produce must proactively integrate into current consumer health dialogues:
- Meeting the protein and fiber conversation — Rather than competing with the ongoing protein trend or GLP-1 weight-loss medication adoption, produce should be framed as an essential partner — providing natural fiber and gut-health benefits.
- Capitalizing on social media — Viral food trends show how digital platforms can build immediate excitement around fresh items, turning produce into an engaging experience rather than a routine grocery store purchase.
“It’s not about ‘you have to eat your vegetables.’ It has to be about ‘I want to eat my vegetables because I had a wonderful eating experience with my vegetables,’” Constable says. “Produce has to be at the front of that conversation every single time. We can’t allow ourselves to sit back and say everybody knows produce is healthy.”
Systemic Shifts and Sensory Storytelling
Loken expanded the discussion to global food systems, explaining why an organization like the World Wildlife Fund focuses heavily on dietary choices. Habitat preservation and biodiversity protection depend directly on transforming what sits on the consumer’s plate.
Loken stresses that environmental and health arguments rarely drive daily behavior on their own. Instead, success lies in sensory storytelling and culinary engagement, such as:
- Working directly with chefs and foodservice providers to elevate plant-based dishes.
- Focusing on taste-forward descriptions (e.g., “twisted citrus-glazed carrots”) rather than clinical nutrition facts.
- Harnessing the influence of culinary leaders to make fresh, whole foods aspirational and appealing.
“We like to say over and over that the single greatest thing that you can do if you want to make the world a better place is to choose what you put on your plate,” Loken says. “There’s tremendous power there, so we should use it. ... Once we make healthy food sexy, then people are actually going to eat it.”
Moving Forward: Owning the Narrative
The panel concluded with a shared call to action: The produce sector must shift from a defensive stance to an offensive, narrative-driven strategy. By combining high-quality merchandising, supply chain consistency and behavioral science, retailers and growers can reduce friction and position fresh fruits and vegetables as the unquestioned star of the plate.
