Most people know they should be eating more fruits and vegetables, but actually doing it is another story. It’s easy to reach for chips, cookies, or whatever processed snack is within arm’s reach, while fresh produce often gets forgotten, only to go bad in the fridge.
The problem isn’t lack of knowledge—everyone understands that fruits and vegetables are healthy. The real issue is convenience. We tend to eat what is most visible, accessible, and easy to grab.
The good news?
There’s a simple trick that’ll help you eat more fruits and vegetables, and it has nothing to do with meal plans or willpower.
The Science of Convenience & Habit Formation
Humans are creatures of habit, and when it comes to food choices, we tend to go for whatever is easiest and most visible.
Research shows that the foods we keep in plain sight significantly impact our eating habits. A study from Cornell University’s Food and Brand Lab found that people who kept fruit on their kitchen counters weighed less than those who had cookies, cereals, or sugary snacks within reach.
Think about the last time you bought fresh fruit or vegetables with good intentions, only to let them waste away in the back of the fridge. It’s not that you didn’t want to eat them—it’s that they weren’t visible or convenient when hunger struck.
This is why visibility and accessibility are the keys to eating more fruits and vegetables. By placing them where you naturally look for food, you increase the likelihood of choosing them over processed snacks. Additionally, snacking on healthy fruit and vegetables throughout the day will prevent your hunger getting so great that you overindulge on the wrong things later.
Practical Strategies to Eat More Fruits & Vegetables
Keep Fruit in Plain Sight
If fruit is hidden away in a drawer or buried in the fridge, you’re much less likely to eat it. Instead, keep a fruit bowl on your kitchen counter or dining table where you’ll see it multiple times a day. If you’re worried about fruit spoiling, a simple trick is to leave out just a few pieces at night before turning off the kitchen lights. By stacking this habit with an existing one—like shutting down the kitchen—you make it effortless.
Make Veggies Easy to Grab
Unlike processed snacks, many vegetables require washing, peeling, or chopping before you can eat them. This extra step often makes them an unappealing choice when you’re hungry and in a hurry.
The solution? Prepare them in advance.
- Pre-cut cucumbers, carrots, and bell peppers, then store them in clear containers at eye level in the fridge.
- If you prefer zero-prep options, stock up on mini cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, sugar snap peas, or baby carrots—all of which can be eaten straight from the fridge.
- Avoid putting vegetables you want to snack on in the crisper drawer, where they’re often forgotten. Instead, place them in the most visible part of the fridge so they’re the first thing you see when you open the door.
Hide Unhealthy Snacks & Make Them Harder to Reach
Just as making fruits and vegetables more visible increases the chances of eating them, making unhealthy snacks less visible reduces temptation. If you normally store chips, cookies, or candy in an easy-to-reach place, move them to a back cupboard or even a separate room.
It’s not about banning junk food—it’s about introducing friction so that when you do reach for it, you have to pause and think about the decision.
Conclusion: Small Changes, Big Results
You don’t need willpower to eat more fruits and vegetables—you just need better food placement. By making them visible, convenient, and easy to grab, you naturally increase your intake without forcing yourself into a restrictive diet.
Try it today: move your fruit bowl, prep your veggies, and reorganise your fridge. These small tweaks can lead to big improvements in your eating habits—without feeling like effort at all.
