Towards strategies to stimulate first time trial of unfamiliar healthful food products

To lower the risk of cardiovascular diseases the Dutch are recommended to limit the intake of saturated fat and to eat sufficient vegetables and fruit. This can already be achieved by replacing the daily consumed products by healthier alternatives, for example by replacing full cheese by skim-milk cheese. Trying an unknown product is an important step towards integration of such a product in the daily eating pattern. In the framework of this PhD track various strategies were developed to promote trying healthy alternatives for the first time. Results from two experimental studies show among others that offering a test sample and giving a flavour description in which a healthy unknown alternative product is compared to the taste of a well-known product are simple, but effective ways of getting the Dutch to try an unknown product for the first time.