The impact of food colours on the desire to eat
Sustainable Development Goals (SDG)
The Influence of Colours on Appetite
What if you were told that the colours of the food you eat could alter your appetite? It sounds unbelievable, I know, but it’s true!
Our brain is excellent at making associations. Yellow and orange, for instance, are linked to joy and optimism — and interestingly, when you eat foods of these colours, you tend to eat them faster.
Red in food is appetising: it signals ripe fruit and fresh meat, stimulates appetite, provides energy, and even increases pulse rate. That’s why it is common in restaurants, logos, and packaging — loved by younger people… and by marketing departments.
On the other hand, blue suppresses appetite. With few naturally blue foods, it suggests that something may not be edible, like mould. In studies, blue soup made participants more anxious and less willing to eat. Can you imagine dyeing all the food you don’t want to eat blue? It would be perfect… but in real life, it’s easier just to avoid it.
So, remember, your appetite may not only depend on your stomach but also on what your eyes see.
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