We’ve heard for years that veggies are good for us, but some households can’t buy them, others don’t want to.

And therein lies the challenge for food scientists, public health officials and other advocates. What is it that will get eaters more interested in buying and eating their vegetables?

One answer may be the color black.

A research team from Brigham Young University and Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands looked at how we present produce in the grocery store, down to the background behind the vegetables on the stand or shelf.

Participants rated veggies as most attractive when they were in front of a black background.

If you’re a designer, this may not surprise you, since black is a go-to color for a range of products, from computers and cars to rock bands.

The researchers have not yet looked at whether supermarkets adding more black backgrounds will lead to an increase in vegetable consumption among goths, but that has to at least be a possibility, right?

Meanwhile in Erlanger, Kentucky, the Vent Haven International Ventriloquist Convention is getting underway today. Lots of puppets, lots of memorabilia, training sessions for how to do an act on a cruise ship or while walking through a room… there’s even going to be an open mic night! Hopefully the performances won’t be too – wait for it – wooden.

Backed in Black: How to get people to buy more produce (Brigham Young University)

Vent Haven International Ventriloquist Convention

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