…better food choices
is exceptional

The way Google helps people to make...

Music: The Avener - Fade out lines

Food Inspiration was in Mountain View and toured the restaurants with Scott and Michelle of the Google Food Team. ‘Make the healthy choice the easy choice.’ 

To make the healthy choice the easy choice, the Google Food Team is using the Easy Choice Model. It’s inspired by Yale’s 4P framework for behavior change.

The four P’s refer to which choices are offered (Possibilities), how choices are made (Process), how choices are communicated (Persuasion), and how intentions are reinforced (Person).

The Google Food Team used Yale’s framework to redesign the food experience in the restaurants and micro-kitchens in such a way that the easiest choice is the healthiest. 

Product offering

Before steering choices, focus on the product offering.

  • Deliver on delicious.
  • Make items that are good for you awesome and easier to find while making indulgences available but not as apparent.
  • Ensure alluring presentation / merchandising.
  • Identify the better choice as defined in MOS (healthy choices, sustainability, nutrition). Make it easy for users to find. 65-85% of people make the better choice this way.
  • Control portion sizes, along with associated small wares, plated concepts, and visual quantity. Replenish smaller portions more often.
Choice Architecture

Users are influenced by how, when and where choices are made.

  • Placement is essential. Spa waters in all cafes, water in all micro-kitchens, veggies first on the line, breakfast salads, fruit in micro-kitchens. 
  • Make everything accessible. Pay attention to how quickly you can get it / when is it available.
  • Think about the duration and timing of offering.
Communication

Deliver the right message at the right time and place.

  • Create multisensory excitement.
  • Verbal: Chef Storytelling - exuding their passion and key talking points.
  • Visual: Signage and/or video that is to the point and changes often, generally fun facts and rarely about health
  • Also includes Culinary Action stations, which creates excitement in users.
  • Smell / Taste: Priming upon arrival, while in line.
Person

By changing the environment, we can influence choices.

Food Inspiration’s learnings
Change the choice

Text: Hans Steenbergen | Video: Lukas Vlaar | Video edit: Arjen Moes 


The way the Google Food Team is organizing their restaurants and food offerings is groundbreaking for the catering industry. The Food Team is passionate about delivering great, delicious, and healthy food for their growing workforce.

From Google’s beginning in 1998, food has been a cornerstone in building a great company culture: the founders hired a chef before a human resources manager. Now this continuously evolving food program excels in meeting the individual needs of a diverse workforce, create spaces where employers connect through food, and helps Googlers to be at their best, now and in de long run, by helping them make healthy food choices. 

Change the choice

Text: Hans Steenbergen | Video: Lukas Vlaar

Video edit: Arjen Moes

Google’s food program is famous for a reason. The quality of the food, the responsible sourcing, and the way the program helps googlers to make better food choices are all exceptional.

Food Inspiration was in Mountain View and toured the restaurants with Scott and Michelle of the Google Food Team. ‘Make the healthy choice the easy choice.’ 

The way the Google Food Team is organizing their restaurants and food offerings is groundbreaking for the catering industry. The Food Team is passionate about delivering great, delicious, and healthy food for their growing workforce.

From Google’s beginning in 1998, food has been a cornerstone in building a great company culture: the founders hired a chef before a human resources manager. Now this continuously evolving food program excels in meeting the individual needs of a diverse workforce, create spaces where employers connect through food, and helps Googlers to be at their best, now and in de long run, by helping them make healthy food choices. 

Food Inspiration’s learnings

By changing the environment, we can influence choices.

Person

Deliver the right message at the right time and place.

  • Create multisensory excitement.
  • Verbal: Chef Storytelling - exuding their passion and key talking points.
  • Visual: Signage and/or video that is to the point and changes often, generally fun facts and rarely about health
  • Also includes Culinary Action stations, which creates excitement in users.
  • Smell / Taste: Priming upon arrival, while in line.
Communication

Users are influenced by how, when and where choices are made.

  • Placement is essential. Spa waters in all cafes, water in all micro-kitchens, veggies first on the line, breakfast salads, fruit in micro-kitchens. 
  • Make everything accessible. Pay attention to how quickly you can get it / when is it available.
  • Think about the duration and timing of offering.
Choice Architecture

Before steering choices, focus on the product offering.

  • Deliver on delicious.
  • Make items that are good for you awesome and easier to find while making indulgences available but not as apparent.
  • Ensure alluring presentation / merchandising.
  • Identify the better choice as defined in MOS (healthy choices, sustainability, nutrition). Make it easy for users to find. 65-85% of people make the better choice this way.
  • Control portion sizes, along with associated small wares, plated concepts, and visual quantity. Replenish smaller portions more often.
Product offering

The Google Food Team used Yale’s framework to redesign the food experience in the restaurants and micro-kitchens in such a way that the easiest choice is the healthiest. 

To make the healthy choice the easy choice, the Google Food Team is using the Easy Choice Model. It’s inspired by Yale’s 4P framework for behavior change.

The four P’s refer to which choices are offered (Possibilities), how choices are made (Process), how choices are communicated (Persuasion), and how intentions are reinforced (Person).

Overview magazines

Food Inspiration Magazine is the online magazine for foodservice professionals in search of inspiration and innovation. With the magazine we collect, enrich and spread inspiration. The free subscription magazine is published eight times per year and is an abundant source of inspiration for food and hospitality professionals. Our readers can be found in the U.S., Northern Europe, Latin America and Asia.
Fullscreen