We review findings of multisensory influence on healthy food preference.

Visual elements (e.g. bright lighting) increase healthy food preference.

Auditory factors (e.g. higher-frequency of sounds) enhance healthy food preference.

Olfactory and haptic cues (e.g. odor temperature) also influence these preferences.

Multisensory experiences help increase healthy eating behaviors.

The worldwide prevalence of obesity and lifestyle diseases has increased the importance of healthy eating. Understanding consumer preferences for healthy food could lead to healthier food consumption and help mitigate public health concerns. Continued research in food science, marketing, and consumer psychology has demonstrated that healthy food preferences can be shaped by multiple senses. We review recent research on the effects of visual, auditory, olfactory, and tactile cues on consumers’ evaluations, choices, and intake of healthy foods. Our review also highlights the promising role of multisensory virtual environments and educational interventions in fostering healthy food preferences. Finally, based on this review, we discuss directions for future research.

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