The Dilemma of Food: Taste or Healthy Choices?

Abstract

Individuals have an intricate relationship with food; trying to balance taste, authenticity, and health presents challenges, since each choice carries its own advantages and trade-offs. Tourists face this dilemma more vividly. Thus, this work, prompting a dual research approach using Eurobarometer data and TripAdvisor reviews, tries to unveil the predominant dimensions in consumer decision process. Through a cluster analysis, the data from Eurobarometer allowed unveiling four types of consumer profiles when it comes to food decisions: one centered at the food safety, one at the cost, one at the nutrient content, and the last one, on food taste. These clusters were present in all countries with different weights. Focusing only on restaurant experiences in Portugal shared online, there is a growing trend in referencing sustainability and businesses’ social responsibility besides the quality and taste of food; health and hygiene are also mentioned. Gastronomy holds a crucial position in promoting the sustainable development of local tourism; understanding the needs and desires of tourists in terms of consuming healthy foods is crucial for tourism businesses to address authentic tourism experiences.

1 Introduction

Food has always held a significant place in individuals’ lives, serving as a source of nourishment, pleasure, and cultural identity. However, in today’s world, customers often find themselves facing a dilemma when it comes to food choices. Should they prioritize taste and indulge in the flavors they crave, seek out authentic culinary experiences, or prioritize healthy options that support well-being and sustainability? Balancing these aspects can be challenging, as each choice presents its own set of advantages and trade-offs.

Taste, undoubtedly, is a fundamental aspect of the relationship with food. The tantalizing aromas, flavors, and textures can create a sensory experience that can bring immense joy and satisfaction. However, the pursuit of taste alone can sometimes lead down a path of overindulgence, potentially compromising health in the long run. When looking from a tourism perspective, authenticity in food is another dimension that holds a special allure. Exploring traditional recipes, cultural cuisines, and local delicacies can be a gateway to understanding different cultures and unique culinary heritage.

Authentic food experiences can be a source of inspiration, fostering a sense of connection and appreciation for diverse traditions and destinations. However, the quest for authenticity can sometimes clash with the high resource demand, challenging individuals to find authenticity in the balance between gastronomic journeys and destination sustainability.

More recently, there has been a growing emphasis on healthy eating and making conscious food choices. With the rise in diet-related health issues, individuals are prioritizing nutritious options that can contribute to maintaining a balanced lifestyle and reduce the risk of chronic diseases. However, healthy eating can often be associated with bland flavors or restrictive diets, leading to a perception that it lacks the satisfaction and enjoyment that come from indulging in more authentic and gastronomic journeys. Tourists are by far the segment that lives this dilemma in a more vivid form. Thus, to establish how people solve this dilemma, a dual approach is adopted: (1) data from the Eurobarometer is used to identify Europeans’ most valuable dimensions; and (2) data from TripAdvisor to unveil the weight of these three components in European tourists’ reviews.

2 Literature Review

2.1 Food and Sustainability

The United Nations (UN) adopted the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) as a global initiative in 2015, under the framework of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. These goals, totaling 17, were collectively embraced by all UN member states. They serve as a universal call to action, urging efforts to eliminate poverty, protect the planet, and enhance the lives and prospects of people everywhere [1].

Food plays a significant role in numerous SDGs due to their intricate connections with various dimensions of the economy, environment, and society. They are linked to a wide range of issues, such as addressing hunger, combating malnutrition, mitigating desertification, promoting sustainable water usage, curbing biodiversity loss, tackling overconsumption, addressing obesity, and improving public health [2].

While numerous SDGs indirectly relate to food, there are three goals more directly linked to this subject matter, namely goals 2, 3, and 12, respectively: “zero hunger”, “ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages”, and “ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns” [1].

Sustainable Gastronomy encompasses the concept of sourcing, producing, and preparing food to minimize waste of natural resources and ensure its viability for the future, without causing harm to the environment or our well-being. In essence, sustainable gastronomy refers to a culinary approach that considers the origin of ingredients, the methods employed for food cultivation, and the journey from farms to markets, ultimately reaching our plates [3].

Gastronomy also plays a pivotal role in the sustainable development of local tourism, and research indicates that tourists exhibit diverse attitudes towards local gastronomy as a significant factor of interest. Gastronomy specifically attracts tourists with higher economic means, and the presence of a rich gastronomic tradition holds substantial value for them [4]. The significance of food and gastronomy in driving the sustainable development of locations is gaining widespread recognition. A commonly accepted notion is that food and gastronomy can play a pivotal role in promoting the economic, social, and environmental sustainability of places. Moreover, food and gastronomy have the potential to enhance the appeal and competitiveness of these places, making them more attractive to visitors and residents alike [5].

2.2 Health and Food

In recent decades, there has been a significant transformation regarding the understanding of the importance of nutrition. It has become a central topic in society, driven by the increasing awareness of the impact of dietary choices on health [6]. Advances in science have provided a deeper understanding of the effects of food on health; numerous studies clearly demonstrate the link between a balanced diet and the prevention of chronic diseases such as cardiovascular and respiratory conditions, type 2 diabetes, and even certain types of cancer [7].

Despite the heightened awareness of the relationship between nutrition and health, the World Health Organization (WHO) has raised serious concerns about the challenging rise of obesity in Europe and its subsequent contribution to the prevalence of other chronic diseases. Excess weight, including obesity, is one of the major risk factors for mortality and disability in the European Region. It is associated with 13 different types of cancer, attributing to a significant number of over 200,000 cases per year, with a rising trend [7].

Given the scenario reported by WHO, European Union member states have developed a range of public health policies aimed at empowering citizens to adopt nutritionally balanced and environmentally sustainable food choices. Therefore, if people are increasingly aware of the need to adopt healthier habits, this also applies when they travel. It is important to reflect on the relationship between dietary choices and tourism destinations.

As stated by Hrelia [6], a new category of tourists has emerged: people who prioritize healthy eating and avoid unhealthy foods to protect their health even while traveling. The increased awareness and knowledge of food quality, particularly nutritional guidelines, can influence the dietary choices of tourists in order to maintain and protect their health. Maintaining a healthy diet during a trip can be challenging, but it is certainly not impossible. While it may appear that healthy food options are limited, the truth is that there are choices available. Restaurants are increasingly creating menus with healthier options to assist consumers in selecting more nutritionally balanced alternatives. However, despite the growing concern among the food service industry to provide healthier alternatives, there is still a lack of awareness regarding the necessity of providing nutritional information for the items listed on menus.

The COVID-19 pandemic has exerted a substantial influence on the food industry and customers’ perceptions of the dining experience. Research indicates that, despite increased concerns about health and perceived risks associated with dining out during the pandemic, these factors do not seem to have a detrimental effect on customer satisfaction. On the contrary, customer online reviews reflect an enhanced perception of cleanliness during this period. As a result, it becomes crucial for establishments to strictly adhere to rigorous hygiene protocols to alleviate apprehensions related to the disease and safeguard the perception of quality [8].

3 Materials and Methods

This study adopted a dual research approach using Eurobarometer data and TripAdvisor reviews to uncover the predominant dimensions influencing the consumer decision process. The Special Eurobarometer 505—Wave EB93.2 driven from the survey “Making our food fit for the future—new trends and challenges—2020” covered the 27EU countries and allowed to profile countries and consumers according to their expectations and preferences regarding to food. A cluster analysis was conducted to establish the existence of different profiles between countries and within them. The outcomes of this analysis led to choose Portugal, an outlier in terms of cost concerns, to conduct the second part of the study. For the second part, consumers’ comments and ratings were retrieved from TripAdvisor. An examination was conducted to identify the existing restaurants located in three Portuguese insular tourist destinations, namely Madeira, São Miguel, and Terceira Islands. For this analysis, the best positioned restaurants in each location were selected; the comments related to the second semester of 2019 and the second semester of 2020, totaling 1416, were analyzed.

Qualitative research focuses on generating concepts, insights, and understandings by identifying patterns in the data, rather than gathering data solely to validate preexisting models or theories [9]. Thus, text mining and machine learning techniques were employed to analyze the textual content of the collected reviews; CAQDAS software WordStat version 2023.1.2 was utilized for this purpose. A content analysis was performed, allowing for the presentation of word and short sentence frequencies, as well as the identification of significant topics within the comments using the WordStat dendrogram analysis. This was accomplished through the application of factor analysis, enabling the identification of the most influential factors shaping the customers’ perceptions.

In order to specifically identify references to sustainability and health concerns, an expert analysis was also performed, applying two different categorization models: the Corporate Social Responsibility content analysis dictionary [10] and the Roget Categorization Dictionary (Provalis Research).

4 Results

This section presents the outcomes of the analysis of both data sources: collected through the questionnaire and from the tourists’ reviews on TripAdvisor.

Influencing Europeans’ food purchases, taste takes the lead at 45%, closely followed by food safety at 42%, and cost at 40%. Approximately one in three people consider the food's origin (34%) or its nutrient content (33%), while one in five mention the available shelf-life. Factors such as whether food is “minimally processed” or personal “ethics and beliefs” (e.g., animal welfare concerns) are cited less frequently, each at 16%. Considerations related to a product’s “environmental and climate impact” follow closely at 15%, and “convenience” ranks as the least influential factor at 9%. When using these preferences as segmentation variables, four types of consumer profiles were unveiled when it comes to food decisions: one centered at the food safety, one at the cost, one at the nutrient content, and the last one, on food taste (see Fig. 1).

Fig. 1

Cluster composition and average point by country

The clusters analysis showed that the four clusters emerged in each country, but with different weights, with that light green being the one that shows smaller concerns regarding food healthiness and sustainability. As previously mentioned, Portugal was the chosen country since the cost-related cluster is predominant, leading to question if when sharing with peers their preferences, this dimension will prevail.

The content analysis of the reviews led to Fig. 2 that displays a word cloud that highlights the most referenced words by customers in the comments provided.

Fig. 2

Word frequency

The most referenced words are related to food and the restaurant itself, namely: food (n = 1177), restaurant (n = 658), great (n = 617), good (n = 596), service (n = 592), excellent (n = 413), staff (n = 374), friendly (n = 353), place (n = 307), and amazing (n = 277). However, there is also the occurrence of words more directly related to health and sustainability topics, namely: quality (n = 148), fresh (n = 122), local (n = 84), vegetarian (n = 71), traditional (n = 40), vegan (n = 36), authentic (n = 31), typical (n = 27), ingredients (n = 25), real (n = 23), clean (n = 20), environment (n = 20), salad (n = 17), and freshly (n = 16). Figure 3 shows a word cloud that highlights the most referenced phrases; these are predominantly related to the quality of the food and service: great food (n = 101), indian food (n = 77), excellent food (n = 59), great service (n = 58), good food (n = 57), Ponta Delgada (n = 52), Indian restaurant (n = 50), friendly staff (n = 49), delicious food (n = 45), and highly recommend (n = 44). Though, there is also the use of expressions more directly related to health and sustainability: fresh fish (n = 21), good quality (n = 21), quality food (n = 12), vegetarian restaurant (n = 12), high quality (n = 11), quality of the food (n = 11), excellent quality (n = 10), fish of the day (n = 8), local cuisine (n = 8), great quality (n = 7), vegan options (n = 7), vegetarian food (n = 7), fresh food (n = 6), quality ingredients (n = 6), vegetarian options (n = 6), local fish (n = 5), quality of food (n = 5), quality products (n = 5), and traditional food (n = 5).

Fig. 3

Phrases frequency

Among the most influential topics for the total number of customer reviews, at least 4 can be identified that are more directly related to health and sustainability topics, namely: the quality of products (eigenvalue = 1,96); food freshness (eigenvalue = 1,92); vegan and vegetarian options (eigenvalue = 1,78); and the dimension and location of the place (eigenvalue = 1,69).

By applying the Corporate Social Responsibility dictionary, comments were categorized as detailed in Table 1.

Table 1 Categorization performed with the Corporate Social Responsibility Dictionary

As can be observed, there is a high expression of words that fit in the categories “Employee” (n = 1533), followed by “Social and Community” (n = 1028).

By applying the Roget Categorization Dictionary, comments were categorized as detailed in Table 2, following a specific analysis of topics related to health and hygiene.

Table 2 Categorization performed with the Roget categorization dictionary

As can be observed, there is a relevant expression of words that fit in the categories “Uncleanness” (n = 151), followed by “Health” (n = 139).

5 Discussion and Conclusions

Preserving or promoting health appears to be an increasingly important goal for travelers, and the health benefits of tourism are gaining significance, with healthy eating being one of the most important determinants. By opting for healthy food choices during their travels, tourists also can experience and enjoy local cuisine in a balanced manner. Many tourist destinations offer typical dishes that are rich in flavors and nutrients, allowing travelers to indulge in authentic gastronomic experiences without compromising their health.

The first data set analyzed allows the identification of different consumer profiles by country and age. Within countries, four clusters emerged. Considering that in Portugal, the cluster with higher predominance was a cost-anchored cluster, with little concerns about health and sustainability, the reviews of consumers in this country were analyzed. Although cost was declared as a decision variable, when sharing with peers, the experience consumers, who visit restaurants in Portugal (mostly tourists), tend to value the freshness and healthiness of the options. There are online communities of specialised interest that could be further used for exchange of ideas on the subject [11] and food can be part of online branding decisions of the destination [12]. Therefore, it is essential to adopt practices and policies that encourage and facilitate healthy food choices, providing locals and visitors with a more complete and rewarding food experience, but not neglecting the cost.

Finding a solution to the tourists’ taste-authenticity-healthy food dilemma requires a thoughtful approach. It is important to recognize that these aspects are not mutually exclusive and can coexist in harmonious ways. Culinary creativity and innovation have given rise to a plethora of delicious, authentic, and healthy recipes that cater to various dietary preferences and restrictions, as shown in the reviews from certain restaurants. Chefs, food enthusiasts, and nutritionists alike can search for ways to strike a balance, ensuring that meals are both nourishing and flavorful and meet tourists’ expectations.