让孩子多吃水果就是这么简单

为什么孩子们更喜欢吃切成片的苹果，对啃掉整个苹果兴趣没那么大，研究者还没弄清楚，不过孩子们喜欢苹果片的程度已经有据可循。据《华盛顿邮报》报道，两项研究发现，学校提供切片苹果以后，孩子们明显比以前爱吃了。

在八个学校进行的研究发现，供应切片苹果后，消耗量增长了60%以上。在六个学校的一项后续研究也得出类似结果，苹果消耗量增长了70%。

2014年，美国人吃掉了5.11亿个切成片的新鲜苹果，是十年前年消耗量的350%。2010年至2013年，苹果的消耗总量每年增长13%。2013年，美国人均消耗苹果17.5磅（约为7.9千克），为将近十年来最高水平。

“孩子们觉得，苹果切成片后好吃多了。”上述研究的作者、行为经济学教授大卫•贾斯特告诉《华盛顿邮报》。也许有人觉得苹果原本吃起来就很方便，没必要抱怨苹果的形状，但对换牙期或者在箍牙的孩子而言，啃苹果就是麻烦。贾斯特还说：“看似小小的不便，影响却非常大。”美国农业部（USDA）甚至建议，将水果“按各年龄人群的喜好切片供应。”

麦当劳比较先知先觉，早在2004年就开始卖切好的苹果。美国苹果行业协会U.S. Apple Association的监管与行业事务主管马克•斯汀说，虽说学校午餐是吃苹果的“主战场”，但“麦当劳这样的大公司也加入推动之后，不仅能促进销售，还能切实提高公众认识。”

然而，包装好的切片苹果可能给环境造成的影响也得考虑。切片后丢弃的苹果减少，有助抑制食品浪费，但切片苹果通常放在塑料袋里，导致塑料浪费增加。美国有机食品连锁超市Whole Foods不久之前就因助长塑料浪费遭到批评。

切片苹果目前只占苹果总销量的5%左右，但许多人预计，这一比例会很快上升。

译者：Pessy

审校：夏林

It doesn’t take a group of researchers to figure out that kids prefer slices to whole apples, though it does take a group of researchers to calculate just how much they prefer them. The Washington Postreports that two studies found that apple consumption increased substantially when the fruit was served to school kids pre-sliced.

One study conducted in eight schools found that consumption increased by over 60% when apples were served sliced. A follow-up study looking at six schools found similar results, as apple consumption grew by 70%.

In 2014 Americans ate 511 million fresh sliced apples, a growth of about 350% from a decade earlier. Between 2010 and 2013, overall apple consumption grew by 13%; in 2013 Americans ate 17.5 pounds of apples per capita, the highest consumption had been in nearly 10 years.

“Sliced apples just make a lot more sense for kids,” study author and behavioral economics professor David Just told the Post. It may seem silly to think of eating an apple in its natural, whole form as inconvenient. But for kids with missing teeth or braces, it is. “It’s one of those circumstances where what seems like a really small inconvenience actually makes a huge difference,” Just added. The USDA even recommends that fruit be served in “age-appropriate pieces.”

McDonald’s noticed the convenience of pre-sliced apples earlier than most, and began selling them in 2004. Mark Seetin, director of regulatory and industry affairs for the U.S. Apple Association said that while school lunches were a “significant contributor” to increased consumption, “When a company as big as McDonald’s helps promote something, it not only boosts sales, but also really raises public awareness.”

However, we also have to consider the potential environmental impact of pre-packaged apple slices. It helps reduce food waste, because less apples are thrown away, but slices tend to be served in plastic bags, increasing plastic waste—something that Whole Foods WFM 1.67% was criticized for not too long ago.

Sliced apples still only account for about 5% of all apple sales, though many expect that number will soon increase.