These Healthy Eating Habits Are Linked To Open-Mindedness And Extroversion

Unsplash

Does healthy eating make us more outgoing and socially aware, or do outgoing people tend to have the best eating habits? Either way, the two qualities are linked, according to revealing new research published in the Frontiers of Psychology journal.

Anda Ambrosini

In a study of 1,073 young adults at a university in New Zealand, researchers found that positive traits, like extroversion and being open to new experiences, were the strongest personality predictors of students with higher fruit and vegetable consumption than their peers. To a lesser extent, the quality of conscientiousness was also linked to better produce habits. Overall, young  women in the study ate more fruit and vegetables than young men.

Previously, research has also shown that boosting your diet with extra produce can actually improve your psychological well-being in only two weeks.

Megan Hodges

“Results suggest that traits associated with greater intellect, curiosity, and social engagement (openness and extraversion), and to a lesser extent, discipline (conscientiousness) are associated with greater plant-food consumption in this population,” researchers noted. “Findings reinforce the importance of personality in establishing healthy dietary habits in young adulthood that could translate into better health outcomes later in life.”

If you’re ready to add more fruits and vegetables into your life, don’t skip the peppers.