Background: Increasing the availability of lower energy or plant-based foods increases their selection. The aim of the current set of studies was to examine the extent to which prior preferences account for food selections following availability interventions. In particular, (a) whether increasing the availability of lower energy options increases the likelihood that individuals’ pre-existing most-preferred option is lower energy, and (b) the extent to which selections reflect individuals’ most-preferred option from the available range.Methods: UK adults (Study 1: n=1976; Study 2: n=1078) took part in within-subjects online studies. First, relative preferences between food options were established by showing participants every possible pair of options from a pool of eight options (four higher energy and four lower energy). Participants chose the option from each pair that they would prefer to eat right now. Then, in two trials, participants chose between four options. In each trial, participants were shown either predominantly higher energy options (three higher and one lower energy) or predominantly lower energy options (vice versa), presented in a random order. Results: When predominantly lower energy options were presented, the odds of the most-preferred option being a lower energy option increased ten-fold (Study 1: odds ratio: 10.1; 95%CI: 8.9, 11.4; Study 2: odds ratio: 10.4; 95%CI: 7.4, 14.7), compared to when predominantly higher energy options were available. In both studies, around 90% of selections reflected the most-preferred option in the range offered in each of the availability conditions (range 88-92%).Conclusions: This set of studies suggests that prior preferences may be a key contributor to the effects of altering lower energy food availability on food selections. This may have implications for how availability interventions might be optimally implemented to ensure such interventions do not disproportionately fail to influence those for whom behaviour change is most beneficial.