Food Boost Challenge: healthy eating for and by young people

Dutch youth eat too little fruit and vegetables. This is worrisome, because their unhealthy diet increases the risk of overweight and obesity. It also increases the risk of cardiovascular disease, some forms of cancer and diabetes. But how do you encourage young people to eat more fruit and vegetables? On the basis of research conducted by the research group Healthy Lifestyle in a Stimulating Environment among pre-vocational and intermediate school pupils, young people themselves are going to think up solutions in the Food Boost Challenge.

 Especially young people between 12 and 20 years old eat a lot less fruit and vegetables than the daily recommended amount. By looking at and researching together with young people what they experience as problems, we can work on solutions that suit this target group.

Challenge for and by young people

The Food Boost Challenge is an initiative of Medical Delta Living Lab VIT for Life, HortiHeroes and Foodvalley NL whereby The Hague University of Applied Sciences makes an important contribution as research partner.

Together with over 30 partners from education and business, the Food Boost Challenge challenges young people to come up with their own ideas to make eating healthier more attractive. In four phases - from research to ideation and from concept development to prototyping - the young people give a boost to a healthier diet for their own and future generations.

Research

Autumn of 2021. A study by 200+ HBO students among intermediate and senior secondary school pupils into their eating patterns and preferences, with a focus on fruit and vegetables.
January 2022. An idea and design challenge with students to develop new Food concepts in the categories: Technology, New food concepts, Experience or activity and Marketing and new channels.
Spring 2022. Validation, co-creation and realisation of a number of selected concepts in a co-creation between the business community, the hbo/wo students and the mbo students as consumer target group.
24 May 2022. Pitch event where people can taste the new concepts on a national stage.

Foodboostchallenge.nl