Online Intervention for Sustainable Eating

Overseen By Jess Haines, PhD

Age: Any Age

Sex: Any

Trial Phase: Academic

Sponsor: University of Guelph

Disqualifiers: Nutrition education, Food allergies, Vegetarian, others

No Placebo Group All trial participants will receive the active study treatment (no placebo)

Compensation: Varies

Number of Visits: Unknown

What You Need to Know Before You Apply

What is the purpose of this trial?

This trial explores ways to encourage families to eat more sustainably through an online program called Supper Heroes. It compares the effectiveness of this program, which includes activities like making more meals at home and eating more plant-based foods, against simply receiving weekly emails about eco-friendly habits. Families that might be a good fit have children aged 9-12, live in Ontario, have internet access, and lack a background in nutrition or culinary arts. As an unphased trial, this study offers families a unique opportunity to contribute to research on sustainable eating habits.

Will I have to stop taking my current medications?

The trial information does not specify whether you need to stop taking your current medications.

What prior data suggests that the Supper Heroes program is safe for families?

Research has shown that the "Supper Heroes" program has been tested in earlier studies for effectiveness and family satisfaction. This online program helps families cook more meals at home, reduce food waste, and eat more plant-based foods.

Although specific safety data for the "Supper Heroes" program is unavailable, its testing for effectiveness and satisfaction suggests that families generally have a positive experience. Since the program focuses on learning and habit changes rather than medication or medical procedures, the risks are likely low. Participants engage with online lessons, videos, and activities, which typically do not cause health problems.

Overall, based on its design and past evaluations, the "Supper Heroes" program appears safe for families. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

Why are researchers excited about this trial?

Researchers are excited about the Supper Heroes program because it takes a novel approach to promoting sustainable eating by engaging entire families in an interactive, online format. Unlike traditional methods that might focus solely on individual dietary changes or providing information through static means, this program emphasizes practical activities that encourage making more meals at home, reducing food waste, and incorporating more plant-based foods into diets. This holistic approach aims to create lasting habits by involving families in fun, educational experiences that can lead to meaningful environmental benefits.

What evidence suggests that the Supper Heroes program is effective for sustainable eating?

Research shows that the "Supper Heroes" program, which participants in this trial may receive, can help families make more eco-friendly food choices. Studies have found that families in this superhero-themed program wasted less food and ate more plant-based proteins. About 73% of children in the program reported liking it, and 77% enjoyed the cooking activities. These results suggest that "Supper Heroes" is both fun and effective in encouraging green eating habits. ^{1 2 4 6 7}

Who Is on the Research Team?

Jess Haines, PhD

Principal Investigator

University of Guelph

Are You a Good Fit for This Trial?

This trial is for families living in Ontario, Canada who have internet access and at least one child aged 9-12. They must be able to respond to English surveys. It's not for parents with food education or those with allergies that limit their diet, nor vegetarian or vegan families.

Inclusion Criteria

Live in Ontario, Canada

Have access to the internet

Can respond to English surveys

Exclusion Criteria

My parent(s) have formal education in nutrition or culinary arts.

Families with food allergies that would prevent them from participating in the intervention (e.g., soy products, beans or lentils)

Families who are vegetarian or vegan

Timeline for a Trial Participant

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

2-4 weeks

Intervention

Families participate in the 7-week online Supper Heroes program, completing weekly missions with tasks such as reading infographics, watching videos, and engaging in family activities.

7 weeks

Weekly online missions

Control

Families in the control group receive weekly emails for 7 weeks about environmentally friendly habits.

7 weeks

Weekly emails

Follow-up

Participants are monitored for changes in food waste and dietary habits 6 months after completing the intervention or control activities.

6 months

What Are the Treatments Tested in This Trial?

Interventions

• Supper Heroes

Trial Overview

The study tests an online program called Supper Heroes aimed at promoting sustainable eating within families, compared to just receiving monthly emails about eco-friendly habits.

How Is the Trial Designed?

Group I: Supper Heroes online environmentally friendly eating intervention for families Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

Families randomized to the intervention group will complete a 7-week Supper Heroes program that includes activities focused on making more meals at home, reducing food waste, and eating more plant-based foods.

Group II: Control Group Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

Families randomized to the control group will receive weekly emails for 7 weeks about environmentally friendly habits.

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

University of Guelph

Lead Sponsor

Trials

87

Recruited

15,100+

Published Research Related to This Trial

The Healthy Teaching Kitchen (HTK) program, implemented by the Veterans Health Administration, has been found to be acceptable and feasible for veterans, providing interactive nutrition and culinary education.

Participants in the HTK program reported increased self-efficacy for making dietary changes, suggesting that the program empowers veterans to improve their dietary and cooking habits, potentially leading to better health outcomes.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Healthy Teaching Kitchen Programs: Experiential Nutrition Education Across Veterans Health Administration, 2018. Black, M., LaCroix, R., Hoerster, K., et al.[2020]

The Canadian adverse event reporting system for herbal products is severely underreported, leading to a lack of safety data, which poses risks to consumers who often perceive these products as safe.

Health food store personnel in the Greater Toronto Area play a crucial role in reporting adverse reactions by collecting customer information during product returns, suggesting a potential pathway to improve safety monitoring and reporting for herbal products.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Adverse event reporting for herbal medicines: a result of market forces. Walji, R., Boon, H., Barnes, J., et al.[2021]

A pilot food prescription program called Fresh Start Food Rx provided biweekly fresh fruits and vegetables and dietary education to four uninsured patients in South Miami, showing potential to improve dietary behaviors and attitudes toward healthy eating.

Participants reported an increase in the number of days they consumed fruits per week and a rise in vegetable servings, indicating that access to healthy foods and education can positively influence eating habits and perceptions about nutrition.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Prompting a Fresh Start for Adults With Food Insecurity and Increased BMI: A Case Series of Four Patients in a Food Prescription Program. Oliveira, JB., To, L., De La Cruz, Y., et al.[2021]

Citations

1.

sciencedirect.com

sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0195666325000017

Feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary impact of “Supper ...

A superhero-themed mobile health (mHealth) intervention designed to reduce food waste and increase plant-based protein food intake among families with children ...

2.

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39788349/

Feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary impact of "Supper ...

The primary objective of this research was to evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of "Supper Heroes", a superhero-themed mobile health (mHealth) ...

3.

researchgate.net

researchgate.net/publication/387808544_Feasibility_acceptability_and_preliminary_impact_of_Supper_Heroes_a_family-based_sustainable_diet_intervention

Feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary impact of “Supper ...

Feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary impact of “Supper Heroes”, a family-based sustainable diet intervention. February 2025; Appetite ...

4.

zenodo.org

zenodo.org/doi/10.5281/zenodo.14164514

Supper Heroes: Feasibility & Preliminary Impact of a Family ...

Objective: To test the feasibility and preliminary impact of "Supper Heroes", a superhero-themed mobile health (mHealth) intervention designed ...

5.

researchgate.net

researchgate.net/publication/377975444_Household_Food_Waste_Intervention_Is_Feasible_Acceptable_and_Effective

(PDF) Household Food Waste Intervention Is Feasible, ...

Approximately 73% of the children (n = 21) reported being satisfied with the overall program, and 77% reported being satisfied with the cooking ...

6.

withpower.com

withpower.com/trial/phase-eating-behaviors-6-2025-45779

Online Intervention for Sustainable Eating · Info for Participants

The research articles provided do not contain specific safety data for the online intervention for sustainable eating or its variants like Supper Heroes.

7.

mdpi.com

mdpi.com/2227-9067/12/6/739

Better Lunch Boxes: Testing the Feasibility and ...

This pilot study aimed to test the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary impact of an eHealth family-based intervention designed to improve the ...