Food Boost Challenge

Young people in the Netherlands are too often tempted to make unhealthy food choices. On the road, but also at school or in the sports canteen. Many young people eat too little fruit and vegetables and prefer sweet drinks to water. Healthy products are less likely to be chosen because the unhealthy variety is often easy to grab. We want to change this in a smart way: with young people themselves.

Healthy eating and drinking – water, enough fruit and vegetables, wholemeal products – is important for a healthy body. It lowers the risk of all kinds of diseases, such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes and some cancers. And it reduces the risk of being overweight and obese. Among 12- to 16-year-olds, almost 16% are overweight, and 19% of 16- to 20-year-olds (source: CBS). In addition, only 1% of 14- to 18-year-olds eat enough vegetables daily and most young people eat no more than 1 piece of fruit a day (source: RIVM). So there is room for improvement!

Most prevention programmes focus on primary school children and are based on traditional scientific research. Programmes based on participatory action research and aimed at adolescents, such as high school students, students in secondary or higher vocational education and university students are rare. With the Food Boost Challenge, we are changing that!