Mmm... Discover the world of food

Abstract

Obesity, overweight, diabetes, and unhealthy eating habits among children cause global health concerns. It needs a solution at young age to prevent these problems. The current eating behaviour of families has to be changed, since this is one of the main causes of these problems. From birth, taste have to be developed by experience; therefore, families need to be encouraged to eat more variedly. Context study shows that the family’s current eating habits are less varied-, routine based- and convenient eating patterns. This is a result of the parents’ desire to avoid the struggle which dinner can be because children do not like the new tastes. This vicious circle originates from the interaction between both parents and children. The product service ‘Groenten Gekkies’ is developed in order to stimulate varied eating of vegetables. It consists of a weekly changing box that can be bought at the vegetable section of Albert Heijn. The cardboard box contains of four different vegetables, each with an evaluation sticker. Four easy recipes are printed on the box. Families can buy the box and decide to follow the recipes printed on the box. The other necessary ingredients can be bought separately. Once at home the box will be an unpacking experience for the children. Before dinner the parents can cook the recipes and children can be involved with the suggestion on the recipe. The recipe can be placed in front of a webcam in order to see some funny and interesting facts about the vegetable. After dinner children can rate the recipe, by placing the sticker provided with the vegetable on the recipe card. When scanning the recipe with the webcam it gives an online ratings and you can see the rating of other children. The product fits the buying routine of families that go to the grocery shop once a week. Next to that it improves the social elements of dinner by cooking, eating, and talking together with the children. This makes it rewarding for parents to use. The reason why families would buy the product is because it is convenient: you do not have to think what you will eat during four days and you will have ingredients at home to cook new dishes. It is persuasive because children will ask for it. Children enjoy the product because they can explore the box and the vegetable, physically and digitally. They like helping to cook and it is rewarding to rate the recipe and to compare the rating with other children.