Healthy eating habits and food environment

Consumer insights and nutrition

A lifestyle program that tempts people to eat healthier, a meal service that helps older people stay fit or a snack that stimulates children’s vegetables consumption. These concepts are in line with consumer needs, but do people actually choose for them? Is that snack tasty enough? Do consumers use the meal service often enough to benefit physically? And does the lifestyle program really make people live a healthier life? Our experts provide detailed insight into the food perception, food choice and eating behaviour of the consumer; insights that are not available anywhere else. We also translate the latest scientific knowledge about healthy food and consumer behaviour into innovations for specific target groups.

From taste and smell to eating behaviour

Wageningen Food & Biobased Research carries out sensory research, and studies the food perception, food choice and eating behaviour of consumers down to the smallest details. Both for the average consumer and for specific target groups, such as children and the elderly. Not only in the lab, but also in the environment where the consumer chooses and eats: for example at the kitchen table, at school or in the hospital. Wageningen experts can simulate the test environment very accurately, even to background noise and smells. Consumer researchers, nutrition experts, product developers and psychologists work together intensively in Wageningen. They have a unique elderly panel at their disposal, with no fewer than 800 independent-living seniors with different education levels. This panel provides excellent insight into the wishes and needs of the older consumer.

In addition, Wageningen Food & Biobased Research has a broad network of leading researchers. This gives clients automatic access to even more knowledge and expertise.

Elderly and children

Research from Wageningen University shows that intake of extra protein stimulates muscle strength and function in the elderly. This insight forms the basis for the lifestyle program 'ProMuscle in practice', which helps older people to remain self-reliant for as long as possible. Seniors receive strength training and nutritional advice with special attention to the intake of protein.

If children are frequently served fruit and vegetables, they might automatically start eating more. Based on this idea, the 'Vegetable as an Ingredient' project (2017-2019) has begun. Wageningen Food & Biobased Research is working with various chain partners on vegetable-rich foods for young people (12-18 years). The question of how best to make fruit and vegetables available at school is central to the project 'Vegetable and fruit at school, naturally!' (2017-2019). The most promising intervention strategies are selected for follow-up research.