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NCT Number: NCT06928636

Supper Heroes: Examining the Impact of an Online Eating Intervention for Families

This study will examine the effectiveness of the online family-based program focused on sustainable eating compared to weekly emails about environmentally friendly behaviours.

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Key information

Conditions

Eating Behaviors Behavior Behavior, Animal Feeding Behavior

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

University of Guelph

Guelph, Ontario, N1G 2W1, Canada

Location status: Recruiting

Location contact

Jess Haines, PhD

PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Shannon Pare, MSc

CONTACT

[email protected]

519-824-4120 ext. 58820

About this study

The investigators will conduct a family-level RCT following CONSORT guidelines: families will be randomly allocated into control and intervention groups. The control group will receive an email once a week for 7 weeks with information about environmentally friendly habits.

The intervention group will participate in the 7-week online Supper Heroes program consisting of 7 online "missions" completed over 7 weeks. Each mission includes tasks for families to complete, including reading infographics, watching short videos, participating in family-based activities, and sharing their progress. Parents will receive 2 text messages each week with information about the program. Families will also receive a toolkit to support their participation which will contain cookbooks, a potato brush, grocery planning tools, and a note that orients them to what is included. It will take approximately 1-2 hours per mission to complete all activities.

  • Infographics: Each mission will contain brief, 1-2-page infographics for families to read. Topics are related to the mission theme for that week. For example, families may learn about tips for grocery shopping and meal planning as well as information about plant-based proteins.
  • Videos: Similar to the infographics, short, 1-5-minute online videos will be related to the theme of the mission participants are completing. For example, families will watch a short, animated video about grocery shopping.
  • Family-based activities: During each mission, participants will be invited to participate in a family-based activity such as follow-along cooking videos, doing an audit of their fridge, and creating a grocery shopping list.
  • Sharing: Families will be asked to share their experiences for each mission on an online community share board by providing a photo and/or text.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • have at least one child 9-12 years old
  • live in Ontario, Canada
  • have access to the internet
  • can respond to English surveys

Exclusion criteria

  • parent(s) with prior nutrition and food education (e.g., degree in nutrition, culinary arts training)
  • 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

Treatment and study plan

Supper Heroes online environmentally friendly eating intervention for families

Behavioral

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.

Monthly emails about environmentally friendly habits

Behavioral

Families randomized to the control group will receive monthly emails for 6 months about environmentally friendly habits.

Primary outcomes

  1. Decrease in avoidable food waste

    Time frame: 15 months

    The amount of avoidable food waste generated is measured as the difference in weight (grams) between baseline (T0), post-intervention/control (T1), and 6-month follow-up (T2), as assessed by weighed food waste diaries. Participants will complete a food waste diary using a provided kitchen scale and detailed instructions on how to do so. The amount of avoidable food waste will be compared between participants in the Supper Heroes intervention group and those in the control group.

    Measurement Tool: Food waste diary and kitchen scale.

    Unit of Measure: Families will be asked to list all food thrown away, the weight of the food (gams) and the reason the food was thrown away (e.g., it went bad) for 7 days.

    Time Points: Baseline (T0): post-intervention/control (T1 - after completion of either intervention or control activities, 7 weeks); follow-up (T2 - 6 months after completing the intervention or control activities).

Secondary outcomes

  1. Increased intake of plant-based foods among parents and children.

    Time frame: 15 months

    The amount of plant-based foods consumed by parents and children is measured as the mean servings of plant-based foods, as assessed by a web-based food frequency questionnaire. This will be compared between participants in the Supper Heroes intervention group and those in the control group.

    Measurement Tool: Food frequency questionnaire adapted from Canadian Diet History Questionnaire II

    Unit of Measure: Servings of plant-based foods consumed per day

    Time Points: Baseline (T0): post-intervention/control (T1 - after completion of either intervention or control activities, 7 weeks); follow-up (T2 - 6 months after completing the intervention or control activities).

  2. Decreased intake of red and processed meats among parents and children.

    Time frame: 15 months

    The amount of red and processed meats consumed by parents and children, measured as the average daily intake (servings) of red and processed meats, as assessed by a web-based food frequency questionnaire. This will be compared between participants in the Supper Heroes intervention group and those in the control group.

    Measurement Tool: Food frequency questionnaire adapted from Canadian Diet History Questionnaire II

    Unit of Measure: Servings of red and processed meats consumed per day

    Time Points: Baseline (T0): post-intervention/control (T1 - after completion of either intervention or control activities, 7 weeks); follow-up (T2 - 6 months after completing the intervention or control activities).

Other outcomes

  1. Evaluate mechanisms of behaviour change.

    Time frame: 15 months

    The changes in parents' and children's attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control, measured using items previously validated in the feasibility study, as potential mediators of the intervention effects on the primary and secondary outcomes. These constructs will be assessed before and after the intervention to determine their role in mediating changes in behavior, such as the intake of plant-based foods and red/processed meats.

    Time Points: Baseline (T0): post-intervention/control (T1 - after completion of either intervention or control activities, 7 weeks).

Study contacts

Contact information is provided by the study sponsor or research team.

Jess Haines, PhD

CONTACT

[email protected]

519-824-4120 ext. 53780

Shannon Pare, MSc

CONTACT

[email protected]

519-824-4120 ext. 58820

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

University of Guelph

Other

Registry information

Official study title

Supper Heroes: Randomized Controlled Trial to Examine the Impact of an Online Environmentally Friendly Eating Intervention for Families

Important dates

Study start
2025
Primary completion
2027
Study completion
2027
First posted
Apr 15, 2025
Registry last updated
Jun 8, 2026

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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