Nudging and communication strategies in university canteens

Young adults represent the consumers of the future. Many of them, who choose to continue their studies, spend much of their time within the university walls, using dedicated food services, such as cafeterias, canteens, etc.

However, the offerings are not always properly valued in these contexts, either in terms of education, or in terms of nudging interventions. However, it is important to spread knowledge and awareness about which are the healthiest and most sustainable choices, and how to choose and find them in the daily menu. 

The operational plan consists of three main phases

Phase 1. Investigation of students’ habits and use of university services with dedicated surveys. These preliminary results will allow to identify if and how university students access food services, and which are the strengths and weaknesses. 

Phase 2. Based on the results of phase 1, implementation of either communication or nudging strategies to promote healthier food choices in the university facilities, based on the context. 

Phase 3. Monitoring of students’ habits after the intervention based on purchasing and satisfaction scores, to assess the effectiveness of the different strategies. 

The main objective of this project is to investigate the habits and preferences of university students and propose effective strategies to promote their knowledge about the healthiness of the dishes and how to make health- and environmentally conscious choices. 

The results of the project, therefore, will contribute to the implementation and sharing of research and intervention protocols aimed specifically at the university population, with particular reference to personalization and tailoring techniques through the use of psychological constructs. 

The expected results will focus on comparing habits before and after the interventions in relation to increased purchases of less processed and higher fiber products (enhancing the consumption of plant-based products).