An interventional study of Supper Heroes online environmentally friendly eating intervention for families and Monthly emails about environmentally friendly habits in Eating Behaviors, sponsored by University of Guelph. Recruiting at 1 site in Canada. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-06-08.
Sponsored by University of Guelph · Not applicable, Interventional, and Other
This study will examine the effectiveness of the online family-based program focused on sustainable eating compared to weekly emails about environmentally friendly behaviours.
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.
985 studies on the registry are indexed under Feeding Behavior; 178 are open to participants now.
This study's planned enrollment of 330 is above the median of 77 across 700 interventional studies indexed under Feeding Behavior.
Browse Feeding Behavior studies →University of Guelph is the lead sponsor of 70 studies on the registry; 5 are open to participants now.
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Exclusion Criteria:
Families randomized to the control group will receive weekly emails for 7 weeks about environmentally friendly habits.
Behavioral: Monthly emails about environmentally friendly habits
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.
Behavioral: Supper Heroes online environmentally friendly eating intervention for families
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.
Families randomized to the control group will receive monthly emails for 6 months about environmentally friendly habits.
Decrease in avoidable food waste
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).
Time frame: 15 months
Increased intake of plant-based foods among parents and children.
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).
Time frame: 15 months
Decreased intake of red and processed meats among parents and children.
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).
Time frame: 15 months
Evaluate mechanisms of behaviour change.
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).
Time frame: 15 months
Plan to share: No
Started Jul 2025 (actual). Primary completion is estimated for Apr 2027, 21 months after the start.
Of 503 non-industry interventional studies with no phase under Feeding Behavior, half reached primary completion within 14 months of starting (the median), counting those still running; a quarter within 5 and three quarters within 31. This study's planned 21 months is above that.
Counting every sponsor, half of 515 studies reached it within 14 months; a quarter within 5 and three quarters within 31.
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University of Guelph