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How can we raise kids' awareness of the benefits of fresh food so they can make better choices? Read the challenge brief

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The Hero Food Movement

The idea is to teach kids about the importance of fresh and healthy foods by a clear connection to their heroes. Everyone has a hero whether it’s Superman or Neil Armstrong. The idea also involves the parents but the key here is to let the kids take the first step since they are easier to reach. The goal is to create a positive spiral among student and parents in understanding the importance of fresh and healthy food.
The Hero Food movement is implemeted in first grade. A teacher would have a show and tell about the students heroes, not talking about food. Afterwards ask the question “What do you think your hero eats?”. In an intuitive way make the connection between their heroes abilities and the food they eat. For example: Superman has x-ray vision so it’s safe to say he has good vision. Eating carrots is good for your eyes. So maybe Superman eats carrots. We also introduce an award system to push both kids and parents to eat and cook fresh food. The idea is that kids will bring fresh food from home in a lunch box. The teacher will award the student with a hero sticker and the student will place the sticker on the “Class Super Power Chart”. Every student is a prominent hero. The more stickers you get the more abilities you receive. When the class has received a certain amount of stickers the class will be rewarded a field trip to an amusement park or another fun event. This would be financed either by the school or the parents. The Hero movement is kickstarted by giving the students a mission to cook something with fresh foods with their parents and then bring left overs in their lunch box the next day. Now they are a part of the movement and receive a lunch box sticker, and also their first hero sticker to put on the Class Super Power Chart. It is also important that the parents receive information about the movement and what we are trying to achieve.


This idea was a group effort from the school Hyper Island.
And we are: Hampus Lemhag, Johan Svensson, Martine Fonstad-Smith, Mattis Forsman, Olof Larsson, Raymo Ventura

Age of kids. The solutions to changing kids’ eating behaviors will vary depending on their age. What works for a toddler won’t necessarily fly for a teenager, although we suspect some concepts might be appropriate for all ages—even adults! Which age bracket does your concept address (tick all relevant boxes)?

Hurdles to success. Helping kids make smarter food choices comes with a variety of hurdles that have to be addressed in order for a design solution to be successful, which of these do you think that your Concept overcomes (tick all relevant boxes)?

Evaluation Results

1

Food Knowledge - To what extent is this concept teaching people about food knowledge?

It's teaching people a great deal about food knowledge
It's teaching people a moderate deal about food knowledge
It's teaching people a little about food knowledge
It's not focused on food knowledge
2

Cooking - Is this concept focused on getting people to cook?

It's all about getting people to cook
It's moderately about getting people to cook
It's getting people to cook a little
It's not focused on cooking at all
3

Originality - How original is this idea?

This idea is extremely original
This idea is somewhat original
This idea has some originality about it
I have seen this idea before
4

Scalability - How scalable is this idea across communities and geographies?

This idea can be scaled across many communities and places
This idea can be scaled but needs some work
This idea will take a fair bit of work to scale
This idea cannot scale at all

Comments

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Hampus Lemhag

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October 10, 2010, 12:12PM
Good thought. I think wheter the teacher already has prepared some examples or the students share and think about the connection between their heroes and food (with some help from the teacher), the important thing here is to start a discussion so the students can learn about healthy food. And of course to bring that knowledge home and start cooking to later on win a field trip. Learn and reward.
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Demian Repucci

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October 06, 2010, 05:56AM
I think the idea has some good potential. The trick, I think, is for the teachers/leaders to connect the right 'heros' to the healthy food. Kids tastes change pretty quickly as they mature. So the hero role models that are put forward as associated with a certain vegetable, fruit or other healthy food, will have to be carefully chosen so as to resonate with the kid audience or risk being deemed 'uncool', 'old' or for younger kids, etc. If the kids don't click with the hero they might not be interested in the vegetable or healthy food they are promoting.
This is not to say that the program could not be developed so as to be able to be tailored to a specific audience on the fly. It just has to be considered in development. Thanks for the concept. Great stuff!
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Meena Kadri

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October 05, 2010, 11:06PM
Hey Hampus – this is great. I especially love how you've outlined the idea using a video – using strong story-telling to convey a well devised concept. May the force be with you!
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Jordan J. Lloyd

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September 26, 2010, 03:59PM
This idea particularly works with kids outside of school, say at sports clubs. I'm particularly drawn to the incentivisation and reward mechanism attached with it; the number of stickers you need to go to an amusement park or whatever is fantastic.
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Dan Watson

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September 23, 2010, 08:25AM
I kind've like the idea of Captain Carrot flying in to battle the evil Grease Monster and save the day. I think it would have worked on me as a kid, as long as the good guys could easily outnumber the bad guys. "Oh no! The Fat Fiend was hiding in my hamburger! Better eat The Sweetcorn Saviour and his sidekick, the Battling Bean Beauty to make sure he doesn't cause any trouble in there!" Endless combinations!
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Tony R

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September 22, 2010, 03:36PM
Very cool idea! If you could also implement a garden that the kids can help built and grow, I think this would really take off. Kids love seeing things grow or change over time, like when you were a kid and you had to plant a seed in a Styrofoam cup, I remember racing home daily to see how much it had grown during the day.
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Hampus Lemhag

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September 18, 2010, 11:28AM
Ps. I meant that they still recive individual stickers but the awards along the way are a sum of thoose individual stickers and the class as a whole gets the award.
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Hampus Lemhag

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September 18, 2010, 11:24AM
Hi Rob!

I agree with you maybe instead of "invisibility" it could be something tangible like a toy to play with. I think it would be important that it's a collective award. Meaning that the class get the award instead of the idividual (so a certain amount of class stickers instead of individual stickers). That way no one gets left out and when it comes down to it, it's a group effort solving a group problem. What do you think?

Good input Rob! Thanks.
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Rob Close

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September 17, 2010, 04:48AM
I agree with the main psychological point you're suggesting: kids perceive healthy eating as cool when they associate it with their role models. That's precisely why we recruit performers in the Vegetable Circus who have demonstrable talents that impress children; we also use that talent to keep their attention in our Stage Shows, and train kids in those movement arts & more in our after-school programs.

We've also been giving out stickers as rewards, and it's amazing how popular they still are with kids! I hadn't considered having the kids collect them to earn upgrades though; perhaps we need to offer things more real than "invisibility", like the right to use trickier toys (like a bongo-board, or poi).
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Liz Snyder

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September 14, 2010, 12:57AM
Great idea. The heroes could be real people too - sports stars, celebrities, social leaders - I could see a great campaign developed around stars' favorite vegetables and how it keeps them fit & strong.
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Frida

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September 12, 2010, 10:47AM
I really like this idea. Its a good concept. I like the thing about cooking with your parents. Cause I think, If you have cooked it by your self, you also want to eat it.
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Hampus Lemhag

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September 01, 2010, 11:57AM
Hi Jonathan. I think you are right. I guess the definition of Hero at first seems more boyish. I guess the thought here was that anyone could be a hero and we have to try and make a connection to that person. My little sister at that age had baby spice from spice girls as her hero. Even a spice girl need powers to take the stage. What food that gives you a lot of energy could a spice girl eat? Bananas are good for energy. I'm so happy to see people commenting! Thanks
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Jonathan Sauder

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September 01, 2010, 05:44AM
I love the idea from the kids side of things. I feel they will have all the incentive they need. However, from some of the toy market research I have looked over, boys of that age tend to be more attached to super hero's than girls. Maybe create a spin off of the same program for girls, something that would relate more to princesses or animals (based off the market research I have seen).
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Thao Vo

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September 01, 2010, 05:15AM
Wow, this concept integrates many of the minor inspirations and concepts I've come come across and come up with nicely. I really like the hero theme, show & tell, award/reward system, sticker chart, hands-on cooking with parents, etc. These are all good incentives for kids. Well done!
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