HealtHyper

The challenge

Many university students engage in poor dietary habits, such as an excessive intake of fatty food, low intake of fruits, vegetables, and dairy, and erratic eating behaviors such as meal skipping. A balanced diet can help students increase energy levels, promote a functioning immune system, improve their ability to cope with stress, and increase concentration and performance in school. Healthy eating is influenced by a variety of factors, such as time, availability of healthy options, friends’ eating habits, and nutritional knowledge. University stakeholders can support healthy eating by making healthy options more affordable, accessible, and desirable while providing information on making healthy food and beverage choices.

The solution

Considering the increasing use of online platforms for the most various purposes, we deemed an app to be the best provider of nutritional knowledge to university students. This could be implemented by developing a multi-functional app, that incentives students to eat healthy meals by rewarding them with a score that will eventually lead them to a free meal or beverage in the Tilburg University canteen, and that offers them useful tips on proper nutrition.