Nutriplato – Nestlé’s Spain flagship initiative to impact on children’s healthier life

 

1. What is the observed insight?

Spanish population has moved away from the Mediterranean diet and has adopted sedentary habits, increasing overweight and obesity of children: At present, 23,2% of Spanish children are overweight and 18,1% are obese (Aladino Spain study 2015). According to the 4th edition of the study “Observatorio Nestlé de Hábitos Nutricionales y Estilo de Vida de las Familias”, only 54% of parents offer the right amount of vegetables to their children and just 17% give them the recommended quantity of fruit.

 

2. The Nudge

According to our purpose of enhancing quality of life and contributing to a healthier future, and in collaboration with the Paediatrician Hospital Sant Joan de Déu, Nestlé Spain has launched Nutriplato, a pioneering initiative in Europe based on the Harvard’s Healthy Eating Plate.

Mission:

• Contribute to the prevention of childhood obesity in Spain.

Goals:

• Improve eating habits of children aged 3-12 years old through nutritional education for parents with the support of the Nutriplato’s method. Its key is the right proportion of vegetables, proteins and carbohydrates included in the childrens’ main meals.
• Promote the practice of the Mediterranean diet.

Nutriplato is therefore much more than a plate, it is an educative method, including:

• The plate: In real size and designed for children. It shows the appropriate proportions of the food groups that should be included for lunch and dinner.
• The guidebook: A didactic guidebook for parents and healthcare professionals that shows how to use the plate, healthy habits and delicious recipes.
• The website: Via the website, people can order the didactic plate and the guide for free to be delivered to their homes. It furthermore explains the Nutriplato method, provides multimedia material and practical advice.
• The nutritional intervention study: The study is performed by the Clinical Nutrition and Dietetics Unit of the Hospital Sant Joan de Déu of Barcelona. The study focuses on monitoring the eating habits of 1000 children aged 3-12 for one year.

 

3. Evidence path

Since 2017, when the Nutriplato method had been launched…

• More than 25% of individuals between 16 and 75 years old are aware of the initiative.
• More than 100.000 families have joined the programme and have received more than 150.000 Nutriplato Kits (plate + guide).
• In a survey for measuring the impact of the Nutriplato method at home, 80% of a total of 3.624 families indicated to have used Nutriplato and 77% pointed out to have changed their nutritional habits.
• More than 2.700 healthcare professionals are using Nutriplato as a method to improve the eating habits of their patients.