Eating BehaviorsNCT06928636
Supper Heroes: Examining the Impact of an Online Eating Intervention for Families
A study testing Supper Heroes online environmentally friendly eating intervention for families and Monthly emails about environmentally friendly habits in people with Eating Behaviors, run by University of Guelph at 1 site in Canada.
Trial summary
This study will examine the effectiveness of the online family-based program focused on sustainable eating compared to weekly emails about environmentally friendly behaviours. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Any ageHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Eating Behaviors
- What is being tested?
- Supper Heroes online environmentally friendly eating intervention for families and Monthly emails about environmentally friendly habits
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 330 participants
- Where
- 1 siteCanada
- Study dates
- 9 Jul 2025to Dec 2027
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- Not yet: the study is under way
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages Any age
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Child, Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- have at least one child 9-12 years old
- live in Ontario, Canada
- have access to the internet
- can respond to English surveys
Who cannot join
- parent(s) with prior nutrition and food education (e.g., degree in nutrition, culinary arts training)
- families with food allergies that would prevent them from participating in the intervention (e.g., soy products, beans or lentils)
- families who are vegetarian or vegan
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.
Canada1 site, 1 recruiting
- Recruiting
University of Guelph
Guelph, Ontario, N1G 2W1
Shannon Pare, MSc, 519-824-4120 ext. 58820, spare@uoguelph.ca
Jess Haines, PhD
About this study
Official title: Supper Heroes: Randomized Controlled Trial to Examine the Impact of an Online Environmentally Friendly Eating Intervention for Families
This study will examine the effectiveness of the online family-based program focused on sustainable eating compared to weekly emails about environmentally friendly behaviours.
Read the detailed description
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.
- Infographics: Each mission will contain brief, 1-2-page infographics for families to read. Topics are related to the mission theme for that week. For example, families may learn about tips for grocery shopping and meal planning as well as information about plant-based proteins.
- Videos: Similar to the infographics, short, 1-5-minute online videos will be related to the theme of the mission participants are completing. For example, families will watch a short, animated video about grocery shopping.
- Family-based activities: During each mission, participants will be invited to participate in a family-based activity such as follow-along cooking videos, doing an audit of their fridge, and creating a grocery shopping list.
- Sharing: Families will be asked to share their experiences for each mission on an online community share board by providing a photo and/or text.
- Conditions
- Eating Behaviors
- Being tested
- Supper Heroes online environmentally friendly eating intervention for families, Monthly emails about environmentally friendly habits
- Keywords
- food waste, environmentally friendly, plant-based foods
- Medical subject headings
- Feeding Behavior
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Supper Heroes online environmentally friendly eating intervention for familiesBehavioural
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.
Monthly emails about environmentally friendly habitsBehavioural
Families randomized to the control group will receive monthly emails for 6 months about environmentally friendly habits.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Control Group | Other | Families randomized to the control group will receive weekly emails for 7 weeks about environmentally friendly habits. Receives: Behavioral: Monthly emails about environmentally friendly habits |
| Supper Heroes online environmentally friendly eating intervention for families | Experimental | 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. Receives: Behavioral: Supper Heroes online environmentally friendly eating intervention for families |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
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).
Measured: 15 months
Secondary outcomes (2)
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).
Measured: 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).
Measured: 15 months
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted15 Apr 2025
- Study start9 Jul 2025
- Primary completionApr 2027 (estimated)
- Study completionDec 2027 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Publications (2)Papers the sponsor has linked to this study.
- Other trials for Eating BehaviorsStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Other
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Single blind
- Who is masked
- Outcomes assessor
- Enrolment
- 330 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- University of Guelph
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Jess Haines, University of Guelph
- Investigators
- Jess Haines, PhD, Principal investigator, University of Guelph
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT06928636
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- Supper Heroes: RCT
- Status last verified
- Apr 2026
- First submitted
- 27 Mar 2025
- Last updated
- 8 Jun 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No
Publications
Eckert KF, Agostinelli J, Laila A, Alexander C, Parizeau K, von Massow M, Duncan AM, Hesketh KD, Ma DWL, Haines J. Feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary impact of "Supper Heroes", a family-based sustainable diet intervention. Appetite. 2025 Feb 1;206:107849. doi: 10.1016/j.appet.2025.107849. Epub 2025 Jan 7.
PubMed 39788349National Cancer Institute. (n.d.). Diet History Questionnaire (DHQ2). U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Retrieved April 3, 2025, from https://epi.grants.cancer.gov/dhq2/
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 8 Jun 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Supper Heroes: Randomized Controlled Trial to Examine the Impact of an Online Environmentally Friendly Eating Intervention for Families
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT06928636
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- Supper Heroes: RCT
- Conditions
- Eating Behaviors
- Keywords
- food waste, environmentally friendly, plant-based foods
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Recruiting
- Enrolment
- 330 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- University of GuelphUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 9 Jul 2025 (actual)
- Primary completion
- Apr 2027 (estimated)
- Study completion
- Dec 2027 (estimated)
- First posted
- 15 Apr 2025 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
This study will examine the effectiveness of the online family-based program focused on sustainable eating compared to weekly emails about environmentally friendly behaviours.
Detailed description
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.
- Infographics: Each mission will contain brief, 1-2-page infographics for families to read. Topics are related to the mission theme for that week. For example, families may learn about tips for grocery shopping and meal planning as well as information about plant-based proteins.
- Videos: Similar to the infographics, short, 1-5-minute online videos will be related to the theme of the mission participants are completing. For example, families will watch a short, animated video about grocery shopping.
- Family-based activities: During each mission, participants will be invited to participate in a family-based activity such as follow-along cooking videos, doing an audit of their fridge, and creating a grocery shopping list.
- Sharing: Families will be asked to share their experiences for each mission on an online community share board by providing a photo and/or text.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Other
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Single blind (outcomes assessor)
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Control Group | Other | Behavioral: Monthly emails about environmentally friendly habitsFamilies randomized to the control group will receive weekly emails for 7 weeks about environmentally friendly habits. |
| Supper Heroes online environmentally friendly eating intervention for families | Experimental | Behavioral: Supper Heroes online environmentally friendly eating intervention for familiesFamilies 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. |
Who may qualify
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Child, Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (4 listed)
- have at least one child 9-12 years old
- live in Ontario, Canada
- have access to the internet
- can respond to English surveys
Key exclusion criteria (3 listed)
- parent(s) with prior nutrition and food education (e.g., degree in nutrition, culinary arts training)
- families with food allergies that would prevent them from participating in the intervention (e.g., soy products, beans or lentils)
- families who are vegetarian or vegan
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Supper Heroes online environmentally friendly eating intervention for familiesFamilies 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. | Behavioural | Supper Heroes online environmentally friendly eating intervention for families |
| Monthly emails about environmentally friendly habitsFamilies randomized to the control group will receive monthly emails for 6 months about environmentally friendly habits. | Behavioural | Control Group |
Primary outcome
Decrease in avoidable food waste
Time frame: 15 months
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).
2 secondary outcomes
Increased intake of plant-based foods among parents and children.
Time frame: 15 months
Decreased intake of red and processed meats among parents and children.
Time frame: 15 months
Results and safety
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 8 Jun 2026.
- Background: PubMed 39788349Eckert KF, Agostinelli J, Laila A, Alexander C, Parizeau K, von Massow M, Duncan AM, Hesketh KD, Ma DWL, Haines J. Feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary impact of "Supper Heroes", a family-based sustainable diet intervention. Appetite. 2025 Feb 1;206:107849. doi: 10.1016/j.appet.2025.107849. Epub 2025 Jan 7.
- BackgroundNational Cancer Institute. (n.d.). Diet History Questionnaire (DHQ2). U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Retrieved April 3, 2025, from https://epi.grants.cancer.gov/dhq2/
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: No
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part.
Jess Haines, PhD principal investigator
University of Guelph
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Supper Heroes online environmentally friendly eating intervention for families and Monthly emails about environmentally friendly habits in people with Eating Behaviors, run by University of Guelph at 1 site in Canada.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 4 inclusion and 3 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: looking for participants now, as of the sponsor's last update on 8 Jun 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in Canada. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
Contact Shannon Pare, MSc (519-824-4120 ext. 58820, supperheroes@uoguelph.ca), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Decrease in avoidable food waste (time frame: 15 months). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT06928636, which also lists 2 linked publications.
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 8 Jun 2026.