Sustainable Culinary Skills: Fostering Vegetable-Centric Cooking Practices among Young Adults for Health and Environmental Benefits—A Qualitative Study

Rajshri Roy (), Alshaima Alsaie, Jessica Malloy and Joya A. Kemper
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Rajshri Roy: Charles Perkins Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
Alshaima Alsaie: Discipline of Nutrition and Dietetics, University of Auckland, Auckland 1010, New Zealand
Jessica Malloy: Discipline of Nutrition and Dietetics, University of Auckland, Auckland 1010, New Zealand
Joya A. Kemper: Management, Marketing, and Tourism, University of Canterbury Business School, Christchurch 8140, New Zealand

Sustainability, 2024, vol. 16, issue 2, 1-22

Abstract: With young adults (18–30 years) having low vegetable intake, primarily due to inadequate cooking skills, this study aims to explore the usability and desirability of educational tools, such as written recipes and cooking videos, to foster sustainable eating habits. Employing a descriptive, qualitative, and user-centered design, three focus groups were held at a major urban university campus in New Zealand, engaging students and staff within the target age group. Discussions with 15 participants identified key facilitators of vegetable-based cooking, including access to ingredients, ease of recipe visualization, and cost-effectiveness. Consequently, 13 vegetable-centric recipes and instructional videos were created, incorporating nutritional value, affordability, and preparation efficiency. These resources, tailored to young adults’ preferences, were designed to mitigate the identified barriers to vegetable use, contributing to sustainable food practices. The application of a user-centered approach in developing educational content yielded a set of recipes and videos that not only address the gaps in cooking skills among young adults but also promote the broader goals of sustainability in food consumption patterns. This approach offers actionable insights for practitioners and food marketers to enhance vegetable utilization and sustainable eating behaviors in this demographic.

Keywords: young adults; vegetables; cooking; user-centered; nutrition education (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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