Sustainable nutrition: young and old in dialogue

It is well known: food and drink feed mind, body and soul. This stresses the importance of a healthy diet. But nutrition is about more than eating well: it also has an influence on our social life and the environment.

“A healthy, enjoyable and sustainable diet is a concern for everyone in our society,” Franziska Scheidegger-Balmer stresses. The nutritionist is at the head of a BFH research project that aims to promote the exchange of knowledge and dialogue on good and resource-conserving nutrition between senior citizens and young people.

Starting with habits

Both generations will share their approaches to food and eating in the project – together and on an equal footing. According to Franziska Scheidegger-Balmer, this will ensure that the behaviours and needs of individuals from both age groups are clearly understood by the other group: “It’s by tackling our habits that we are most likely to change the type of food we eat.”

To achieve this, the research team relies on a dialogue between young and old. “The post-war generation possesses a wide range of skills on how to preserve food, make good use of leftovers and prevent food waste,” Franziska Scheidegger-Balmer explains. Young people, in turn, reflect current food trends.

The dialogue should benefit both age groups and give them food for thought. According to the head of project, the approach offers a valuable opportunity to apply the knowledge gained about sustainable nutrition to the daily lives of the participants.

An encouraging preliminary project

The researchers want to bring together young and older generations living in the Bümpliz district of Bern. They persuaded the local high school to participate in the “Social Kitchen” project. Franziska Scheidegger-Balmer and her colleagues hope to find willing senior participants from the same neighbourhood.

The preliminary project, which included ten pupils and a few senior citizens, yielded encouraging results. Although the young people were reserved in the initial exchanges, a lively dialogue ensued.

The young people and senior citizens cooked a lunch meal together, using only leftovers they had brought with them. This stimulated the creativity of the participants, who enthusiastically conjured up a tasty meal, adds Franziska Scheidegger-Balmer.

All participants found the event enriching and enjoyable. The reaction of a pupil was telling: “I’ve never eaten anything as good at school!”

Furthermore, it was interesting for her to witness how a dialogue on specific topics such as proteins can unfold. For the young participants, it was a substance that enhances strength and endurance, while the seniors saw it as a means of sustaining mobility and slowing muscle loss. The discussion showed both sides the importance of different perspectives to understand the bigger picture, said Franziska Scheidegger-Balmer.

Differentiated perceptions of age

The project also pursues differentiated perception of age in both age groups. The way young people and senior citizens view each other is often riddled with stereotypes. “For young people, older people are physically limited or less tech-savvy. Conversely, senior citizens regard young people as dependent on digital media and less responsible,” explains Franziska Scheidegger-Balmer.

Direct cooperation helps to break down such biases and to experience people of the other generation as competent partners, the researcher emphasises. This creates a good basis for mutual respect and recognition. Social activities such as cooking and eating are particularly well suited for this: “Through discussions about food, young and older people gain a more tolerant view of one another.”

Furthermore, the project offers an opportunity to reinforce social participation – of senior citizens, for whom it is not uncommon to suffer of loneliness or social isolation, and of young people, who frequently feel left alone with their problems, notes the project manager.

Objective: a programme for schools

Franziska Scheidegger-Balmer expects the study to facilitate an in-depth exchange of experiences and views between generations. The research team plans to use these – together with suitable teaching materials and educational programmes – to develop a programme that high schools can use for their lessons on sustainable nutrition.

Personal exchange will play a significant role in this, as the project manager explains: “We plan school visits by senior citizens, who will share their experiences and discuss sustainable nutrition with the pupils.” However, this should not be a one-sided transfer of knowledge. “Young and old will contribute their knowledge on an equal footing,” Franziska Scheidegger-Balmer emphasises. The dialogue is meant to motivate participants from both age groups to eat healthily.