What is Smaaklessen?

Smaaklessen is a free educational programme that enables primary school pupils to gain knowledge and experience of healthy and sustainable food. By tasting, smelling, hearing, feeling and looking, pupils explore their food. A new version of Smaaklessen was launched in June 2024. The new edition was developed together with children, teachers and experts. Pupils actively engage in taste experiments and quizzes, deciphering food labels and cooking delicious dishes together. Taste, health, the origin of food, consumer skills, cooking and sustainability are all central to this updated version.

Smaaklessen has existed for more than 15 years and is recognised by the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) as an effective intervention. Nevertheless, questions remain unanswered, such as: What are the short- and long-term effects? What makes the approach effective? At what age do we see the greatest effects? We aim to answer these questions through this study.

Which primary schools are we looking for?

We are looking for school classes, specifically groups 3, 5 or 7, that have not previously received any food education, or have received very little (≤ 3 hours in the 2023/2024 school year and ≤ 3 hours from September through December 2024). This allows the effect of Smaaklessen to be measured as accurately as possible. Multiple classes per school can participate.

For the study, we need classes in which Smaaklessen will be taught from 2025 onwards (Smaaklessen classes) and control classes (in which no Smaaklessen lessons are taught).

  • In the control classes, a questionnaire will be completed three times under the supervision of a researcher.
  • The Smaaklessen classes will also complete a questionnaire three times, but will additionally receive five Smaaklessen lessons, two of which will be taught by a guest teacher. The teacher will teach three lessons themselves. The costs of the groceries, teaching materials and guest teacher will be fully reimbursed.

Interested?

Would you like to register your school class to participate in the study? Or do you have any questions? Then complete this form or send an email to [email protected].