Home-based cooking intervention with a smartphone app to improve eating behaviors in children aged 7–9 years: a feasibility study

**Background:** In Switzerland, children aged 5–12 years are not meeting national dietary guidelines, particularly for vegetables (only 5% meet recommendations) and whole grains. Early dietary habits track into adulthood, and the family environment is critical for shaping children's eating behaviors. While school-based cooking interventions have been studied, home-based interventions leveraging digital tools remain underexplored. This study aimed to develop and evaluate the feasibility of a smartphone app (Kids Cooking@Home) promoting home-based cooking and assess its impact on dietary behavior and food acceptability in children aged 7–9 years.

**Methods:** A 10-week randomized controlled trial was conducted online in 2020. Families were recruited via Facebook in German-speaking Switzerland. Inclusion criteria: children aged 7–9 years who disliked Brussels sprouts and whole-meal pasta, not independently cooking more than once per month, no special diet, and parents with a smartphone (Android 7.0+ or iOS 8.0+). Of 330 interested parents, 28 were randomized (14 intervention, 14 control). The intervention group had children cook with minimal parental support during weeks 3–8; the control group had parents cook alone. Ten recipes were provided via the app, each featuring either whole-meal pasta or Brussels sprouts as target foods. Parents weighed food components before and after consumption at baseline (weeks 1–2) and evaluation (weeks 9–10). Liking was assessed via a 3-point Likert scale (negative/neutral/positive). Descriptive statistics were used; no significance tests were performed due to small sample size.

**Key Results:** Eighteen families completed the study (7 intervention, 11 control). Mean child age was 8 years (range 7–9); 9 female, 9 male. Mean baseline intake of Brussels sprouts was 19.0 ± 24.2 g and whole-meal pasta was 86.0 ± 69.7 g per meal. At evaluation, whole-meal pasta intake increased in the intervention group (from 66 ± 56.1 g to 88 ± 62.6 g) and decreased in the control group (from 106 ± 78.4 g to 84 ± 64.4 g). Brussels sprouts intake showed no meaningful change (intervention: 20 ± 23.3 g to 17 ± 25.5 g; control: 19 ± 26.1 g to 20 ± 24.1 g). More children in the intervention group reported positive liking of whole-meal pasta at evaluation compared to baseline, with no negative ratings at evaluation. No change was observed for Brussels sprouts liking. Qualitative feedback indicated positive reactions to the app, with children expressing pride and families valuing cooking together as quality time. Challenges included difficulty motivating children for Brussels sprouts recipes, forgetting to photograph meals, and food getting cold during weighing.

**Clinical Implications:** This feasibility study demonstrates that a home-based digital cooking intervention is acceptable and can be implemented in real-life settings, though recruitment and retention remain challenging. The slight increase in whole-meal pasta liking among children who cooked suggests that repeated exposure through hands-on involvement may improve acceptance of healthy foods. The lack of change for Brussels sprouts highlights the difficulty of shifting preferences for strongly disliked vegetables. Larger studies with more flexible designs, validated digital assessment tools (e.g., AI-based image recognition), and broader recruitment strategies are needed to determine effectiveness. Digital interventions that engage families in meal preparation may offer a scalable approach to improving children's dietary behaviors, particularly for whole grains and vegetables, and could complement school-based programs.