Eat Smart Challenge – seven challenges in seven days

To inspire more people to make smarter food choices, SI launched Eat Smart Challenge – a seven day challenge in which participants, every day, had the opportunity to reconsider and rethink their  food choices. During one week the campaign attracted 28,000 visitors.

It turned out, we do not eat so smart, or so locally, or so earth friendly as most of us thought. Eat Smart Challenge challenged participants to buy, eat and prepare food smarter, not only because it affects our own health, but also because it affects the whole ecosystem.

The aim of the Eat smart challenge campaign is to inspire, create awareness and encourage participation how to eat more sustainably and take seven challenges in seven days. Be vegetarian for a day, cook your meal from basics, try new recipes, make tasty dishes of leftovers and explore where their food comes from and how it is produced. The 700 participants from 75 countries shared their insights through social media by using hash tags such as #eatsmartchallenge# #sevendaychallenge #forktofield #foodfortomorrow. The outcome was positive: the facebook page of eatsmartchallenge reached more than 28,000 people and many thousands shared videos on the sites to inspire others.

So what happened during the challenge? Participants shared content with texts and images and the challenge reached out to participants from around the globe from Albania – to Switzerland inspiring and challenges friends and families to join them in the challenge. Countries with strong networks had most registered and engaged participants because of local engagement. Evaluations also show that the challenge attracted 67 % women and 32% men.

Local partners of SI in Serbia used the momentum of the challenge and organised a Smart Food Talks after the challenge. Those activities engaged more than 30 food bloggers that have posted about the challenge both on their blogs, and on their Facebook and Instagram accounts.

Background:
Eat Smart Challenge is part of the Swedish Institute initiative Food for tomorrow 2017-2019 connecting persons passionate about food on western Balkans and Sweden.

Do you want to challenge friends and families to eat smart during seven days, reach out to birgitta.tennander@si.se.