Food Valley Regional Deal studies impact of healthy nutrition on prevention and care

Healthy and sustainable diets can prevent health complaints, keep people fit longer, and actively speed recovery from illnesses. Food Valley Regional Deal will therefore invest in research in the area of healthy nutrition and solutions that are both applicable and scalable. The signing of the Consortium Agreement in October officially kicked off the partnership, where the region’s high-quality knowledge and real-world experience will be utilised to address the challenge facing our nation.

The Food Valley Regional Deal will involve three separate tracks that form a coherent whole: the agricultural transition, healthy nutrition and knowledge development. Track two deals with healthy nutrition, from the very beginning to old age, and from healthy eating environments to nutrition for the chronically ill. Wageningen University & Research acts as the partnership secretary, and Professor Ellen Kampman from the university’s Nutrition and Disease chair group has been appointed as the leader for Track Two, with Anne de Wiel acting as coordinator.   Prof. Aletta Kraneveld and Dr. Marleen Gillebaart are involved in this track from Utrecht University.

Partners

The partners in Track Two include Wageningen University & Research, Utrecht University, Gelderse Vallei Hospital, University Medical Centre Utrecht, the Princess Máxima Centre, Christian University of Applied Sciences Ede, Utrecht University of Applied Sciences and the Voeding in de Zorg Alliance. Together, we will spend the next four years conducting research, education and the applicability of the knowledge gained. This is a unique collaboration involving close cooperation between the eight municipalities in the Food Valley region and the adjacent areas in the provinces of Gelderland and Utrecht.

With 5 PhD students we will work to achieve a healthy and sustainable food environment.

Healthy nutrition projects

WUR and UU will begin by conducting healthy nutrition experiments in 10 neighbourhoods in the Food Valley region and the city of Utrecht; primarily around schools, but also with small- and medium-sized businesses. The Gelderse Valley nutritional hospital in Ede will serve as the testing ground. Pilot projects will also be conducted together with at least three other hospitals and five care institutions. Dr. Marleen Gillebaart: "With 5 PhD students we will work in different contexts to achieve a healthy and sustainable food environment through co-creation and practice-based research".

Early childhood and nutrition

In 10 municipalities, pregnant women and young lactating mothers will receive nutritional advice via an app. Obstetricians and consultation bureaus are working with the project to develop and evaluate a comprehensive strategy to improve the nutritional intake of pregnant women, lactating mothers and their young child. Prof. Aletta Kraneveld: "A good start is half the battle, especially for the development of young children. That is why it is important to study the effect of nutrition on the composition of mother’s milk and the baby's health. At UMCU and UU in cooperation with WUR we really get our teeth into this matter.”

A good start is half the battle, especially for the development of young children.

Chronically ill and nutrition

The consortium will work to refine the guidelines for nutrition and exercise for the initial and follow-up care of the many people suffering from chronic illnesses, especially cardiovascular diseases and cancer. In this project, WUR, UMCU, Gelderse Vallei Hospital and Rijnstate will begin nutritional and lifestyle interventions among people at risk of cardiovascular diseases and cancer patients. They will develop new concepts for them to learn how to eat healthier diets and how to stick to them.

Experts from the entire care chain will work closely together to make it easier to implement these lessons in practice and in guidelines, for example at Toon Hermans houses and in exercise programmes. The Voeding in de Zorg (Nutrition in Care) Alliance will play a vital role in involving stakeholders and in disseminating knowledge and experience.  A longitudinal study will be set up in cooperation with the Princess Máxima Centre Utrecht among children with cancer to monitor their diets from diagnosis to therapy.

Nutrition, exercise and the elderly

In five municipalities in the Food Valley region, the programme ‘Protein-rich nutrition and strength training for seniors’ will be made applicable for care institutions and neighbourhoods. The programme will also obtain insight into responsible replacement of animal protein with plant-based protein in elderly people’s diets.

Healthy nutrition in care degree programmes

In order to embed nutrition in its care degree programmes, Christian University of Applied Sciences Ede, Utrecht University of Applied Science, UMCU and WUR will develop new educational building blocks and modules for medicine and nursing programmes. The Voeding in de Zorg Alliance will also link this effort to the goals of the national prevention accords.

About the Food Valley Regional Deal

The Food Valley Regional Deal is a long-term partnership between the national government, the Food Valley region, Wageningen University & Research, Utrecht University, the provinces of Gelderland and Utrecht, LTO North, VNO-NCW Midden and the Vallei en Veluwe Water Authority. The parties have signed a partnership agreement, and over the next four years their combined efforts will make more than 73 million euros available for research.

Watch the animated video at the Food Valley Regional Deal website