NIFA Nutrition Security Webinar Series - An App and a Carrot: An Overview of the Evolution and Impacts of VeggieBook

On Tuesday, June 7^th, 2022, at 3:30 pm to 5:00 pm ET, Drs. Peter Clarke and Susan Evans will share the story of their smartphone app, called VeggieBook, designed for food pantry clients. The app helps household cooks prepare tasty servings and snacks using vegetables. Drs. Evans and Clarke’s work was supported by NIFA, among others. The presenters will explain origins of their app, the app’s content and how it works, evidence about the app’s effectiveness, and lessons learned from disseminating the app.  Veggiebook is free and can be downloaded now in either iPhone (from the App Store) or Android versions (from the Play Store).  Attendees are encouraged to download the app and come to the webinar with any questions they might have. The app is also suitable for cooks who do not rely on pantries for their food.

VeggieBook is available in both English and Spanish. During the webinar, the speakers will explain how organizations can adopt the app and customize it to their own needs. Organizations will learn how they can brand the app, add, or delete sections, or change the profiling questions used to extract information.  Organizations do not have to pay a licensing fee for the app and there are no reporting requirements. The 60-minute overview will include everything from lessons learned about securing funding support and dissemination. Drs. Clarke and Evans have offered to stay on for an additional 30 minutes after general questions and answers so they can discuss more detailed user questions.

• Dr. Susan Evans, Research Scientist, University of Southern California
• Dr. Peter Clarke, Professor Emeritus of Communication, University of Southern California

• Matthew Browning, Public Affairs Specialists
• Danielle Farley, MS, NIFA Social Science Specialist, Division of Animal Systems, Institute of Food Production and Sustainability
• Sheila Fleischhacker, PhD, JD, RDN, NIFA National Science Liaison - Nutrition and Food Safety and NIFA Nutrition Security Team Co-Lead
• Amber Gellert, MA, NIFA Program Assistant, Division of Community and Education, Institute of Youth, Family, and Community
• Cassandra Huey, PhD, NIFA Program Specialist, Division of Community and Education, Institute of Youth, Family and Community and NIFA Nutrition Security Team Executive Coordinator
• Stephanie Morriss, PhD, NIFA Institute of Food Safety and Nutrition Date Analyst
• Faith Peppers, NIFA Director of Communications
• LaRachelle Samuel-Smith, PhD, NIFA Internal Communications Manager

Learn more about VeggieBook:

• Smartphone App developed by USC health communication researchers boosts healthy eating in families
• An app that nudges people to eat their veggies only works when it’s introduced with a human touch (January 9, 2019)
• Evans SH & Clarke P. href="/Resolving design issues in developing a nutrition app: a case study using formative research. Evaluation & Program Planning. 2019;72:97-105.  
• Evans SH, Clarke P & Glovinksy J. href="/A consumer health app works well. . .But, diffusion is not so easy. J Tech Behav Sci. 2019;5:164-170.
• Neffa-Creech D, Clarke P, Evans SH & Glovinsky J. “Food is something everyone should participate in”: A positive deviance approach to understanding the use of a food and nutrition app in low-income Latino homes. SAGE Open Med. 2020;June 25;8.
• Clarke P, Neffa-Creech D & Evans SH. Cooking app engages kids as well as moms: inviting secondary users into health outreach. Health Educ J. 2022;8(1):85-95.