A 2026 Norwegian study of 179 parents found that while most rated an online nutrition tool positively and 79% visited it at least once, only 21% used it regularly. Just 35-42% engaged with specific content like cooking videos or recipes. According to Gram Research analysis, this reveals that parents appreciate digital nutrition resources but struggle with consistent engagement without additional motivation strategies.
Researchers in Norway created an online learning tool called Nutrition Now to help parents feed their babies and toddlers better during the first 1000 days of life. They tested it with 179 parents and found something interesting: parents thought the tool was great and easy to use, but most of them didn’t actually use it very much. Only about 1 in 5 parents visited the resource regularly, and even fewer watched the cooking videos or tried the recipes. This tells us that just making good nutrition information available online isn’t enough—we need better ways to get parents to actually engage with these tools.
Key Statistics
A 2026 formative evaluation study of 179 Norwegian parents found that 79% visited the Nutrition Now e-learning resource at least once, but only 21% reported visiting it regularly over a 7-month period.
In a 2026 study of 48 parents who completed follow-up surveys, only 35% watched recipe videos and 42% actually made food using recipes from the online nutrition resource, despite rating the tool positively.
A 2026 Norwegian study of 179 parents showed that while most rated an online nutrition tool as appropriate and easy to use, less than half engaged with educational videos (42%) or cooking content (35%), highlighting a gap between perceived usefulness and actual use.
The Quick Take
- What they studied: Whether parents liked and actually used an online nutrition resource designed to teach them about healthy eating for babies and young children during their first 1000 days of life.
- Who participated: 179 expecting parents and parents of children aged 0-2 years from two Norwegian towns. Only 48 of them completed the follow-up survey 7 months later.
- Key finding: While 79% of parents visited the resource at least once and rated it positively, only 21% visited it regularly. Even fewer (35-42%) actually watched cooking videos or made recipes from the tool.
- What it means for you: Digital nutrition tools can be helpful and well-designed, but parents need extra motivation and reminders to actually use them. If you’re considering using such a resource, expect to need regular nudges to stay engaged.
The Research Details
This was a formative evaluation study, which means researchers were testing whether a new tool works in real life before deciding if it’s worth using widely. They created an online resource called Nutrition Now and made it available to parents in one Norwegian town starting in October 2022. They compared these parents to a similar group in another town that didn’t have access to the tool. Seven months later, they asked the parents who had access to the tool to fill out an online survey about what they thought of it and how much they actually used it.
The researchers asked parents specific questions about whether they liked the resource, thought it had good information, found it easy to use, and whether they actually visited it and used the recipes. They analyzed the answers using basic math and percentages to see how many parents said yes to each question.
This type of study is useful because it helps researchers understand if a tool is actually helpful and usable before they spend money testing whether it actually changes how people eat. It’s like asking people to test-drive a car before deciding whether to sell it widely.
Understanding why people don’t use helpful tools is just as important as creating the tools in the first place. If parents think something is good but don’t use it, that’s a problem worth solving. This study helps researchers figure out that the issue isn’t the quality of the information—it’s getting people to actually engage with it.
The main limitation of this study is that only 48 out of 179 parents completed the follow-up survey (about 27%). This means we don’t know what the other 131 parents thought, and they might have had different opinions. Also, parents who didn’t like the resource might have been less likely to answer the survey, which could make the results seem more positive than they really are. The study only looked at one tool in one region of Norway, so results might be different in other places or countries. Finally, the study only measured what parents said they did, not what they actually did, so some parents might have overestimated how much they used the resource.
What the Results Show
When asked about their opinions, parents gave the Nutrition Now resource high marks. Most parents said they liked it, appreciated it, thought it had appropriate and trustworthy information, and found it easy to use. These positive ratings suggest the tool itself was well-designed and the information was presented in a way parents understood.
However, when researchers asked about actual use, the numbers dropped significantly. While 79% of parents (38 out of 48) said they had visited the resource at least once, only 21% (10 out of 48) reported visiting it regularly. This gap between liking something and actually using it is important. Even fewer parents engaged with the specific content: only 42% watched the educational videos about nutrition themes, 35% watched cooking videos, and 42% actually made food using the recipes provided.
This pattern suggests that parents found the resource valuable in theory but didn’t make it part of their regular routine. The researchers noted that while the tool was acceptable and appropriate, the actual engagement was limited. This is a common problem with digital health tools—people often rate them highly but don’t use them consistently over time.
The study revealed that different types of content had different engagement rates. Recipe videos were the least-watched content (35%), while theme videos about nutrition were watched by a larger proportion (42%). This suggests that parents might be more interested in educational content than in practical cooking guidance, or that the recipe videos weren’t presented in a way that motivated parents to watch them. The fact that only 42% of parents made food using the provided recipes suggests that watching a video doesn’t automatically lead to behavior change.
According to Gram Research analysis, this finding aligns with broader research on digital health interventions. Many studies show that people rate health apps and online tools positively but use them inconsistently. The gap between perceived usefulness and actual use is a well-known challenge in digital health. This study adds to that body of evidence by showing that even when a tool is well-designed, free, and promoted through healthcare centers, engagement remains low without additional strategies to keep people motivated.
The biggest limitation is the low response rate—only 27% of parents who had access to the tool completed the survey. We don’t know if the 131 parents who didn’t respond had different experiences or opinions. Parents who didn’t like the tool might have been less likely to fill out the survey, which could make the results seem more positive than reality. The study only measured what parents said they did, not what they actually did, so there could be inaccuracies in their reports. The study was conducted in Norway, so results might differ in other countries with different healthcare systems or cultures. Finally, the study didn’t test whether using the resource actually led to healthier eating habits in babies and young children—it only measured whether parents liked it and used it.
The Bottom Line
If you’re a parent of a young child or expecting a baby, digital nutrition resources can be helpful tools for learning about healthy feeding practices. However, don’t expect to use them passively—you’ll likely need to actively schedule time to explore them and set reminders to keep using them. For healthcare providers and program designers, this research suggests that simply creating good online tools isn’t enough. You need strategies to keep parents engaged, such as regular reminders, personalized recommendations, or integration with existing healthcare visits. Confidence level: Moderate (based on one study with a small response rate).
This research matters most to healthcare providers, public health officials, and app developers who create nutrition tools for parents. It also matters to parents who are trying to make healthy feeding choices for their young children. The findings suggest that if you’re a parent who struggles with motivation or consistency, you might benefit from tools that send reminders or integrate with your daily routine rather than tools you have to remember to visit on your own.
Based on this study, parents who actively engage with the resource might see benefits within weeks to months as they learn new recipes and nutrition information. However, most parents in this study didn’t maintain regular engagement, so the real question isn’t how long it takes to see benefits, but how to keep parents motivated to use the tool long enough to see those benefits.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do parents actually use online nutrition tools for babies and toddlers?
A 2026 Norwegian study found that while 79% of parents visited an online nutrition resource at least once, only 21% used it regularly. Most parents rated it positively but didn’t maintain consistent engagement, suggesting that good design alone isn’t enough to keep parents using digital health tools.
What’s the best way to get parents to use nutrition apps for young children?
Current research shows that simply making nutrition information available online isn’t effective. Parents need additional strategies like regular reminders, integration with healthcare visits, or personalized recommendations to maintain engagement with digital nutrition tools.
Do parents watch cooking videos in nutrition apps?
A 2026 study found that only 35% of parents watched recipe videos in an online nutrition resource, and just 42% actually made food using the provided recipes, despite initially rating the tool as helpful and easy to use.
Is it worth using digital tools to learn about feeding babies?
Digital nutrition tools can provide valuable information and are rated positively by parents, but you’ll need to actively schedule time to use them and set reminders to stay engaged. They work best as part of a broader approach that includes support from healthcare providers.
Why don’t parents use nutrition resources even when they think they’re good?
A 2026 study suggests the gap between liking something and using it consistently is common with digital health tools. Parents may lack time, forget to visit, or need external motivation like reminders or integration with their daily routines to maintain engagement.
Want to Apply This Research?
- Track weekly visits to nutrition resources and completion of specific actions (watching videos, trying recipes). Set a goal of 2-3 visits per week and log which content you engaged with. This creates accountability and helps you see patterns in your engagement over time.
- Set a recurring weekly reminder to visit the nutrition resource at a specific time (like Sunday evening meal planning). Choose one recipe from the app each week and commit to making it. This turns passive learning into active behavior change.
- Use the app to track which recipes you’ve tried and rate them. Create a simple log of meals you’ve prepared using app recipes. Over 3-6 months, review your log to see if you’re gradually incorporating more healthy options from the resource into your family’s regular meals.
This research describes parent perceptions of an online nutrition tool but does not prove that using the tool improves children’s health or nutrition outcomes. The study had a low response rate (27%), so results may not represent all parents who had access to the tool. Before making significant changes to your child’s diet, consult with your pediatrician or a registered dietitian. This article is for informational purposes and should not replace professional medical or nutritional advice.
This research translation is published by Gram Research, the science division of Gram, an AI-powered nutrition tracking app.