Our interdisciplinary team focuses on diet and nutrition across population groups and their links to health, equity, and environmental, social, and economic sustainability. We have a particular interest in disadvantaged and vulnerable groups, including children, migrants, people in institutional settings (e.g. prisoners), and low-income workers. We design and implement interventions for sustainable health promotion, identify solutions and policies to support the transition towards a more sustainable food system, and develop research and food education methods.

Projects and data:

DAGIS - Increased Health and Wellbeing in Children, Families and Educational Settings (started 2014) provides information on children’s energy balance–related behaviours and their sociodemographic differences. The data include a cross-sectional survey in preschools (2015–16), an RCT in preschools (2017–18), the Dagis Next follow-up study (2023–24), and the Dagis Salo survey and follow-up among schoolchildren (2023–24). More information: https://dagis.fi/in-english/

LoCard: Harnessing the potential of customer loyalty card data (started 2016) examines how consumers’ purchasing behaviour, captured through large-scale loyalty card data, shapes health, well-being, and environmental and societal outcomes. More information: https://locard.fi/inenglish/

TITAN EU Horizon project (2022-2026) enables transparency in food supply chains by implementing innovative solutions to boost health, sustainability, and food safety. More information: https://titanproject.eu/

SUST-360 - Sustainable Diets for a Healthier Society and Environment (started 2024) studies the impacts of adherence to Finnish Nutrition Recommendations 2024 across all sustainability dimensions – health, environment, social and economic. Our scientifically unique approach provides novel insights into synergies and trade-offs between these dimensions.

Water&Food futures (2024-2030) research project aims to promote sustainable water use in the food system by advancing scientific understanding of how food production and consumption impact water resources. We examine the water scarcity footprint of different diets, as well as consumers’ environmental attitudes and values. More information: https://waterfoodfutures.fi/en/about-the-project/

Breakfast-study (started 2024) combines science and art to highlight inequalities in children’s diets and to promote their long-term health and wellbeing. We use the family breakfast as a lens to examine how economic inequality shapes children’s everyday food practices.

Wellbeing of Ukrainian Children study (started 2024) examines Ukrainian children’s eating behaviours and changes in their dietary patterns after the relocation to Finland. More information: https://blogs.helsinki.fi/wellbeing-of-ukrainian-children-study/in-english/about-the-study/

Nutrition Science and Food Technology Alliance: Building Sustainable Academic Pathways with Ukraine (2025-27) strengthens academic collaboration between the University of Helsinki (UH) and the State University of Trade and Economics (SUTE) in Ukraine, focusing on two disciplines: Human Nutrition and Food Technology. More information: https://blogs.helsinki.fi/nutrifood-ua-fi/project-overview/

Heart on the Plate - Advancing Food and Health Equity of Children in Vulnerable Families (2025-27) uses interdisciplinary data to generate new knowledge about food behaviour and social sustainability among children in low income and migrant families. The project raises awareness of family nutrition and health inequity challenges in societal discourse and builds a stronger knowledge base for decision-making.

Power of Food study (started 2026) examines the quality of prison food services and prisoners’ food experiences and wellbeing, while promoting their participation and equal opportunities for wellbeing.