RUITIAN Yang




What’s on
your plate?

The challenge of healthy eating
in emerging adulthood


Project Type: Team Project
Team Size: 4
My Role: UX Research, Data Collection & Analysis,
Visual Prototyping
Tools Used: Google Form, Figma







●Abstract

 22-27 year olds are facing graduation and entering the workforce which often develop their unhealthy eating habits due to time constraints, convenience and decision-making fatigue. Although they could realize the impacts to their health, they still often depend on ultra-processed foods. Through secondary research, observation at grocery stores, surveys and in-depth interviews, this study identified the significant barriers including cognitive skills, time constraints, social influence, value-action gap,etc. This study also points out the complexity of changing entrenched eating behaviors by using behavioral models such as the Transtheoretical Model (TTM) and the COM-B model.
We propose “Gabby”, a pocket dietitian, as a solution as an intuitive and personalized digital product that aims to progressively spread nutritional knowledge and reduce decision-making friction, and integrate healthier eating choices into young people’s daily lives seamlessly.







01 Background

 Young adults face ongoing challenges with healthy eating, as evidenced by the “gap between knowledge and action”: while they possess knowledge about healthy eating, they struggle to apply it in their daily lives (Sogari et al., 2018).The Trans-Theoretical Model (TTM) proposes five stages—precontemplation, contemplation, planning, action, and maintenance—and highlights that many young adults get stuck between the contemplation and planning stages, lacking clear understanding of action strategies (Karl, 2020; Schifferstein, 2019).

Additionally, businesses often prioritize taste over nutrition, enhancing the sensory appeal of foods by adding salt, sugar, and fat. Targeted marketing in supermarkets and on social media further reinforces unhealthy eating behaviors, posing challenges for public health departments and government agencies in promoting healthy lifestyles (Schifferstein, 2019).








02 Research & Findings

● Affinity Diagram

Our affinity diagram visualizes key findings from surveys, observations, and research.By categorizing the collected data, we identified the following common patterns: motivation, knowledge, time, supermarket shopping, convenience, lack of regular meals, cost, taste preferences, ultra-processed foods, and health and social impacts. The dimensions of convenience and cost overlap on the “Value and Action Gap” and “Meal Planning Difficulty” cards. Mapping these groups and their interconnections reveals core insights and themes.



● Transtheoretical Model (TTM)

 Change is one of the most difficult behavioral processes and it should be viewed as just that: a process (Karl 2020). Our research revealed that while sentiments are similar amongst people in this age range, everyone is at a different stage in their relationship with food and eating. In the context of the Transtheoretical Model, our data reveals that most respondents likely reside in the precontemplation, contemplation and preparation stages, with most people residing in the contemplation stage. Many young adults after graduating from undergrad and entering the next stage of their life are balancing a lot of new environments and responsibilities, leading to a restructuring of priorities and values.

Transtheoretical Behavior Model. Created by R1 LLC.



● COM-B

Taking insights from our surveys, interviews, observations, and other models created and researched, we proceeded to take a look at the different barriers that impact the behavioral categories identified in our affinity diagram. We used the BIT Barrier Tool powered by the Behavioral Insights Team to identify and categorize the barriers to a behaviour that we’re trying to change in reference to the COM-B behavioral model, which uses a barrier framework of capabilities, opportunities, and motivations (Behavioural Insights Ltd.).






● Persona

We developed three persona archetypes based on our interviews: Jack, a troubled young adult who faces challenges but has no intention of changing; Helen, who is concerned about her well-being but struggles to make changes; and Debbie, a registered campus dietitian who works closely with students. By analyzing these personas, we identified key patterns, motivations, and opportunities for improvement:







● User Journey Map

We choose Helen as the protagonist of the journey map because she embodies common challenges faced by many graduate students and new professionals. They aspire to healthy eating habits but the high stress life brings barriers to them. Exploring Helen’s journey could help us to understand young people’s pain points and opportunities to find solutions for them.






03 Invention

Based on research and insights, we focus on bridging the gap between knowledge and action through small, actionable changes. The emphasis on personalization highlighted by the nutritionists we interviewed inspired our core question: How can we make expert insights more accessible to young people?

Pocket Dietitian is designed as a personalized, intuitive service aimed at supporting young people struggling with time constraints and overreliance on ultra-processed foods. The service provides easy-to-implement, personalized dietary recommendations tailored to users' dietary preferences and lifestyles.





We established the brand identity through a mascot, user interface layout, and soothing visual tones, then identified three core features and created storyboards to visualize the user interaction flow.

Unlike generic diet apps, Pocket Dietitian adopts a human-centered, behavior-driven approach—providing adaptive meal suggestions, recipes based on existing ingredients, and a supportive “diet buddy” system. The app prioritizes cultivating sustainable habits over strict plans, helping users achieve gradual and lasting change.

● Site Map





● Prototype