Sustainable eating habits of consumers have a significant impact on Sustainable Development. However, “Sustainable Eating”, often called “Green Eating” (Weller, et al., 2014; Tobler, et al., 2011), requires that consumers have thorough competencies as well as applied knowledge in this field, e.g. regarding low-meat or meatless diets, labels, food waste etc. (Grunert & Wills, 2007; Hertrampf, Städeli & Bender, 2011; Fischer, 2007).

In the context of school education such knowledge as well as further competencies are acquired mainly in the context of Nutritional Science and Nutrition and Consumer Science, respectively. The school subject plays an essential role in fostering Nutrition Literacy and Consumer Literacy on the part of the students (Carbone & Zoellner, 2012; Contento, 2011) as well as thoroughly supporting Green Eating as an important competency in the context of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD)(de Haan, 2006; Weller et al., 2014).

However, it has so far been questionable (1) whether teachers are qualified at all to foster Green Eating in their students, and (2) how they might be appropriately qualified where necessary. Granted there are already a number of research projects on integrating ESD in teacher education on an international level (Adomßent, M. &Hoffmann, 2013; CSCT-Project, 2008; UN, 2011), yet no studies have been carried out in the aforementioned crucial nutrition sector in the context of ESD.

In the light of the above the research team “Sustainable Eating – Development of Courses for Future Teachers” analyses the two research questions mentioned above and focuses on future teachers’ applied knowledge on Green Eating. According to the model of professional competency of teachers by Baumert et al. (2011) and Shulman (1987), respectively, knowledge – more specifically labelled “subject-matter content knowledge” – plays an important role in professional competency. Thus, the project aims at widening their professional competency towards Green Eating, i.e. it tries to improve the future teachers’ competencies with regard to their teaching. At the same time, though, the students’ personal competencies with regard to their everyday life will obviously be enhanced in that context as well.

The research project consists of two steps: Firstly, a survey on the subject of “Sustainable Eating” was designed; and students of Nutrition and Consumer Science at the Schools of Teacher Education in Basel, Bern, Brugg, St.Gallen and Zurich were questioned on their applied knowledge on Green Eating. The survey was evaluated and thematic fields in which the students showed a particular need for development were identified. Secondly, a “toolbox for university didactics” was developed on the basis of these insights. This toolbox contains various thematic and methodological modules for the field of Sustainable Eating. Its goal is to widen students’ applied knowledge. The modules are constructed in a way that allows for flexible use in courses for Nutrition and Consumer Science at Schools of Teacher Education. Some modules are even suitable for courses at universities outside the context of teacher education; and they can thus contribute to ESD in Higher Education in general (Barth & Timm, 2011; de Haan, 2010).

In the further course of the project the modules will be used in the relevant courses and their success will be evaluated.

The project’s theoretical framework refers to the model of Sustainable Eating of Schneider and Hoffmann (2011) with its four dimensions health, society, environment, and economy.

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