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Project Topic
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The SWITCHtoHEALTHY project aims to fill a gap regarding adherence to Mediterranean dietary pattern at family level by validating a family-based approach to promote a dietary behaviour change that combines educational material, digital tools and complemented with easy-to-eat healthier and local snacking products. The SWITCHtoHEALTHY objectives will be achieved by adopting a 4-phase approach. Each step is composed of WPs which include the tasks designed to realise the project objectives and impacts: 1) Consumer Science (WP1) for understanding the barriers, drivers, motivations, and food behaviours that prevent consumers moving towards Med-based long-lasting eating habits (social, economic, cultural, heritage) and for co-creation of consumer-oriented business models and co-design and testing of healthy, sustainable and local snacks. 2) DeveloSMEnt of novel food products (WP2) and digital and educational tools (WP3) designed to encourage and maintain a shift towards healthy and sustainable MD. This phase includes the develoSMEnt of 12 health-related high-quality snack products selecting traditional and local vegetable varieties and eco-design methodology; the SWITCHtoHEALTHY Artificial Intelligence-based App for family empowerment towards adherence to a healthy MD, with a Tamagotchi gaming strategy to increase engagement of the entire family. 3) Deployment (WP4) where a total of 300 families, from different socio-economic levels and with a common linking point of having either children and/or adolescents, or both, will be enrolled in a multicentre intervention study (100 families/country in 3 countries, Spain, Morocco, and Turkey) where the develoSMEnts of WP2 and WP3 are integrated in a way that allow the Assessment (WP5) of the health impact of the quality of the diet as well as the economic and environmental benefits. 4) Creation of Enabling Environment (WP6) to design and delivery guidelines to support policymakers; communication and awareness campaign across Med-countries; marketing strategies and consumer-oriented Business Models. All in all, the SWITCHtoHEALTHY is fully aligned with Topic 1.3.1 challenge, scope and impacts as it is addressed to enhance the adherence to Mediterranean Diet in a holistic approach stressing the vital role of families. Awareness and promotion of healthy diet and sustainable lifestyle model will be realised across the Mediterranean region and in other parts of the world by the means of different tools (3 promotion campaigns targeted to families; 8 training cooks for trainers; 16 awareness actions; 1 digital recipe book co-created with consumers; 1 printed practical toolkit on nutritional information and tips; 8 activities performed jointly with relevant EU/International organisations and projects; 4 inter-ministerial and/or inter-department joint events; participation in 6 international tourism fairs and cultural-related activities and food-related events; 5 workshops/trainings for knowledge transfer addressed to business professionals). Existing bottlenecks that are preventing citizens to adhere to MD will be extrapolated to identify changes needed to encourage the consumption of diverse foods and the eating behaviours consistent with the MD. Small but long-lasting changes of family’s habits and behaviour will be realised not only by providing information about the benefits of the MD and food choices but mainly offering families entertaining, user-friendly and popular digital tools to support behavioural change together with an empowerment through gaming. This will result in overall health improvement and easy long-term adherence to the MD, also considering implications of COVID-19 on healthy eating habits. Cross-sector collaboration in our consortium (nutrition, food innovation, businesses, policy makers, consumers, education, associations and academics) is brought to determine shift of food patterns addressing the need to educate, innovate from the industry and valorise traditional food.
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