Project: UnDErstanding consumer food choices & promotion of healthy and sustainable Mediterranean diets and LIfestyles in Children through behavIOUral change actionS

Acronym	DELICIOUS
Duration	01/04/2022
Project Topic	By definition, Mediterranean Diet (MD) pattern is framed under the Sustainable Healthy Diets (SHD) pattern portraited by WHO&FAO: diets that integrate sustainable and nutrient-dense foods, which are safe and equitable for all actors along the food chain and are culturally acceptable to all. Following that idea, MD is not only a “healthy eating” pattern, but also a lifestyle. Adhering to the MD is not only important to balance an adequate nutritional pattern, but it also enables proximity consumption and promote local rural development. Together with lower meat production and distribution, MD pattern contributes to a decreased environmental footprint. Despite the obvious benefits, MD adherence has surprisingly decreased during the last years in the Mediterranean region. The major influencing factors are the lack of nutritDELICIOUS is a 3-year project whose aim is to boost the attractiveness of sustainable and healthy traditional Mediterranean lifestyle (Mediterranean Diet (MD) + physical activity) in Mediterranean societies, by raising awareness of their beneficial impact for the human and planet health through age-adapted educational actions in schools, implementation of MD-based menus in school canteens and the development of new healthy snacks rich in bioactive compounds. DELICIOUS will increase the adherence of children and adolescents (and as a result, their family circles) to more nutritious, healthy and sustainable Mediterranean dietary patterns, therefore preventing lifestyle-related diseases (heart disease, cancer, diabetes…) while contributing to more resilient agro-food systems in the Mediterranean region. A multidimensional perspective of the agro-food system will be addressed considering the social, economic and environmental implications of the MD and an integrated approach will be adopted for an effective food behaviour change, combining specific actions: 1) the identification and understanding of modifiable factors leading to deviation from MD in Mediterranean societies; 2) nutritional and sustainability analysis of Mediterranean recipes; 3) reformulation of Mediterranean recipes for higher sustainability and acceptability by children; 4) digitalization of nutritional and sustainability information of Mediterranean recipes in a platform, targeting school canteens and food services working with schools, and accessible to all EU citizens; 5) formal and non-formal education about local and sustainable MD; 6) the co-creation -between children and culinary experts- of new healthy snacks rich in bioactive compounds and in line with the MD.ion and sustainability education along with socioeconomic factors
Network	PRIMA
Call	Section 1 – Agro-food Value-chain 2021

Project partner

Number	Name	Role	Country
1	EDELVIVES	Coordinator	Spain
2	ASOCIACIÓN DE INVESTIGACIóN DE LA INDUSTRIA DEL JUGUETE CONEXAS Y AFINES	Partner	Spain
3	Basque Culinary Center Fundazioa	Partner	Spain
4	Contactica Innovation	Partner	Spain
5	Lc Ibérica SL	Partner	Spain
6	Assiut University	Partner	Egypt
7	PROVINCIA D'ITALIA DEI FRATELLI MARISTI DELLE SCUOLE	Partner	Italy
8	University of Catania	Partner	Italy
9	Congrégation des Frères Maristes au Liban	Partner	Lebanon
10	Provincia Portuguesa da Congregacao dos Irmaos Maristas	Partner	Portugal