SWITCHtoHEALTHY - Switching Mediterranean Consumers to Mediterranean Sustainable healthy dietary patterns.

The Mediterranean Diet (MD) constitutes a set of skills, knowledge, practices, and traditions ranging from cultivation to processing, preparation and, particularly, consumption of food, and defines a unique lifestyle recognized as a common cultural heritage of Mediterranean communities. MD is essentially a plant-based dietary pattern, based on high consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables, cereals and legumes as main source of fibre and antioxidant compounds. The MD is a sustainable food model that is recognised as a) environmentally sustainable protecting the biodiversity; b) culturally acceptable and fair; c) economically accessible and affordable; d) nutritionally adequate, safe, and healthy. Profound dietary changes are occurring across Mediterranean countries, largely due to cultural and socio-economic-driven lifestyle changes, that are leading to the erosion of Mediterranean food cultures. The modernisation of the diet is particularly evident implying not only modification of food preferences towards unhealthy foods, but also adherence to sedentary activities, leading to an imbalance between energy intake and expenditure. This has negative health consequences, like continuously growing prevalence of excess weight and other dietary-related chronic diseases, coexisting with undernutrition (nutrient deficiencies and stunting). Latest data show that 2 billion adults are overweight while 678 million are obese. These trends exacerbate among children and teens. The WHO COSI6, indicated that Greece, Italy, and Spain had the highest rates of childhood obesity (approx. 20%). Overweight and obesity prevalence rates in Turkey, Morocco and Lebanon are 23%, 14% and 30%, respectively. Estimated weighted regional averages for stunting, wasting and underweight in the Eastern Mediterranean Region were about 28%, 9% and 18%, respectively.

SWITCHtoHEALTHY Family-based assessment: a multi-centre intervention Digital interactive tools and educational material Healthy and nutritious plant-based snacks to complement daily meal plans

No diversity of actively engaged stakeholders (e.g., municipalities, food service, citizens, etc.) for promoting the healthy and sustainable Mediterranean dietary pattern • SWITCHtoHEALTHY includes 3 food companies, 1 food association, 3 governmental authorities, 1 consumers association., 1 business association., 5 nutrition/food/ technology centres; 2 universities in the agri-food, 1 IT centre, 1 IPR SME. Extent to which i) global citizenship education/awareness and ii) education/awareness for sustainable development (including climate change education and healthy diet) are mainstreamed in a) national education policies; b) curricula; c) teacher education; and d) public awareness (adapted from SDG 12.8, indicator 12.8.1) • 8 policy instruments conveyed to policy makers for decision making at local, regional, national, and cross-Med level to tackle different thematic aspects: nutrition, agriculture, culture, education, economics. 3 Trans-national strategies adopted; 4 Joint Cross-sector Innovation Action Plans based on the project results and in cooperation with EIT KICs/Cross-KIC and EIPs. Number of new health-related high-quality food • Deliver 12 different healthy, nutritious, sustainable, and affordable plant-based snacks. Number of socio-cultural actions and strategies promoting the healthy Mediterranean food choices through appropriate information provision to consumers and policymakers • 3 promotion campaigns; 6 training cooks; 47 awareness actions; 1 digital recipe book; 6 tourism fairs or cultural-related activities and food-related events; 5 workshops/trainings; 8 policy instruments; 7 policy actions. Consumers’ empowerment (food information /awareness/ behavioural change) • 8 Campaigns at schools; social/conventional media; 360 families directly engaged.