07 Jun DELICIOUS, our new PRIMA project

DELICIOUS, a project that tackles obesity during childhood and adolescence through Mediterranean diet, education, physical activity and sustainable gastronomy

DELICIOUS is a European project whose goal is to spread and disseminate good eating habits and healthy food choices among children and adolescents aged 6-12 and 13-17. The project will be developed through social market research (consumer study), gastronomic investigation, promotion of physical activity, the participation of children, adolescents and their families, Life Cycle Assessment, technology, non-formal educational material (toys/games) and school materials. This way, more adherence to Mediterranean Diet as well as better eating habits in the general public will be achieved.

In the last years an increase of overweight, obesity and diet derived problems has occurred along the Mediterranean area. This problem affects children and adolescents too, due to a more western inclined dietary adherence and less physical activity. DELICIOUS aims to break this pattern and provide children, adolescents and their families with tools to achieve healthier and more sustainable food choices and habits present already in the Mediterranean Diet and lifestyle.

The project will take 7 case studies from 5 different Mediterranean countries – Spain, Portugal, Italy, Egypt and Lebanon – with a series of school interventions. Healthy and sustainable snacks and recipes will be developed by expert chefs to provide better food choices in canteens. DELICIOUS will also create didactic activities and tools, so children and adolescents can assess how healthy and sustainable their meals are.

Contactica will handle the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of the menus to make sure they are sustainable, as well as the communication and dissemination of the project.

DELICIOUS will last for 36 months and received funding from the European Union’s Partnership for Research and Innovation in the Mediterranean Area Programme (PRIMA), within the 2021 Section 1 Agri-food IA call.