• From 9 to 17 September, more than 250 family units met at the Eurecat centre in Reus to participate in a multicultural and multi-centre nutritional intervention.
• The SWITCHtoHEALTHY project, part of the PRIMA programme of the European Union, aims to develop tools and methodologies that promote the consumption of the Mediterranean diet in family homes.
• CREDA’s team is responsible for analysing the data collected to assist in the development of future policy guidelines.

September 16, 2024

The Centre de Recerca en Economia i Desenvolupament Agroalimentari (CREDA) has organised, together with Eurecat, a multicultural and multicentre nutritional intervention within the framework of the European project SWITCHtoHEALTHY (Switching Mediterranean consumers to Mediterranean sustainable healthy dietary parents) from 9 to 17 September at the Eurecat Reus technology centre (Tarragona).

During the sessions, which have been attended by parents and children, training has been provided on the project’s mobile application, educational materials and snack consumption. Participants have answered the questionnaire on adherence to the Mediterranean diet (MEDAS for adults and KIDMED for young people and children) and on knowledge of their lifestyle and eating habits. In addition, a dietary reminder of the consumption and food waste of each family will be made for seven days.

So far, more than 250 families have agreed to participate in the study and change their consumption habits, as well as to monitor their progress under the supervision of the project’s researchers. The organization has provided access to web materials and the mobile application and from September 18 until the end of the month, visits with families in Barcelona will follow.

The study, which lasts three months per family, aims to demonstrate the effectiveness of a family-based nutritional intervention to promote dietary and lifestyle changes. By promoting adherence to the Mediterranean diet, SWITCHtoHEALTHY researchers hope to develop models that can influence public health across the Mediterranean region.

Once the intervention is complete, CREDA staff will analyse the data collected, which will contribute to scientific publications and the development of policy guidelines for decision-makers.

In addition to the workshops in Reus, SWITCHtoHEALTHY is carrying out other interventions in various schools in Turkey. With a similar structure, the aim of these is to promote the incorporation of innovative and sustainable plant-based snacks and encourage the use of attractive educational materials and digital tools.