SWITCHtoHEALTHY: Switching Mediterranean Consumers to Mediterranean Sustainable Healthy Dietary Patterns

Abstract In the Mediterranean countries profound changes in diet are taking place, largely due to cultural and socio-economic changes in lifestyle, which are leading to the erosion of the Mediterranean food cultures. The diet modernization process is noticeable; it has generated not only a modification of food choices in the direction of unhealthy foods, but also the habit of sedentary behaviours leading to an imbalance between energy intake and consumption. All of this has negative health impacts, as shown by the ever-increasing prevalence of overweight and obesity, as well as the rise of chronic diet-related diseases. The SWITCHtoHEALTHY project aims to generate an overall change of approach to the modern problem of eating behaviours, by strengthening the role of families towards the promotion of the sustainable Mediterranean food model. The main goal is to generate an actual switch to healthier dietary models, that are more consistent with the Mediterranean Diet. The project SWITCHtoHEALTHY aims to generate a dietary behaviour change in the direction of a greater adherence to the Mediterranean food model, by strengthening the role of families in the process of acquiring and maintaining healthy eating habits. The Mediterranean Diet (MD) is a healthy and sustainable food model, with an essentially plant-based dietary pattern (high consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables, cereals, and legumes). This goal will be reached by making available to families a combination of hands-on educational material and digital tools and complementing the dietary and lifestyle recommendations with easy-to-eat healthier snacking products.