Under the title “Discovering the Mediterranean Diet: Health, Sustainability and Gastronomy,” the initiative will begin this Friday, October 16, coinciding with World Food Day, with the participation of students from La Salle Franciscanas Gran Vía school in Zaragoza. Lectures, international testimonies and even a practical cooking workshop will introduce students to one of the dietary models most closely linked to Spanish culture.
The project comes at a time when children’s and teenagers’ eating habits are concerning specialists. “Various studies warn of the rise in childhood overweight and obesity, excessive consumption of ultra-processed foods and the gradual abandonment of the traditional Mediterranean diet,” said CIHEAM Zaragoza Director Raúl Compés. He warned that these changes affect both individual health and the sustainability of the agri-food system and the environment.
NUTRITION AND FOOD EXPERTS ADDRESS STUDENTS
One of the highlights of the event will be the lecture “Mediterranean Diet, Nutrition and Health,” delivered by Miguel Ángel Martínez-González, a professor at the University of Navarra who is internationally recognized for his research in this field. Students will learn firsthand what science says about this dietary pattern and its relationship with health.
The program will also include the lecture “The World of Food,” led by Ramzi Belkhodja, head of the Training Unit at CIHEAM Zaragoza, while Ibtissem Taghouti, coordinator of the center’s Economics and Development area, will address the key aspects of sustainable eating.
However, the activity aims to go beyond explaining which foods form part of a balanced diet. Young people will be able to reflect on how food is produced, the challenges currently facing agri-food systems and the environmental consequences of different consumption models.
FROM NUTRITION TO VETERINARY MEDICINE: THE PROFESSIONS BEHIND FOOD
CIHEAM Zaragoza will also use the event to introduce students to a sector offering numerous academic and career opportunities. Representatives of the center and the University of Zaragoza will explain the education options and career prospects related to Agricultural Engineering, Veterinary Medicine, Marine Sciences, Fishing and Aquaculture, Nutrition and Health, and Food Science and Technology.
In this way, the project will connect teenagers’ everyday habits with some of the degrees and professions involved in the entire process that takes food from production to the table.
A MEDITERRANEAN COOKING WORKSHOP FOR LEARNING IN THE KITCHEN
The most practical part will come through gastronomy. Chef Sandra Ibáñez, co-founder of Zaragoza-based creative pastry shop Toque de Canela, will lead a Mediterranean cooking workshop for the students. The activity will be hosted by Juan Barbacil, secretary of the Aragonese Academy of Gastronomy.
With this new program, CIHEAM Zaragoza is expanding its outreach work into pre-university education and seeks to introduce young people in Aragon to some of the major challenges that will shape the future of food, from health and the abandonment of the Mediterranean diet to sustainability and new professional opportunities in the agri-food sector.
