Adolescents today are navigating a food environment that’s more confusing than ever. Fast food, flashy health claims, and climate concerns are all on the menu. In Portugal and other Mediterranean countries, traditional eating habits are slipping away. So how can we help teens eat better, for themselves and the world? The answer may lie in combining food literacy with sustainability education, using the Mediterranean Diet (MD) as a guiding thread.
Drawing from two narrative reviews of my authorship published in Nutrients and Sustainability, this blog post brings together insights into food literacy and sustainability, both essential components in reshaping adolescent eating habits.
The Mediterranean Diet, traditionally rich in vegetables, legumes, fruits, olive oil, and modest portions of animal-based products, is increasingly abandoned by teenagers in Portugal. This shift is driven by globalization, urbanization, and the pervasive influence of ultra-processed food. It coincides with rising levels of adolescent obesity and a lack of basic food competencies, collectively known as low food literacy.
Food literacy is more than knowing what food is healthy. It involves understanding how to plan meals, choose ingredients, prepare dishes, and appreciate the broader implications of these choices for culture, health, and the planet. In the Nutrients article, I described the FOODWISELab project, which introduces students to the principles of MD through participatory school-based activities, such as growing food, cooking, and discussing nutrition with family members. These experiences help bridge knowledge gaps in daily life.
Why Teens Are Drifting Away from the Mediterranean Diet
The Mediterranean Diet is rich in fresh vegetables, legumes, fruits, whole grains, olive oil, and modest amounts of fish and meat. It is linked to better heart health, lower rates of obesity, and environmental benefits. However, today’s teens consume more ultra-processed snacks and sugary drinks than ever before. In Portugal, this shift is particularly noticeable among the youth.
This dietary drift is not only related to taste. Globalization, urbanization, and marketing play a significant role. As a result, many teenagers lack basic food skills and knowledge, a problem known as low food literacy.
What Is Food Literacy and Why Does It Matter?
Food literacy goes beyond knowing what’s “healthy.” It includes the ability to plan meals, shop wisely, prepare food, and understand how food choices affect culture, health, and environment. Programs such as FOODWISELab in Portugal are tackling this. Their school-based approach teaches children how to Plan, Select, Prepare, and Eat with purpose.
Activities include:
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Cooking classes
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School gardens
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Digital learning tools
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Family involvement
The result? Students not only gain practical kitchen skills but also develop emotional and cultural connections with food.
“Food literacy helps students understand not just what to eat, but why, and how that choice matters.”
The second article, published in Sustainability, highlights a parallel concern: adolescents often have superficial or inaccurate perceptions of what a sustainable diet means. For instance, many equate plant-based foods are universally healthier or more sustainable, depending on their quality and source. However, local products are not environmentally friendly. Organic food can be beneficial in some contexts; however, it is not a magic solution. Food waste, often seen as a matter of individual responsibility, is a systemic issue.
Both articles stress the importance of developing educational strategies that challenge these assumptions through critical reflection and experiential learning. School plays a crucial role in this process. Beyond teaching nutrition in science classes, they can foster sustainable thinking in geography, ethics lessons, and citizenship projects. What matters is connecting these ideas to students’ lived experiences, letting them see, taste, and feel the different food choices make.
Digital tools also offer opportunities, particularly for engaging today’s tech-savvy teens. Platforms that gamify food education or allow students to track their dietary and environmental choices can make abstract concepts more tangible. Thus, family participation is equally important. Intergenerational dialogue strengthens cultural identity and reinforces what students learn at school.
Sustainability Myths: What Teens Get Wrong
Sustainability is a hot topic, but many young people are unsure of what it really means when it comes to food. Some common misconceptions are as follows:
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Local food is always better, but not necessarily. Seasonality, energy use, and farming practices are also important.
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Plant-based means healthy – some vegan products are ultra-processed and nutritionally poor.
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Organic equals sustainable – not in every case. This depends on the full lifecycle of the product.
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Food waste is a personal issue and a global, systemic problem.
Schools can help students correct these ideas through interactive lessons, debates, and real-life experiences.
What can schools do?
Schools can create powerful learning environments by blending food literacy and sustainability education. Here’s how:
✅ Integrate Across Subjects
Teach food and sustainability concepts in science, geography, citizenship, and health education. Topics may include the climate impact of diets or food system mapping.
🥕 Make It Hands-On
Set up school gardens and cooking classes. Take students to farmers’ markets. Ask them to co-create seasonal recipes or track food waste in the cafeteria.
👨👩👧👦 Get Families and Communities Involved
Invite parents to workshops. Host community dinners. Partners with Local Farmers. Intergenerational learning has deepened this impact.
💻 Use Digital Tools
Gamified lessons and apps can make learning about MD and sustainability more engaging. Teens are digital natives and use them to their advantage.
📊 Measure Impact
Track changes in knowledge, behavior, and attitudes. Use pre- and post-surveys, interviews, and classroom observations.
A Vision for the Future: Smarter Eating, Smarter Planet
We propose a unified approach built around the following five key pillars:
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Knowledge: Understanding the Mediterranean Diet and sustainability concepts.
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Skills: Learning to cook, garden, shop smart, and read labels.
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Critical Thinking: questioning assumptions and weighing evidence.
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Community-sharing meals, culture, and values with others.
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Action – turning lessons into lasting habits.
“This isn’t just about changing lunchboxes, it’s about shaping lifelong values.”
From both reviews, a shared framework emerged: the need to equip adolescents with knowledge, practical skills, critical thinking, and a sense of community responsibility. If we want teenagers to develop healthier and more sustainable habits, we must engage both their minds and hearts. We need to make food education real, not just something they read about but something they live about.
Let’s Raise a Generation That’s Food Smart and Future Ready
The next generation requires tools to make informed, ethical, and healthy food choices. With the right support, adolescents can become leaders in shaping a sustainable and delicious future. If you are a teacher, parent, or policymaker, now is time to act.
Want to learn more? Follow our blog for real stories from classrooms, families, and researchers working to transform food education.
Feel free to explore the original research on Nutrients and Sustainability for a deeper dive into these findings. Stay tuned for more reflections and practical tools to bring this vision into classrooms, communities, and homes across Portugal and beyond.
Read more at: Silva, P. (2025). Enhancing Adolescent Food Literacy Through Mediterranean Diet Principles: From Evidence to Practice. Nutrients, 17(8), 1371. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu17081371
Silva, P. (2025). Adolescents’ Perceptions of Sustainable Diets: Myths, Realities, and School-Based Interventions. Sustainability, 17(12), 5323. https://doi.org/10.3390/su17125323