Greek consumers love Mediterranean Diet: MedDiet!

The Cultural Foundation « Routes of the Olive Tree » has successfully completed a set of information / sensitization events for consumers and stakeholders around the theme of the Mediterranean Diet, in the framework of the project MedDiet and the Mediterranean Cross-Border Cooperation Programme (ENPI CBC Mediterranean Sea Basin).

In the 5 cities that hosted the events (Athens, Nafplio, Tripoli, Sparti and Kalamata), hundreds of visitors had the opportunity to be informed on the Mediterranean Diet and its multiple beneficial effects, by the MedDiet team and the nutrition experts participating in the events.

The events took place at central points of 5 Greek cities: Athens: Golden Hall mall, Nafplio: Syntagma Square, Tripoli: Pedestrian Street Ethnikis Antistaseos – Old Town Hall, Sparti: Central Square, Kalamata: Central Market.

The events were implemented with the support of the local Authorities and included tasting of traditional local and Mediterranean products, scientific information, distribution of information and promotional materials (gadgets), contests-knowledge quizzes, open air workshops etc., focused on the Mediterranean Diet as a nutrition model based on olive oil, cereals, fresh and dry fruits and nuts, vegetables, fish, dairy products, meat, herbs and spices, and is accompanied with wine, always with respect to traditions in every country.

The activities for the public was completed in Kalamata, with an information and sensitization training course addressed to executives of local authorities from various Greek cities and a short Information Day for representatives of local authorities.

During these meetings, emphasis was given to the fact that the Mediterranean Diet –above all a way of life deeply rooted in the landscape and expressed in the traditional foodstuff– is threatened by consumption of greasy, artificial and processed foodstuff, which has tripled around the whole Mediterranean region in the last decades, bearing down on the obesity and heart diseases indexes. Considering the importance of fighting against this negative trend of unhealthy eating andreinforcing the Mediterranean identity, through the MedDiet project we are asking for the contribution of all the actors involved, in order to sensitize consumers on the unique healthy traditions of the Mediterranean Diet.