Abstract:

The present work is based on a Service-Learning experience in the university environment. The Mediterranean Diet has been recognized by the WHO as one of the healthiest dietary patterns in the world. Numerous studies support its benefits in reducing the incidence of cardiovascular disease, obesity, hypertension, metabolic syndrome, and dyslipidemia. According to the Mediterranean Diet Foundation, this dietary pattern is characterized by an abundance of plant-based foods, the consumption of fresh, local, and seasonal products, and a preference for minimally processed foods. The Mediterranean region hosts a wide variety of plants traditionally used as food: vegetables, fruits, grains, legumes, seeds, and especially edible wild species that have complemented the diet since ancient times. This traditional knowledge was passed down orally for generations, but it has been profoundly eroded. Industrialization, migration from rural to urban areas, and changes in lifestyle and eating habits have led to a considerable loss of knowledge about both wild and cultivated plants (including neglected crops and local varieties). Currently, society is experiencing a resurgence of interest in plant-based diets and in reconnecting with nature. However, this trend is sometimes driven by fads, misinformation, or unreliable sources, which can promote oversimplified messages, exaggerated claims, or even the misidentification of species, with a consequent risk of poisoning.

For these reasons, and based on previous experiences, a service-learning initiative was developed with the following objectives:
(i) to make students aware of their role in promoting public health; and
(ii) to develop a community service aimed at promoting healthy eating habits in the population.

A chain teaching-learning experience was carried out involving postgraduate university students and undergraduate students from the Degrees in Pharmacy, Human Nutrition and Dietetics, and Food Science and Technology, as well as 40 secondary education students, 30 primary education students, 15 elderly residents of a care home, and 15 adult women. Students at each educational level prepared workshops under the supervision of university teachers. They created teaching materials consisting of audiovisual presentations, and field trips were organized to identify these plants in their natural habitats. Moreover, adult participants were able to taste some of these vegetables.

This initiative was globally perceived as a real experience of chain transmission of knowledge at a community level: each group acted as a link to others and made possible a fluent learning, even producing an intergenerational exchange of information that strengthened the knowledge of the younger participants and added value to the knowledge of the older generation. As a result, university students could develop their own skills for community education, which was perceived by them as a professional activity.

In conclusion, this learning-by-doing experience made it possible to disseminate knowledge from a small group (5 undergraduate and postgraduate students) to a multigenerational group of over 100 participants, achieving the main objective of a service-learning project. It also contributed to improving participants’ awareness of healthy eating and their knowledge of the Mediterranean Diet.

Keywords:

Service-Learning, Mediterranean diet, wild plants, tradition, health.