COOKING HEALTHY EUROPEAN PATHS: A EUROPEAN PATHWAY FOR RESEARCH, EDUCATION AND INNOVATION IN HEALTHY COOKING

The paper presents the results of the Cooking HEalthy European Paths (CHEEP) project. There is good evidence that non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as diabetes, osteoporosis and hypertension are also related to poor habits and dietary patterns since childhood. The Introduction highlights the urgent need to promote a cuisine that emphasizes healthy and sustainable dishes. These dishes can help prevent the onset of diet-related NCDs, which are influenced, at least in part, by unhealthy eating habits and lifestyle choices. The creation of a new specific education and qualification pathway within the curricula of the vocational catering school is presented. Then, it is described how teachers trained students during the first part of the project through webinars and meetings and how teachers provided students with professional skills through real learning practices and ICT-based methodologies, increasing motivation and satisfaction. The creation of a free, open, multimedia and multilingual augmented reality digital book containing clear, simple and appealing tips and recipes with explanatory videos on how to make them correctly was the final product of the project. At last, the results showed the positive impact of the pilot course on students' knowledge, attitude and perception of healthy cooking.