Enhancing Adolescent Food Literacy Through Mediterranean Diet Principles: From Evidence to Practice

Adolescent obesity and inadequate dietary habits remain pressing public health concerns in Portugal, particularly among socioeconomically disadvantaged populations. Food literacy has emerged as a critical framework for promoting healthier eating behaviors; however, school-based interventions are rarely culturally grounded or theoretically structured. This narrative review synthesizes the experiential strategies described in the literature to improve adolescent food literacy in school settings. It provides a conceptual foundation for and supports the design rationale of FOODWISELab: The Mediterranean Diet Experience-a school-based intervention aligned with Mediterranean diet principles and specifically tailored to the Portuguese educational context. Findings from the literature-emphasizing the value of school gardens, cooking classes, digital tools, and curricular integration-guided the development of FOODWISELab: The Mediterranean Diet Experience, a comprehensive intervention designed for implementation in public secondary schools in Portugal. The proposed protocol bridges the gap between research and practice by offering a structured, context-sensitive model built around four core pedagogical domains: planning, selecting, preparing, and eating. It integrates multiple components, including hands-on learning, family and community involvement, and robust evaluation strategy. FOODWISELab addresses the well-documented gap in adolescent food literacy by delivering a feasible, culturally relevant, and replicable intervention. The anchored Mediterranean dietary model aims to promote adolescent health, sustainability, and cultural heritage in both the urban and rural educational contexts. By presenting a detailed and actionable protocol, this review enhances the practical value of food literacy research and offers strategic guidance for future educational and public health initiatives.