Impact of nutrition education on dietary practices and food waste in Moroccan adolescents

Abstract

The Mediterranean diet is a sustainable dietary model, but its adoption remains limited among adolescents in Morocco. Food waste, particularly of certain staple foods of this diet, is common within this population. This study aimed to analyse dietary habits and evaluate the impact of an educational intervention on food waste among school-aged adolescents. Data on dietary habits, adoption of Mediterranean diet and frequency of food waste were collected from a sample of 200 school-aged Moroccan adolescents (40% boys, 60% girls). Awareness-raising workshops were then organised to encourage better practices. The analysis revealed that only 40% of adolescents adopted the Mediterranean diet and that 60% frequently wasted food, primarily bread (43.7%) and fruits and vegetables. The wasting of food took place several times a week, often due to lack of appetite, or overly large portions. Following the educational intervention, a significant decrease in food waste was observed for all food categories, with a particularly marked reduction for bread (from 150 to 10 g/student/day) and a complete elimination of dairy waste (from 90 to 0 g/student/day).

CONCLUSION: These results demonstrate that targeted educational interventions can effectively reduce food waste and promote sustainable eating habits among adolescents.