Promoting a change in eating habits, which involves reducing the consumption of red and processed meats, through the consumption of innovative products based on edible insects and legumes? The challenge is launched! The Change Eat intervention! - Alternative Protein Dinner! will take place in Porto, between October and December this year. This initiative is led by the Universidade Católica Portuguesa - Business and Economic Research Unit of CATÓLICA-LISBON (CUBE) and the Center for Biotechnology and Fine Chemistry (CBQF), Associated Laboratory of the School of Biotechnology -, being an integral part of the European project SUSINCHAIN - SUStainable INsect CHAIN. This project involves a research consortium with 35 partners in 14 countries.
The Portuguese Food Balance estimates that 21% of the average daily calorie intake in Portugal comes from meat consumption, which represents more than four times the recommended amount in the Food Wheel. In particular, and according to the results of the latest National Food and Physical Activity Survey (IAN-AF 2015-2016), each Portuguese adult consumes, on average, close to 100 grams of red and processed meats daily. This value far exceeds the recommended for a balanced diet – 28 grams daily, and even more the suggested by the United Nations for a healthy diet from sustainable food systems – 14 grams daily.
Ana Isabel de Almeida Costa, Principal Investigator at CUBE and one of the coordinators of the intervention, describes as the main motivation of ChangeEat! “The scientific evidence resulting from interventions carried out in other countries shows that the creation of opportunities for young consumers to experience, free of charge, in their daily lives, a diversified offer of innovative food products, which configure safe, healthy, nutritious, tasty and easy to prepare for red and processed meats, it is one of the most effective ways to reduce its consumption in the long term. This is what we propose to do in Portugal with ChangeEat!”
“It is time to move from recommendations to action”, as highlighted by Maria João Monteiro, Senior Researcher at CBQF and the other coordinator of this study. “In Portugal, Change Eat! will select up to 56 couples, aged between 18 and 40, and accompany them in the transition of eating habits until the end of 2022, providing them with the experience of making and consuming innovative products made from edible insects and legumes, rich in alternative, healthy and sustainable protein”.
FAO has declared edible insects one of the foods of the future, providing a safe, healthy, nutritious, tasty and sustainable source of protein with the potential to feed hundreds of millions of Europeans. Legumes are another healthy and sustainable source of protein for human consumption, and their consumption is one of the pillars of the Mediterranean diet. Chopped, prepared or mixed, sausages and pastries - from turkey, crickets, soy, lentils, among other ingredients rich in protein - are just some of the products that ChangeEat! will have the opportunity to try it out.
Curious to try it? Ready to change your eating habits this autumn?
Learn how to sign up for ChangeEat! here and learn in detail about the scheduled activities and the advantages of participating.