Food literacy encompasses the knowledge, skills, and behaviors necessary to plan, manage, select, prepare, and consume food in accordance with nutritional recommendations, ensuring a healthy and sustainable diet. It is structured into four components: planning, selection, preparation, and eating.

At a societal level, there is an urgent need to promote food literacy through educational initiatives and awareness campaigns that enable all population groups to access healthy and sustainable food. In response to this need, this Service-Learning project was developed to enhance food literacy among vulnerable groups by facilitating institutional engagement and strengthening social support.

The methodology applied in this project followed a service-learning approach, in which faculty members trained students to design, plan, and implement activities aimed at improving food literacy. Participants came from various Degrees related to food and health sciences.

Under the supervision of five professors, students from the Pharmacy and Human Nutrition and Dietetics degrees carried out the project activities. The initiative was launched in the 2023-2024 academic year, when practical workshops were designed and conducted at Juan de Valdés School (covering early childhood education through High School). This subsidized school in Madrid is part of the “Sustainable Schools” program of the Community of Madrid.

Participating students engaged in workshops and interactive talks with sixth-grade students, developing activities and tools to introduce the concept of “One Health” within the framework of the Sustainable Development Goals. They also addressed topics related to food labelling and nutritional information.

This academic year (24-25), the project is being expanded to include other vulnerable groups, specifically the LGBTIQ+ community and families with premature children.
In the 2023-2024 academic year, an evaluation of the intervention was conducted immediately after the sessions in one group and two months later in another, allowing for a longitudinal assessment of knowledge retention. The results showed that 89% of elementary school students answered correctly on the same day of the workshop, demonstrating a high level of comprehension. However, this percentage decreased to 66% after two months, indicating a slight decline in long-term retention of the acquired knowledge.

These findings provide a valuable foundation for refining future interventions to enhance the sustainability of learning outcomes.

Acknowledgement:
This work is part of the UCM ApS service-learning Project: Alfabetización alimentaria para grupos vulnerables: en busca de salud y sostenibilidad.

Keywords: Food Literacy, nutrition education, food sustainability.