Over 15,000 high school students take part in the 4th edition of the ”Snack Mindfully. Enjoy the Moment.”

At the 4th edition of the ”Snack Mindfully. Enjoy the Moment.”, a total of 15,140 students from 57 high schools in Bucharest and 9 counties: Argeș, Prahova, Covasna, Bacău, Hunedoara, Arad, Olt, Dolj and Gorj are participating. The objective of this educational project is to teach students from grades 9-12 to develop healthy eating habits, to eat mindfully, and to read the labels to make informed choices.

The 4th edition of the programme ”Snack Mindfully. Enjoy the Moment.” runs from September 2023 to June 2024 and the results so far show encouraging trends on changing the eating habits of teenagers in Romania. The programme has a significant impact, empowering teenagers and providing concrete actionable methods for lasting behavioural change.

As strong features of the design of the programme are the mini educational campaigns in schools, creating a long-term dialogue with teenagers and responding to their challenges and concerns about healthy eating and mindful eating. The results of the programme so far indicate success in raising awareness among teenagers about the importance of cultivating healthy eating habits for life.

Launched in 2020, the programme is run by the Association Sută la Sută Românesc and is organised in partnership with the National Authority for Consumer Protection (ANPC), School Inspectorates in Bucharest and the counties of Argeș, Prahova, Covasna, Bacău, Hunedoara, Arad, Olt, Dolj and Gorj, with the Centre for Management Research (CCM) of the National School of Political and Administrative Studies (SNSPA) and supported by Mondelēz International, a leader in the global snack market.

“Just as the online environment is one of the most important sources of information for young people today, the label of a food product is an equally good source for consumers of all ages. From ingredients to additives, flavours and nutritional declaration, all of these are extremely important facts when deciding what we want to eat. In a world increasingly full of obese people, sadly especially young people, we need to learn not only to read but also to understand what is written on labels. Thanks to our authority’s involvement in keeping consumers constantly informed an order has been drawn up which brings the necessary information to food outlets and not just on product labels. There is no excuse for not being informed about what you eat. It can make the difference between healthy or sick, fat or lean. Unlike our parents who didn’t have all the information available to them about the products they ate, we have the chance by simply reading labels to know absolutely everything. Read it, it doesn’t hurt!” said Horia Constantinescu, President of the National Authority for Consumer Protection.

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The programme ”Snack Mindfully. Enjoy the Moment.” transforms teenagers’ eating habits

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The programme ”Snack Mindfully. Enjoy the Moment.” won in the Best CSR and Health & Wellness Campaign categories at the Davos Communnications Awards held in December 2023.

Nutrition specialists, psychologists and mentors specialising in mindful snacking, special guests, including artists involved in the project are working closely together to ensure the impact of the messages and establish a genuine connection with teenagers.

The team of specialists of the project consists of Lidia Feher, project coordinator, Lidia Bădilă, regional coordinator of the program, Dana Dobrescu, Corporate & Government Affairs Manager Romania, Mondelēz International and mentor in the field of Mindful snacking, Florentina Baloș-Cioropină, ambassador of the project on behalf of the Association Sută la Sută Românesc, ANPC inspectors, Dr. Laura Davidescu, doctor with expertise in Nutrition and Food Safety, Mădălina Preda, Professional Organizer | Chronic Disorganization Specialist® CVOP™️ | Time Management and Productivity Specialist | Speaker, Iulia Avădănii, psychologist, personal development for young people, Anca Ghinea, creator, Cornel Mihalache, mentor trainer, Cosmin Natanticu and Jean Gavril, guest stars, Liviana Tane, writer, editor, creative writing consultant.

The Management Research Centre (MRC) team of the National School of Political and Administrative Studies (SNSPA), led by Prof. univ. dr. habil. Elena – Mădălina Vătămănescu, is developing the research tool for the project ”Snack Mindfully. Enjoy the Moment.”, 805 student responses to the online questionnaire were registered by 1 February. The team is coordinated by Prof. Dr. Andreea Mitan, Executive Director of the CCM, PhD in both Communication Sciences and Management, together with Dr. Elena Dinu and Drd. Victor-Emanuel Ciuciuc, with expertise in marketing, branding and CSR.

During the three previous editions, more than 15,000 students and 617 teachers from 30 high schools in various regions of the country, such as Bucharest and the counties of Sibiu, Alba, Brasov, Iasi, Cluj and Mures, participated in workshops and online meetings.