Students
Young people and adult VET learners, particularly in food-related programmes, who need practical tools to make choices, cook and care for their well-being.
Erasmus+ · Small-scale partnership
Food for Thought
Monitoring and evidence report for a project connecting food, mental well-being, sustainability and cultural exchange in vocational education and training.
2025-1-ES01-KA210-VET-000358116
18 months01 Oct 2025 — 31 Mar 2027
3 countriesSpain · Netherlands · Romania
6 activities2 documented in the supplied annexes
How to read this reportThe website distinguishes approved planning from documented implementation. Where no specific report or supporting evidence has been supplied, the activity is marked as “no evidence attached”, without assuming that it did not take place.
01 · Project framework
Eating better to learn and live better.
The project promotes healthy eating habits as a way to improve the mental well-being of VET students, integrating local food, sustainability, green skills and respect for Europe’s culinary diversity.
Erasmus+ priorities
Inclusion and diversity
Common values and civic engagement
Increasing the attractiveness of VET
European identity and citizenship
Physical and mental health
Green skills
Teachers and trainers
Professionals who will integrate nutrition, well-being, sustainability and cultural diversity into their teaching practice.
Specific objectives
Raise awareness of the relationship between diet and mental well-being among students, teaching staff and the wider educational community.
Create inclusive educational materials on nutrition and mental health, adapted to different needs and cultures.
Provide real-life experiences through workshops, cooking, case studies and traditional foods from the three countries.
Promote intercultural exchange and respect for European culinary diversity.
Support students with fewer opportunities through strategies for accessing affordable, nutritious food.
02 · Consortium
Three institutions, one shared value chain.
The consortium brings together expertise in vocational education and training, food science, agriculture, sustainability, applied innovation and student support.
CIFP Don Bosco LHII
A public VET centre in Errenteria with food-industry programmes, an inclusive approach, industry cooperation and an active commitment to sustainability.
Visit institution ↗
USAMV Bucharest
University of Agronomic Sciences and Veterinary Medicine. It contributes expertise in nutrition, food science, questionnaires, food diaries and data analysis.
Visit institution ↗
Van Hall Larenstein
A university of applied sciences specialising in food systems, the environment, innovation, practice-based education and well-being.
Visit institution ↗03 · Activity register
Planning and traceability.
The six activities in the approved application are shown with their lead partners and the level of evidence available in the supplied documentation.
01Kick-off meetingProject launch, governance and scheduleDocumented
Implementation data
Planned15 Oct 2025
Held27 Oct 2025 · 12:00
FormatGoogle Meet
LeadCIFP Don Bosco
Documented content
- Presentation of the project, objectives, expected outcomes and the relationship between nutrition and mental health.
- Allocation of the activities led by each partner.
- Creation and presentation of the shared folders for management, evidence, invoices, dissemination, contacts and logos.
- Proposal for regular meetings every four weeks.
- Follow-up on bilateral agreements and the transfer of funds.
Evidence: agenda annex, detailed minutes and a screenshot of the meeting.
02Cultivating Healthy LifestylesAnalysis of nutritional habits and well-beingDocumented
Approved plan
Period16 Oct 2025 — 27 Mar 2026
FormatVirtual and local work
LeadUSAMV Bucharest
Minimum sample15 students per country
Documented preparation
- Eating habits questionnaire access and participant instructions.
- Nutrition talks and workshop material for young adults.
- Practical nutritional label analysis material.
- Food diary access and completion instructions.
Public evidence: six supporting files document the instruments and teaching resources. Attendance lists, individual responses, names and email addresses are intentionally excluded because they contain personal data. The final comparative report remains pending until data from the Netherlands are incorporated.
03From Shopping to CookingMobility, markets, cooking and sustainabilityDocumented
Implementation data
Approved window02 Jan — 26 Jun 2026
Documented mobility20 — 24 Apr 2026
VenueVHL · Velp, Netherlands
LeadVan Hall Larenstein
Work completed
- T3.1 Market exploration and responsible shopping.
- T3.2 Cultural culinary exploration, international team cooking and the “A Table Without Borders” dinner.
- T3.3 Sustainability and economics analysis.
- Visits to De Velhorst, Stadsboerin Doetinchem and Zutphen.
- Training on food trends, shopping behaviour and sustainable systems.
Evidence: three technical reports, photographs, recipes and learning outcomes.
04Therapeutic vegetable gardenMulticultural garden, harvesting and cookingImplementation period
Approved plan
Period02 Jan — 18 Dec 2026
VenueErrenteria, Spain
LeadCIFP Don Bosco
Mobility1 teacher + 5 students per visiting partner
Planned outcomes
- T4.1 Accessible garden design and creation.
- T4.2 Sowing calendar and cultivation of at least two vegetables representing each country.
- T4.3 Harvesting and preparation of two recipes per country.
- Composting, circular economy, affordable food and cultural exchange.
No specific implementation report for activity 4 was included in this submission.
05Cultivating knowledge, flow and awarenessGuide, dissemination and transferImplementation period
Approved plan
Period01 Oct 2025 — 30 Nov 2026
ScopeInternational / multiple channels
LeadVan Hall Larenstein
AudienceVET, industry, policymakers
Planned outputs
- “Nourishing Minds” guide on healthy eating and mental well-being.
- Materials on food customs, sustainability and well-being in the partner countries.
- Publications, digital content, workshops and webinars.
- Continuous collection of feedback to improve the resources.
No specific implementation report for activity 5 was included in this submission.
06Virtual Closing MeetingEvaluation, sustainability and continuityNo report attached
Approved plan
Scheduled date22 Mar 2026
FormatVirtual
LeadCIFP Don Bosco
Participation2 representatives per institution
Planned purpose
- Evaluate achievements, challenges and lessons learned.
- Review inclusion, food, well-being and sustainability.
- Agree a continuity plan and new collaborations.
- Disseminate results through the partners’ websites.
No specific minutes or evidence of the closing meeting were included in this submission.
04 · Activity 2 in detail
Tools for observing habits and building food literacy.
The attached resources support the collection of dietary information and the educational work planned under “Cultivating Healthy Lifestyles”. Together they cover questionnaires, workshops, food labels and food diaries.
Eating habits questionnaire
An anonymous and confidential instrument for exploring meal patterns, food choices, portions, snacking, eating context, emotional eating and dietary requirements.
- QR access sheet · 1 page
- Participant instructions · 6 slides
- Voluntary participation and the option to skip questions
Healthy Choices, Healthy Lives
An 80-slide teaching deck connecting nutrition, balanced diets and healthy routines with physical health, cognitive performance and mental well-being.
- Nutrients, digestion, metabolism and energy needs
- Balanced diets, activity and weight management
- Food, the gut microbiome and mental health
Nutritional Label Analysis
A 78-slide practical workshop on reading packaging and using nutrition information to compare products and make informed choices.
- EU Regulation No 1169/2011
- Ingredients, allergens, serving sizes and nutrition declarations
- Nutrition and health claims, packaging and product comparisons
Designed food diaries
A self-observation tool for recording food and drink intake and reflecting on the relationship between daily choices, energy, health and academic performance.
- QR access sheet · 1 page
- Completion instructions · 7 slides
- Time, portions, preparation method, setting and optional mood or hunger notes
Public evidence boundary: this website publishes only materials suitable for open access. Attendance lists, names, email addresses and individual responses remain confidential and will not be published. The final comparative report will be added after incorporating the Dutch data.
05 · Activity 3 in detail
From conscious shopping to a table without borders.
The mobility held in April 2026 turned sustainability, economics and well-being into observable experiences: shopping, comparing, cooking, sharing and reflecting.
20—24April 2026
4USAMV students who travelled
3work strands T3.1–T3.3
T3.1 · Market Exploration and Shopping
Visits to Albert Heijn, Jumbo, Lidl and Presikhaaf retailers to compare store organisation, labelling, sustainability information, product diversity and pricing strategies. Teams followed agreed purchasing criteria and justified their decisions in terms of authenticity, nutrition, local availability and environmental impact.
T3.2 · Cultural Culinary Exploring
International teams planned and cooked a multicultural menu for approximately fifty people. They shared techniques, stories and traditional foods, with particular attention to local, seasonal and short-supply-chain ingredients.
T3.3 · Sustainability and Economics Analysis
The sessions and visits examined regenerative agriculture, biodiversity, the circular economy, access to healthy food, waste reduction, local production and the social value of community food initiatives.
Documented recipes
Traditional Romanian platter, Easter red eggs, creamy tomato soup, chicken skewers, oven-baked potatoes, cabbage and carrot salad, mujdei, cozonac and tiramisu. The recipes serve as cultural and educational materials, not simply as a menu.
Documented incident: one of the five students selected by USAMV was unable to board because their identity document did not meet the travel requirements. The mobility continued with four students and one lecturer.
06 · Visual evidence
Situated learning and participation.
A selection of images included in the submitted minutes and reports, together with photographs supplied by the project team. Use the filters to quickly locate each type of evidence.
Image sources: the virtual kick-off image comes from the submitted kick-off meeting minutes; the field visits, learning and shopping images come from the T3.1 Market Exploration and Shopping report; the collaborative cooking and Romanian dish images come from the T3.2 Cultural Culinary Exploring report; and the five additional photographs were supplied directly by the project team in September 2026.
07 · Results
What has been produced and what remains to be added.
This inventory avoids presenting outputs as complete when they are not yet supported by documentation in this submission.
Documented results
- Initial governanceAgenda, minutes, agreements, schedule and document structure.
- Activity 2 supporting materialsQuestionnaire and food diary access tools, participant instructions, nutrition workshops and label analysis.
- T3.1 reportMarkets, shopping, responsible consumption and differences between the Netherlands and Romania.
- T3.2 reportCulinary exploration, well-being, culture and nine recipes.
- T3.3 reportSustainability, economics, regenerative agriculture and mental well-being.
- Photographic evidenceMeeting, visits, workshops, shopping, cooking and the intercultural dinner.
Planned results without a specific annex
- Final comparative reportTo be completed after incorporating the data from the Netherlands. The underlying personal data remain confidential.
- Multicultural therapeutic gardenGrowing plan, vegetables from each country, harvesting and composting.
- “Nourishing Minds” guideFood, sustainability, the circular economy and mental resilience.
- Broader dissemination recordWebsite, social media, publications, workshops and webinars.
- Evaluation and closureFinal minutes, sustainability plan and curriculum transfer.
08 · Impact and evaluation
How change will be measured.
The application sets out a combined evaluation of knowledge, habits, participation and transfer using quantitative and qualitative tools.
Well-being and food
Understanding the relationship between nutrition, energy, concentration, mood and emotional resilience.
Green skills
Responsible shopping, local and seasonal food, waste reduction, composting and the circular economy.
European dimension
International cooperation, intercultural learning, recognition of results and greater attractiveness of VET.
Surveys and monitoringBaseline, final questionnaires and food diaries.
Activity observationParticipation, methodological effectiveness, workshops, cooking and mobility.
Verifiable outputsReports, guide, videos, recipes, garden, composting and materials.
DisseminationInstitutional websites, social media, EPALE, the Project Results Platform, workshops and events.
09 · Consistency review
Points to review before the final report.
The following observations result from comparing the approved application with the submitted minutes and reports. They should be clarified or corrected in the final documentation.
Country named in the public summary
The application summary mentions schools in the Netherlands, Romania and Greece. The documented consortium is Spain, the Netherlands and Romania; “Greece” appears to be a clerical error.
Kick-off date
The application scheduled the meeting for 15 Oct 2025, while the minutes confirm it took place on 27 Oct 2025. The change should be justified as a schedule adjustment.
Kick-off participation
Six participants were planned. The minutes name five: two from CIFP Don Bosco, two from VHL and one from USAMV.
Meeting evidence
The agenda announced a digital recording; the minutes state that it could not be made and that a screenshot was retained as substitute evidence.
USAMV mobility
Five students were selected, but four travelled because one participant had an issue with their travel document. The report describes the incident and the organisational response.
Closing timeline
The closing meeting is dated 22 Mar 2026, before the planned end of activities 4 and 5 and one year before the project’s formal end. The date should be confirmed or updated.
Mobility duration
The application describes a four-day experience, while the report places the mobility between 20 and 24 Apr 2026. It should clarify whether the five calendar days include travel days.
10 · Document archive
Downloadable sources and annexes.
Access the original documents used to prepare this report. They are preserved in their source formats to maintain integrity and traceability.
KA210-VET application formFramework, objectives, partners, activities and impact.↓
Annex 1 · Kick-off agendaObjectives, participants and planned agenda.↓
Kick-off meeting minutesParticipants, agreements, schedule and incidents.↓
T3.1 report · Market ExplorationShopping, markets, consumer behaviour and mobility.↓
T3.2 report · Cultural Culinary ExploringCollaborative cooking, food heritage and recipes.↓
T3.3 report · Sustainability and EconomicsFood systems, economics, inclusion and well-being.↓
Eating habits questionnaire · QR accessAccess sheet for the anonymous eating habits questionnaire.↓
T2.2 · Questionnaire instructionsSix slides on purpose, confidentiality and completion.↓
T2.3 · Talks and workshopsHealthy Choices, Healthy Lives · 80-slide teaching deck.↓
T2.4 · Nutritional label analysisWeb-optimised 78-slide workshop on labels, ingredients, claims and comparison.↓
Food diary · QR accessAccess sheet for the designed food diary.↓
Food diary instructionsSeven slides on recording intake and reflecting on daily habits.↓
Disclaimer textEuropean Commission funding clause.↓