An event combining nutrition, culture and diplomacy at Casa Italiana
La Italian House of the’Embassy of Italy in Washington hosted the first U.S. edition of the Five Colors Festival, an educational project that has already revolutionized the way we talk to children about nutrition in Italy.
Created by. Pancrazio Foundation, the festival lands in the United States with a clear goal: Promote the Mediterranean diet and spread food awareness among the younger generation.
Leading the audience was Raffaella Cappello, General Advisor of the Foundation and founder of Seed for Kids, committed daily to teaching the English children How to develop healthy eating habits through creative and inclusive activities.
Marco Silano: “The Mediterranean diet works because it is a system, not a fad.”
Among the most anticipated moments is the contribution of the Prof. Marco Silano of the Istituto Superiore di Sanità, who explained why the Mediterranean diet is still one of the most studied and effective nutritional models in the world.
Silano summarized his scientific heart in. three pivotal elements:
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Extra virgin olive oil as the main source of fat
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Fruits and vegetables in wide variety
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Plant protein as the predominant component
According to Silano, it is the balanced supplementation of these foods that supports longevity and well-being.
He then recalled how the Mediterranean diet was born in the unique context of the Mediterranean, where climate and biodiversity have fostered an unparalleled wealth of food over the centuries.
Toward UNESCO recognition
During the event, it was emphasized that the Mediterranean diet is now Very close to UNESCO inscription as an Intangible Cultural Heritage Site.
The vote is expected in December, and the Five Colors Festival helps tell the story of its value not only nutritionally, but cultural, social and identity.
Amy Riolo: “Cooking is the antidote to American loneliness.”
The Italian-American chef and author. Amy Riolo addressed an increasingly pressing issue in the United States: loneliness, which studies show is a real social epidemic.
Riolo explained how cooking can become a powerful tool for rebuilding bonds:
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unites people
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costs little
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stimulates creativity
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helps mental health
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educates in the care of self and others
He recalled that since the 1950s, American culture has progressively reduced the value of cooking at home, pushing toward industrial products and moving families away from shared meal rituals.
Sport and community: the contribution of CONI USA
The President of CONI USA, Mico Delianova Licastro, recounted the results of the activities that the Festival brought to New York in the previous days.
Central Park hosted workshops and interactive paths dedicated to children, turning into a meeting place for Italian, American and international families.
Licastro mentioned the importance of linking sports, nutrition and sociality, and emphasized the increasingly active participation of the Italian American community in events dedicated to health and culture.
Educating through colors: the Five Heroes
The heart of the project remains the method devised by Maria Teresa: i Five Heroes, characters representing the five colors of fruits and vegetables.
Each color corresponds to a “superpower,” an immediate and intuitive way to teach children that eating well can be fun, exciting, and close to their imaginations.
Washington as a starting point
The first American edition of the Five Colors Festival proves that talking about food means talking about future, culture and inclusion.
The initiative now wants to grow, bringing to schools in the United States an Italian educational model that combines science, tradition and play.
The message sent from Washington is clear:
Teaching children to eat well means investing in the health of communities and protecting a cultural heritage that belongs to the whole world.
