Nutrition Literacy and Food Practices of Preschool Teachers in Greece

Background: Nutrition literacy, defined as “the skills to comprehend and implement nutrition information into everyday practice”, is a new area of study. Preschool teachers affect children’s perception of nutrition and health and contribute to their nutrition literacy skills. Objective: This cross-sectional study aimed to assess the level of nutrition literacy (NLS-Gr) of preschool teachers. Methods: The research included two stages of cluster sampling in a sample of kindergarten teachers in Greece (Rhodes Island). Nutrition literacy was assessed with the NLS-Gr, the Greek version of the NLS, and adherence to a Mediterranean diet with the MedDiet score. Results: The mean NLS-Gr score was 25.87 (SD ± 2.2) and is considered adequate. The correct answers range from 65.1% to 100%. The MedDiet score was calculated at 33.94 (SD ± 3.8), and no correlation was found between the MedDiet score and the NLS-Gr. The NLS-Gr score of kindergarten teachers was adequate, higher than that of previous research on different populations. Conclusions: The study concluded that adherence to the Mediterranean diet requires improvement, and food waste needs to be reduced. Educators should be empowered through targeted educational interventions to improve their dietary habits and, therefore, enhance students’ health and nutritional behaviors. Further research is needed to contribute to formulating nutrition strategies and policies in kindergarten.