But what does a sustainable diet actually mean?

A sustainable diet has been officially defined by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations as follows:

“Sustainable Healthy Diets are dietary patterns that promote all dimensions of individuals’ health and wellbeing; have low environmental pressure and impact; are accessible, affordable, safe and equitable; and are culturally acceptable.”

Choosing a sustainable diet means ensuring the planet has enough resources to feed future generations. It aims to positively impact the individual and the environment in the present as well as the future.

Is a sustainable diet also a healthier choice?

Overall food intake is too high in many Western countries, especially unhealthy food such as biscuits, crisps, chocolate and takeaways.

A sustainable diet minimising meat and dairy on the other hand can have considerable health benefits.

Better weight management

Research has shown that people on a mainly plant-based diet have a lower BMI (body mass index) and lower rates of obesity.

Lower risk of heart disease and other diseases

According to the American Heart Association, eating less meat can also reduce the risk of stroke, high cholesterol, blood pressure and certain types of cancer.

Diabetes prevention and treatment

Plant-based diets possibly help prevent or manage diabetes by improving insulin sensitivity and reducing insulin resistance. A study from 2009 including 60,000 people discovered the number of people with the disease was more than double among those on a non-vegetarian diet.

What to consider when choosing a sustainable diet

Don’t worry, eating sustainably does not mean you have to become a vegan and entirely give up meat and dairy. As with most things, the idea is moderation.

Broadly speaking, four steps you can take are:

1. Reducing red meat and having some meat-free days
2. Eating more plant-based foods
3. Reducing food waste
4. Moderating high-fat dairy foods

What exactly does a sustainable diet include?

The British Dietetic Association (BDA) and Tara Garnett, director of the University of Oxford’s Food Climate Research Network (FCRN) recommend the following regarding a healthy and sustainable diet:

Eat more of these foods

• Local and seasonal fruit and veg or tinned/frozen
• Beans, lentils and soy
• Minimally processed tubers (potatoes)
• Whole grains such as wholemeal bread, bulgar wheat, wholemeal cereals and pasta
• Unsalted seeds and nuts
• Oils and fats with a beneficial Omega 3:6 ratio (rapeseed and olive oil)

Eat in moderation

• Red meat (less than 500g a week and consume all animal parts
• Fish and seafood (buy only from certified fisheries))
• Dairy (milk and yoghurt, low-fat cheese)

Avoid these foods

• Air-freighted, pre-packed and prepared fruit and veg
• Processed foods including processed meat
• Processed vegan and vegetarian alternatives that may contain a lot of salt or sugar
• Sugary foods, such as cakes, ice creams, biscuits, and pastries
• Refined white carbohydrates
• Excess salt
• Fatty, greasy, or deep-fried foods

Hydration

Did you know soft drinks and juice are the third biggest contributor to dietary GHG emissions? It’s better for the planet and for your health to only drink tap water or tea and coffee without sugar. Also, be sure to use refillable bottles.

Foodwaste

Wasted food and drink are very bad for the environment due to all the land, water and energy used in the production process. 70% of food is wasted in the home, so there is a lot of room for improvement in this area.

Diets you can consider to have a lower impact on the environment and improve your health

Vegetarian and plant-based diets

These are more sustainable than a diet with animal products (meat and dairy). For example, one acre of corn for human consumption can directly be consumed. For animal products, the same acre of corn is used for feeding livestock. The animals themselves also need additional land and resources. This means farming animal foods requires significantly more land.

However, in some cases, a vegan diet can turn out to be less environmentally friendly than a meat eater’s diet. Make sure you are not choosing highly processed vegan options, as the footprint for these can actually be higher than meat.

Local food diets

This diet prioritises purchasing foods only from the area where the person lives. The benefits of this approach are less transporting food over long distances, less food packaging and waste and fewer resources needed to grow food that is out of season.

Flexitarian diet

This diet focuses on plant-based food but also includes small amounts of meat and dairy. Keep in mind, there is currently no official agreement on how many animal products a person can eat and remain sustainable.

The popularity of the flexitarian diet has been growing. This coincides with research into the benefits of such a diet. A Nestlé Research study carried out in collaboration with the University of Hawaii Cancer Center found that there are more micronutrients beneficial to a person’s health in animal-based diets. Therefore, a mainly plant-based diet that includes certain animal-based foods, i.e. a flexitarian diet, may be the best option.

This type of diet could become a popular option for those who aren’t willing to give up meat completely. Even a reduction in aminal products helps. For example, taking part in the “Meat-free Monday” initiative can already reduce a person’s carbon footprint, while possibly improving their health at the same time.

Don’t know where to get started?

We can help. At inoqo, we calculate the impact of food products across eight different dimensions including climate, nutrition, regionality and seasonality. If you are a retailer or F&B brand trying to make your offering more sustainable and healthier at the same time, we can calculate all of these parameters and support you in making the necessary changes to become more sustainable.

You would like to learn more? Simply get in touch at hello@inoqo.com.

If you have a medical condition, are pregnant or a child, please speak to a medical professional before making any changes to your usual diet.