by Choosing food that is good for us, good for the planet, accessible and affordable is a complex problem. But luckily, research can help.
The global food system is responsible for about 30 percent of annual greenhouse gas emissions.
While food production contributes significantly to this environmental footprint, the foods we choose to eat are just as important.
But it’s easy to get confused by all the conflicting advice out there about what to eat for nutritional reasons versus what to eat for environmental reasons.
In the midst of a cost of living crisis, our diets need to be affordable and, to ensure we can stick to them long term, not too different from what we are used to eating.
Fortunately, we know exactly what constitutes a healthy and sustainable diet.
The World Health Organization and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations define healthy, sustainable diets as “dietary patterns that promote all aspects of the health and well-being of individuals; they have low environmental pressure and impact; that are accessible, affordable, safe and fair; and culturally acceptable”.
But designing diets that satisfy these various, and sometimes conflicting, aspects is a complex problem that can take days, if not years, for the brain to solve.
That’s why researchers at the Riddet Institute in New Zealand took a computer-based mathematical modeling approach to the problem instead.
Dietary optimization modeling seeks to identify the best combination of foods to meet dietary goals, such as meeting nutrient recommendations, while adhering to certain conditions, such as cost limits and environmental impact.
It also allows researchers to design diets that satisfy all of these conditions with minimal change from people’s current dietary patterns and cultural preferences.
Diet optimization is hardly a new concept. It can be traced back to 1945 when the economist Dr. George J. Stigler tried to eat well while spending the least amount of money doing so.
Fast forward to today, and researchers are putting sustainable food into action.
Imagine a tool accessible to all that can guide users – from conscientious consumers to policy makers – through the maze of dietary advice and environmental concerns.
The Sustainable Nutrition Initiative in New Zealand is developing an interactive dietary optimization tool, called The iOTA Model, which will allow users to explore what it takes to transform an ordinary dietary pattern nutritionally adequate food and what the environmental implications are. diet that is .
All without much deviation from the current dietary habits of the users to ensure that it will be quite easy for them to adopt the optimized diets without making too many changes to what they are used to eating.
Research suggests that optimizing diets for nutrition and sustainability requires a country-specific focus to account for food availability, consumer habits and nutritional needs specific to different populations.
For example, when considering dietary habits in different countries, a one-size-fits-all approach may not always be appropriate: rice may be considered a staple in Nepal but potatoes are the main source of energy in Mexico.
The nutritional content of foods can also vary from place to place, especially when it comes to micronutrients, as these are greatly influenced by their growing environment.
We should also consider the differences between the nutritional needs and dietary habits of people of different sexes and age groups — such as women of reproductive age who need more iron or the elderly who need more protein.
While this may all seem overly complicated, if you’re eating healthier and meeting nutritional recommendations, chances are you’re already eating better for the planet too. For example, it’s better for both your waistline and the planet to reduce your consumption of foods that are high in sugars and low in important nutrients, and replace them with nutrient-dense whole foods.
What is consistent in almost all countries is that increasing the contribution of fruit, vegetables and starchy foods to the mix of foods we eat, and reducing the contribution of sugar and fats, would help reduce diet-related emissions and providing energy and essential nutrients at the same time.
In other words, if we eat what we need and avoid what we don’t, some of our diet-related environmental impact is reduced.
It is important to note that although animal-sourced foods are among those foods with the highest dietary emissions, sustainable diets do not necessarily have to be exclusively plant-based.
A dietary simulation study in the UK showed that a small number of people in the study had to increase meat intake to optimize the nutrient composition of their diets while still meeting emission targets.
The sustainability of our diets is about much more than just reducing the impact on the environment.
The well-being of consumers — nutritionally, culturally and economically — should be at the forefront and at the heart of any efforts towards more sustainable diets.
This means food that is healthy, affordable but also respects the food habits of the culture it is part of.
Dr Mahya Tavan is a postdoctoral research fellow at the Riddet Institute’s (SNi) Sustainable Nutrition Initiative, hosted by Massey University in Palmerston North, New Zealand. She is working on the development of The iOTA Model, a dietary optimization tool for designing sustainable diets that are nutritious, acceptable and affordable.
The Global Dairy Platform funded the development of the iOTA Model.
First published about Creative Commons with 360 information™.
