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Impact of Food Choices on Environmental Sustainability and Human Health

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Dear Colleagues,

Food choices are complex and highly variable because they are influenced by many psychological, social, and cultural factors. The food choices we make, how we cook our food, and the global food production system have major impacts on climate and the environment.

Understanding and changing human food choices and eating behaviors can help shape sustainable consumption and benefit the environment. Diets largely composed of fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts and whole grains, combined with reduced meat consumption, can improve human health and protect the environment. These foods have a low carbon footprint and are associated with reduced disease risk for a variety of health outcomes.

The Special Issue entitled "Impact of Food Choices on Environmental Sustainability and Human Health", which is open for articles and commentary, presents reviews of existing literature, describes results from primary research in human and animal populations, presents results from environmental science in relation to food production and sustainability, and critically summarizes data from multiple investigations. Exploration of the interaction between food choices, environmental influences, and human health falls within the scope of this Special Issue.

Dr. Catherine L. Carpenter
Guest Editor

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10 pages, 1184 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Increasing the Consumption of Environmentally Friendly Foods in a University Dining Hall Using Menu Item Placement

by Cinzia Franchini, Carole Bartolotto, Francesca Scazzina, Catherine L. Carpenter and Wendelin Slusser

Nutrients 2023, 15(18), 3873; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu15183873 - 6 Sep 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2328

Abstract

Creating a decision-making environment that promotes sustainable food choices is a priority for both the individual and society. This study aimed at encouraging plant-based menu choices by re-ordering the menu according to the carbon footprint values. The project was conducted in a grab-and-go eatery at a large United States public university, where students could order their meals choosing among different menu options that were customizable with various ingredients. The order of menu ingredients was changed twice: for five weeks, from the most to the least impactful in terms of carbon footprint; subsequently, for another five weeks the order was reversed. At both times, all sales data were recorded. A total of 279,219 and 288,527 items were selected, respectively, during the first and the second intervention. A significant association was found between menu re-ordering and customers’ choices for almost all food categories considered. Overall, despite beef choices not changing, results showed that students were more likely to choose low-carbon options when these were placed at the beginning, emphasizing that food selections were impacted by ingredient placement on the menu list. These findings highlight the need for a multi-level strategy focused on raising students’ awareness of the environmental impact of animal-based foods, particularly beef. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Impact of Food Choices on Environmental Sustainability and Human Health)

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18 pages, 2694 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Healthy Diets from Sustainable Food Systems: Calculating the WISH Scores for Women in Rural East Africa

by Gudrun B. Keding, Jacob Sarfo and Elke Pawelzik

Nutrients 2023, 15(12), 2699; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu15122699 - 9 Jun 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1588

Abstract

Diets should be healthy for the benefits of both humans and the environment. The World Index for Sustainability and Health (WISH) was developed to assess both diets’ healthiness and environmental sustainability, and the index was applied in this study. Food intake quantities for single foods were calculated based on the data collected from four 24-h recalls during two seasons in 2019/2020 with women of reproductive age in two rural areas each in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda (n = 1152). Single foods were grouped into 13 food groups, and the amount of each food group consumed was converted to an overall WISH score and four sub-scores. The food groups with a low WISH score were fruits, vegetables, dairy foods, fish, unsaturated oils and nuts, meaning that their consumption was outside the recommended range for a healthy and sustainable diet. Contrariwise, the intake of red meat and poultry was partly above the recommended intake for those women who consumed them. The overall WISH score and sub-scores showed that the consumption of “protective” food groups needed to increase in the study population, while the consumption of “limiting” food groups was sufficient or should decrease. For future application, we recommend dividing food groups that are critical for nutrition, e.g., vegetables, into sub-groups to further understand their contribution to this index. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Impact of Food Choices on Environmental Sustainability and Human Health)

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