A sustainable diet promotes individual health and has low environmental impact. Sustainable diets are accessible, affordable, and safe to consume.
How Do Sustainable Diets Benefit The Environment?
According to the Food and Agriculture Association of the United Nations, sustainable diets are respectful of biodiversity and ecosystems. Sustainable diets can make a positive difference on nature as well as individual health.
How Can I Have A Sustainable Diet?
- Consume plant-based products
- Focus on seasonal and local foods
- Reduce food waste
- Consume fish from sustainable stocks only
- Reduce intake of red and processed meat
- Reduce intake of highly-processed foods and sugar-sweetened beverages
- Reduce single-use food packaging
How Does An Unsustainable Diet Harm The Environment?
Overdependence on select foods, lack of diversity of diet, and continued consumption of unsustainably produced items negatively affect biodiversity and ecosystems.
How Do Unsustainably Produced Foods Affect The Environment?
Unsustainably produced foods cause deforestation, the conversation of wildlife habitats, the degradation of water and soil quality and the increase of greenhouse gas emissions. Individual diet patterns strongly influence global environmental issues.
Are Global Diets Sustainable?
Historically, there have been 6,000 crops consumed. Today, we consume only 200 of those crops, and 9 account for 70% of all food produced. This lack of diversity in our diets contributes towards a lack of diversity in nature, causing us to become less resilient to pests or diseases in our food.
How Can We Approach Sustainable Diets On A Global Scale?
WWF suggests a National Dietary Guideline which ensures no over-reliance on select commodities. The Guideline would recognise cultural differences in diets whilst focusing on ensuring a greater variety of foods are consumed.
Why Are Plant-Based Foods Sustainable?
Plant-based foods have lower planetary impact than animal-based foods:
- Plant-based foods cut greenhouse gas emissions by 30%
- Plant-based foods cut wildlife loss by 46%
- Plant-based foods cut agricultural land-use by 41%
- Plant-based foods cut premature deaths by 20%
What Is A Sustainable Diet-shift?
Diet-shift is a global goal of modifying consumption choices towards healthy and sustainable diets. Sustainable diet-shifts align with the aims of Sustainable Development Goals and the UN Food Systems Summit of 2021 which work towards the transformation of food systems.
World Health Organization’s Guiding Principles To Sustainable Diets
- Consider international nutrition recommendations
- Consider the environmental cost of food production and consumption
- Adapt to local social, cultural and economic contexts
What Is A Balanced Diet?
A balanced diet is rich in wholegrains, legumes, nuts, a variety of fruits and vegetables, moderate amounts of animal-derived foods such as eggs, dairy and fish, and small amounts of red meat.
Can Sustainable Diets Contribute Towards Weight Loss?
Balanced diets, alongside physical activity, can improve physical health. This can support weight loss endeavors through higher consumption of vitamins and minerals and lower consumption of processed foods.
Is The Average American Diet Sustainable?
According to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, the average American consumes excess salt, saturated fats, refined grains, calories from solid fats and added sugars. A sustainable diet can help improve the balance and health benefits of American food consumption.
The History Of Sustainable Diets
Sustainable diets were developed in 1986 to address the global dual issues of malnutrition and degradation of environmental resources. Under the 1986 Dietary Guidelines for Sustainability, sustainable diets are described as ‘food choices that support life and health within natural system limits into the foreseeable future.’
How Can Sustainable Diets Positively Impact Our Health?
As informed by the Food and Agricultural Organization, sustainable diets can support optimal growth and development, improve physical, mental, and functional wellbeing, and support the prevention of malnutrition.
Small Tangible Steps Towards Sustainable Diets:
- Try mostly plant-based – start with one meat-free day per week
- Moderate dairy intake – prioritize lower fat and lower sugar options
- Aim for your 5-a-day – consume local and seasonal produce, avoid prepped and packaged fruits and vegetables
- Reduce soft drinks and fruit juice consumption to reduce greenhouse gas emissions – tap water is our most sustainable source of hydration, use refillable bottles
- Avoid fat-high-sugar foods and processed meats
- Eat more fish – two portions are recommended per week
Conclusion
Sustainable diets hold the power to influence the health of an individual and the planet. A balanced, sustainable diet can be easily achieved through minimising consumption of processed foods and being conscious of the environmental impacts of food products.
