title: Towards a sustainable diet combining economic, environmental and nutritional objectives.
abstract: Foods consumed and dietary patterns are strong determinants of health status. Diet and nutrition have a key role in health promotion and maintenance during the entire lifetime, but what we choose to eat and drink greatly affects the environmental impact on ecosystems as well as monetary resources. Some studies suggest that a healthy diet with a low environmental impact is not necessarily more expensive. This paper aims to identify a healthy, greener and cheaper diet based on current consumption patterns. Dietary information was collected from 104 young adults in the last year of high school in Parma (Italy). Diet was monitored with 7-day dietary records. Subsequently, food items were decoded to obtain nutritional, economic and environmental impact data. An optimization tool based on mathematical programming (Multi-Objective Linear Programming) was used to identify sustainable diet. Three different 7-day diets were identified, based on nutrition recommendations for the healthy Italian adult population, characterized by different targets and optimizing different impacts: first the diet at the lowest cost (Minimum Cost Diet - MCD), then the Environmentally Sustainable Diet (ESD) obtained by minimizing the three environmental indicators (CO2e emissions, H2O consumption and amount of land to regenerate the resources - m(2)). Finally, the Sustainable Diet (SD) was identified by integrating environmental and economic sustainability objectives. Lastly, suggestions and recommendations for communication campaigns and other interventions to achieve sustainable diet are suggested.
authors.affiliation: University of Parma, Department of Biosciences, Viale Usberti, 33/A, 43124 Parma, Italy. Electronic address: michele.donati@unipr.it.
authors.forename: Michele
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Donati
authors.affiliation: University of Parma, Department of Food Science, c/o Department of Economics, Via Kennedy, 6, 43125 Parma, Italy. Electronic address: davide.menozzi@unipr.it.
authors.forename: Davide
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Menozzi
authors.affiliation: University of Parma, Department of Biosciences, Viale Usberti, 33/A, 43124 Parma, Italy. Electronic address: camilla.zighetti@studenti.unipr.it.
authors.forename: Camilla
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Zighetti
authors.affiliation: University of Parma, Department of Food Science, Via Volturno 39, 43125 Parma, Italy. Electronic address: alice.rosi.g@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Alice
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rosi
authors.affiliation: University of Parma, Department of Food Science, c/o Department of Economics, Via Kennedy, 6, 43125 Parma, Italy. Electronic address: anna.zinetti@studenti.unipr.it.
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zinetti
authors.affiliation: University of Parma, Department of Food Science, Via Volturno 39, 43125 Parma, Italy. Electronic address: francesca.scazzina@unipr.it.
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Scazzina
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D003247:Conservation of Natural Resources; D003365:Costs and Cost Analysis; D015930:Diet Records; D000072001:Diet, Healthy / Q000191:economics / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D005523:Food Supply / Q000191:economics / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D008297:Male; D018673:Nutrition Policy; D059205:Renewable Energy
keywords: CO(2)e emissions; Diet cost; Ecological impact; Greenhouse gases; Nutrients; Sustainable diet