Linking sustainability to the healthy eating patterns of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans: a modelling study

Blackstone, Nicole Tichenor; El-Abbadi, Naglaa; McCabe, Margaret Sova; Griffin, Timothy S.; Nelson, Miriam E.

doi:10.1016/s2542-5196(18)30167-0

Cited by 110 publications

(111 citation statements)

References 17 publications

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“…This finding underscores the large difference in impacts across meat types and not all "meat-containing" meals should be assumed to be more impacting than meatless meals-especially meatless meals containing other animal products (e.g., dairy). Other recent studies have done a thorough investigation that involves disaggregating food types and have come to similar conclusions as our study with respect to both magnitude of impacts and predominating contributors to US dietary impacts [60,61].…”

Section: Uncertainty Assessmentsupporting

confidence: 79%

“…The uncertainty regarding how to treat beverages when considering meals is tied to the reality that different beverages serve different functions in the diet, which are subjectively "part of a meal" or not. Diet-level studies offer a more holistic vision of the impact of beverages; for example, in Heller et al (2018) beverages were a non-negligible source of impact in the US diet [60].…”

Section: Uncertainty Assessmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Comparing the Environmental Impacts of Meatless and Meat-Containing Meals in the United States

Ernstoff

Tu²,

Faist

et al. 2019

Sustainability

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This study compares the environmental impacts of meatless and meat-containing meals in the United States according to consumption data in order to identify commercial opportunities to lower environmental impacts of meals. Average consumption of meal types (breakfast, lunch, dinner) were assessed using life cycle assessment. Retail and consumer wastes, and weight losses and gains through cooking, were used to adjust the consumption quantities to production quantities. On average, meatless meals had more than a 40% reduction in environmental impacts than meat-containing meals for any of the assessed indicators (carbon footprint, water use, resource consumption, health impacts of pollution, and ecosystem quality). At maximum and minimum for carbon footprint, meat-containing dinners were associated with 5 kgCO2e and meatless lunches 1 kg CO2e. Results indicate that, on average in the US, meatless meals lessen environmental impacts in comparison to meat-containing meals; however, animal products (i.e., dairy) in meatless meals also had a substantial impact. Findings suggest that industrial interventions focusing on low-impact meat substitutes for dinners and thereafter lunches, and low-impact dairy substitutes for breakfasts, offer large opportunities for improving the environmental performance of the average diet.

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Section: Uncertainty Assessmentsupporting

confidence: 79%

Section: Uncertainty Assessmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

Comparing the Environmental Impacts of Meatless and Meat-Containing Meals in the United States

Ernstoff

Tu²,

Faist

et al. 2019

Sustainability

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…If the diet is high-fat, more land is required [27]. A study from the USA by Blackstone et al found that the vegetarian diet has the lowest GHGEs and is favorable when it comes to sustainability [28].…”

Section: Land Use For Production Of Lov Dietsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Which Diet Has the Least Environmental Impact on Our Planet? A Systematic Review of Vegan, Vegetarian and Omnivorous Diets

et al. 2019

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The food that we consume has a large impact on our environment. The impact varies significantly between different diets. The aim of this systematic review is to address the question: Which diet has the least environmental impact on our planet? A comparison of a vegan, vegetarian and omnivorous diets. This systematic review is based on 16 studies and 18 reviews. The included studies were selected by focusing directly on environmental impacts of human diets. Four electronic bibliographic databases, PubMed, Medline, Scopus and Web of Science were used to conduct a systematic literature search based on fixed inclusion and exclusion criteria. The durations of the studies ranged from 7 days to 27 years. Most were carried out in the US or Europe. Results from our review suggest that the vegan diet is the optimal diet for the environment because, out of all the compared diets, its production results in the lowest level of GHG emissions. Additionally, the reviewed studies indicate the possibility of achieving the same environmental impact as that of the vegan diet, without excluding the meat and dairy food groups, but rather, by reducing them substantially.

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“…Ridoutt et al [32] examined a conventional and healthy diet scenario from a nutritional balance and import reliance perspective based on linear projections for national agricultural production. Blackstone et al [36] investigated the environmental impacts of different recommended healthy dietary patterns in the US context. As of yet, however, no study has investigated both multiple environmental impacts and direct food availability implications of alternative diets based on more complex, non-linear agricultural production projections at a national or regional level, which is necessary to give a more comprehensive picture of food, sustainability and health issues.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Modelling the Food Availability and Environmental Impacts of a Shift Towards Consumption of Healthy Dietary Patterns in Australia

et al. 2019

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Dietary change has been suggested as a key strategy to maintain food security, improve health and reduce environmental impacts in the face of rising populations, resource scarcity and climate change impacts, particularly in developed countries. This paper presents findings from a quantitative modelling analysis of food availability and environmental implications of shifting the current average Australian dietary pattern to one of two alternative, healthy dietary patterns, the 'healthy mixed diet', with a mixture of animal and plant foods, and the 'healthy plant-based diet', with only plant foods. Both were constructed in accordance with the Australian Dietary Guideline recommendations, and four sustainability principles: Avoiding over-consumption, reducing intake of discretionary foods, reducing animal products, and reducing food waste. It was assumed that all food was provided domestically where possible, and export of foods only occurred when there was a surplus to domestic requirements. The authors compared the impacts of each dietary pattern on direct food availability, water use, land use, greenhouse gas emissions, fuel and energy use and fertiliser use. The plant-based diet had the best overall environmental and direct food availability outcomes, however had key vulnerabilities in terms of fertiliser and cropping land availability. For the agricultural sector overall, changes in diet had little effect on environmental impact due to the amount and nature of Australian exports, indicating that changes to production methods are also necessary. Likewise, changing diets had little effect on the existing environmentally intensive Australian economy, indicating that changes to other sectors are also necessary.

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Linking sustainability to the healthy eating patterns of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans: a modelling study

Abstract: None.

Cited by 110 publications

References 17 publications

Comparing the Environmental Impacts of Meatless and Meat-Containing Meals in the United States

Comparing the Environmental Impacts of Meatless and Meat-Containing Meals in the United States

Which Diet Has the Least Environmental Impact on Our Planet? A Systematic Review of Vegan, Vegetarian and Omnivorous Diets

Modelling the Food Availability and Environmental Impacts of a Shift Towards Consumption of Healthy Dietary Patterns in Australia

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