Sustainable Diet: Characteristics, Advantages & Challenges

Table of Contents

What is Sustainable Diet?

Sustainable diet is a food pattern that is healthy for the people and environment.
Sustainable diet is a complex and multidimensional concept and refers to the diet with low environmental impacts.
The United Nations Food & Agriculture Organisation(UN FAO) defines sustainable diets as:

“Those diets with low environmental impacts which contribute to food and nutrition security and to healthy life for present and future generations. Sustainable diets are protective and respectful of biodiversity and ecosystems, culturally acceptable, accessible, economically fair and affordable; nutritionally adequate, safe and healthy; while optimizing natural and human resources.”

The definition by FAO clearly states that sustainable diet goes beyond nutrition and environment to include economic and socio-cultural dimensions.
These diets contribute to food and nutrition security to healthy life at present and as well as to future generations
Such diet respects the ecosystem and biodiversity and are socially acceptable and affordable as well
Sustainable diet is to maintained from both production and consumption side
As for the production aspect, it focuses on the use of pesticides, seed type, farming technique used and many more
Likewise, from the consumption aspect, the food one purchase has impact on the environment as well
The food one consumes indirectly encourages the production of such food stuff on the market thereby bringing the respective consequences

Characteristics of Sustainable diet

Low environmental impact
Culturally acceptable
Economically affordable
Nutritionally safe and adequate
Ecosystem friendly
Biodiversity enriched
Promotes healthy lifestyle
Focusing on healthy production

components of sustainable diet — **Source:** Nicholas, Khristopher & Fanzo, Jessica & Macmanus, Kytt. (2017). Palm Oil in Myanmar: A Spatiotemporal Study of How Industrial Farming Affects Biodiversity Loss and the Sustainable Diet. Annals of Global Health. 83. 188. 10.1016/j.aogh.2017.03.473.

Principles and Recommendations for Sustainable Diet

There are many sustainable diet principles and recommendations. We can simply assure the sustainable diet through following steps:

1. Eating sustainable foods

Look for certified products
Eat local, organic or certified foods
Focus on seasonal foods

2. Eating more plants and plant-based foods

Eat as much plant as possible
Include variety and diversity of food

3. Wasting less food

Minimize food wastage
Food wasted can actually use to feed someone else’s hunger

4. Eating healthy and no/minimally processed foods

Eat fresh ingredients
Avoid using packaged foods with preservatives

5. Eating less meat

Foods of animal origin is one of the most significant contributors to climate change.
Instead of such foods, foods of plant origin needs to be promoted
Ensure that meat, dairy products and eggs are produced to high environmental and animal welfare standards.
Consume fish from sustainable stocks
Reduce eating red and processed meat, highly processed foods and sugar-sweetened beverages.

6. Eating less food

Eating less food basically refers to avoid the waste food
Eat at balance as required and do not over eat

7. Learn about food production

Consider the environmental impacts of food production

Examples of sustainable foods

Leafy green vegetables
Oats
Cereals and grains
Seaweed
Mushrooms
Local fruit
Pulses like chickpea, lentil and beans etc.

Advantages of Sustainable Diet

1. Helps to protect the environment

The concept of the sustainable diet is based on environment friendly approach
It is estimated that a third of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are generated by the food system from primary production.
Food production process has led significantly to the loss of ecosystems and biodiversity.
Thus the sustainable approach is necessary to address all these problems as well
It focuses on all the aspects such as land use. Use of pesticides. Use of seeds, feeds fed to the animals etc.
The concept ensures that the steps on the food production doesn’t harms the environment

2. Promotes personal health

Along with the environment SD promotes personal health as well
The principles of the SD emphasis on the more consumption of the plant abd the inclusion of the variety
SD practice also reduces the consumption of the fast food and unhealthy food
SD advocates for the less meat consumption
The varieties in food we eat and less consumption will induce the better health
The safer production will also promote the better health

3. Others

Sustainable diet approaches food security for present as well as the future generations as well
Sustainable diet tastes better and promotes good health as well
It is necessary to reduce the burden of malnutrition

Challenges to Sustainable Diet

There is no universal definition and the definitions are relative
The definition provided is very vague and includes many dimensions
The already existing food insecurity and malnutrition makes sustainable diet approach more challenging
Sustainable diet promotes and supports less meat consumption which has been great issue in the present world.
It promotes minimally processed foods which is a bigger challenge in present context where people have busy lifestyle and mainly rely on processed foods.

How to Start Consuming Sustainable Diet?

Shift the focus from animal foods to plant foods
Try consuming fresh foods, fruits and vegetables which are local and organic
Focus on seasonal foods and fruits
Avoid/reduce using packaged foods with preservatives
Ensure that the food you are consuming is nutritionally adequate and safe
Redesign your plate: Ensure that your food plate has at least half portion of vegetables and one quarter of grains
Try to buy foods that are available locally from the nearby farmers
Start growing on your own gardens
Consume less calories only as much as required for the body
Cut down processed foods
Promote foods with regenerative farming and using organic methods