Reducing energy intake and energy density for a sustainable diet: a study based on self-selected diets in French adults

doi:10.3945/ajcn.113.077958

The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition

Volume 99, Issue 6, June 2014, Pages 1460-1469

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ABSTRACT

Background:

Studies on theoretical diets are not sufficient to implement sustainable diets in practice because of unknown cultural acceptability. In contrast, self-selected diets can be considered culturally acceptable.

Objective:

The objective was to identify the most sustainable diets consumed by people in everyday life.

Design:

The diet-related greenhouse gas emissions (GHGE) for self-selected diets of 1918 adults participating in the cross-sectional French national dietary survey Individual and National Survey on Food Consumption (INCA2) were estimated. “Lower-Carbon,” “Higher-Quality,” and “More Sustainable” diets were defined as having GHGE lower than the overall median value, a probability of adequate nutrition intake (PANDiet) score (a measure of the overall nutritional adequacy of a diet) higher than the overall median value, and a combination of both criteria, respectively. Diet cost, as a proxy for affordability, and energy density were also assessed.

Results:

More Sustainable diets were consumed by 23% of men and 20% of women, and their GHGE values were 19% and 17% lower than the population average (mean) value, respectively. In comparison with the average value, Lower-Carbon diets achieved a 20% GHGE reduction and lower cost, but they were not sustainable because they had a lower PANDiet score. Higher-Quality diets were not sustainable because of their above-average GHGE and cost. More Sustainable diets had an above-average PANDiet score and a below-average energy density, cost, GHGE, and energy content; the energy share of plant-based products was increased by 20% and 15% compared with the average for men and women, respectively.

Conclusions:

A strength of this study was that most of the dimensions for “sustainable diets” were considered, ie, not only nutritional quality and GHGE but also affordability and cultural acceptability. A reduction in diet-related GHGE by 20% while maintaining high nutritional quality seems realistic. This goal could be achieved at no extra cost by reducing energy intake and energy density and increasing the share of plant-based products.

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^¹: From the Unité Mixte de Recherche “Nutrition, Obesity and Risk of Thrombosis,” Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, Aix- Marseille Université, Marseille, France (GM, FV, and ND); AgroParisTech, Nutrition Physiology and Ingestive Behavior, Paris, France and Danone Research, Global Nutrition Department, Palaiseau, France (EOV); and UR “Aliss,” Ivry sur Seine, France (L-GS and DT).

^²: Supported by the French National Research Agency under the OCAD project ANR-11-ALID-0002 and the French Environment and Energy Management Agency (ADEME). FV received a PhD grant from the INRA divisions of Nutrition, Chemical Food Safety, and Consumer Behavior and of Social Sciences, Agriculture and Food, Rural Development, and Environment. EOV received a PhD grant from Danone Research and from the Association Nationale de la Recherche et de la Technologie (CIFRE 474/2010).

^³: Address correspondence to N Darmon, UMR 1062 INSERM/1260 INRA/Université d’Aix-Marseille, Nutrition Obésité et Risque Thrombotique, Faculté de Médecine de la Timone, 27 Boulevard Jean Moulin, 13385 Marseille Cedex 05, France. E-mail: [email protected].

^⁴: Abbreviations used: GHGE, greenhouse gas emissions; INCA2, Second Individual and National Survey on Food Consumption; PANDiet, probability of adequate nutrient intake.