Sustainable Eating for You and the Planet!
Sustainable eating and a sustainable diet is one that supports your health, but also one that is economical for you and one that has a low environmental impact on the planet.
Including a wider variety of plant-based foods in your diet is a great way to become more sustainable.
The term ‘plant-based’ is widely recognised, however a survey by YouGov on behalf of the British Nutrition Foundation (BNF) revealed that many people are confused about what the term means.1 So, what does a plant-based diet involve?
Plant based diet
A plant-based diet is mostly based around foods from plants such as legumes, nuts, vegetables, fruits and wholegrains. But, still includes a limited amount of meat and dairy products like chicken, fish, milk, cheese and eggs, as these foods provide important nutrients for overall health too.
Plant-based foods are great sources of vitamins, minerals and dietary fibre which all contribute to a healthy body and immune system. Plant-based diets have also shown to lower blood pressure, cholesterol, body weight and blood glucose which are all supportive in reducing the risk of developing cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes.2,3
Sustainable Eating Tips
So, how can you adopt a more sustainable diet? Well, here are Love Your Gut’s practical tips to help you get started:
- Aim for your 5-a-day, but try keep it sustainable by choosing local and seasonal produce
- Choose wholegrain varieties of pasta, rice, bread and cereals
- Opt for lean meats or non meat days and include more plant-based protein sources such as beans and pulses
- Choose low-fat dairy products or opt for some fortified dairy-alternatives
- Consume less processed foods and drinks such as sweets, cakes and fizzy drinks
- Manage your portion sizes and reduce food waste
Adopting a more sustainable diet is a win-win for both you and the planet. Following some of these tips can help reduce our carbon footprint as well as boost our health, so why not give sustainable eating a try!
For more information about Love Your Gut see: www.loveyourgut.com
- British Nutrition Foundation. (2020) Majority unlikely to go plant-based in the New Year, BNF survey reveals [Press Release]. 30 December. Available at: https://www.nutrition.org.uk/press-office/pressreleases/plant-based.html (Accessed: May 2021).
- Viguiliouk et al. (2019) Clinical Nutrition, 38(3): 1133-1145. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clnu.2018.05.032.
- Aljuraiban et al. (2019) BMJ Nutrition, Prevention & Health, 3(2): e000077. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmjnph-2020-000077.