Exploring the Relationship between Environmental Impact and Nutrient Content of Sandwiches and Beverages Available in Cafés in a UK University

The threat of climate change and population growth has led to calls for the adoption of environmentally sustainable diets; however, concerns have been raised over the nutritional quality of low Greenhouse Gas Emission (GHGE) diets. This study examined the relationship between measures of environment...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inSustainability Vol. 11; no. 11; p. 3190
Main Authors Graham, Fiona, Russell, Jean, Holdsworth, Michelle, Menon, Manoj, Barker, Margo
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Basel MDPI AG 07.06.2019
Subjects
Agricultural production
Agriculture
Animal products
Animal protein
Beverages
Biodiversity
Climate change
College campuses
Colleges & universities
Data points
Diet
Emissions
Environmental impact
Food
Food consumption
Food sources
Footprint analysis
Greenhouse effect
Greenhouse gases
Livestock
Meat
Nutrient availability
Nutrient content
Nutrition research
Public health
Refrigeration
Sustainability
Water consumption
United Kingdom > UK
Italy
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Summary:The threat of climate change and population growth has led to calls for the adoption of environmentally sustainable diets; however, concerns have been raised over the nutritional quality of low Greenhouse Gas Emission (GHGE) diets. This study examined the relationship between measures of environmental sustainability and nutrient content of sandwiches and beverages sold in a UK university café. GHGE and Water Footprint Impact Indicator (WFII) values for the ingredients of sandwiches and beverages were used with recipe information to calculate GHGE (gCO2e per portion) and WFIIs (scarcity weighted litres per portion). These estimates were then combined via orthogonal regression to produce a single Environmental Impact Score (EIS); higher scores equate to greater environmental impact. The relationship between EIS and nutrient content was explored using correlation analysis. Sandwiches that contained meat and animal products as well as beverages that contained milk, cocoa, and/or coffee had the highest EIS. EIS was positively associated with the portion size of sandwiches but not the serving size of beverages. EIS was positively correlated with calories, saturated fat, and sodium. However, EIS was also positively correlated with micronutrients: iron, calcium (beverages only), and B12 (beverages only). The choice of smaller or plant-based sandwiches as well as beverages without milk would reduce environmental impact as well as caloric and sodium intake. However, the selection of low impact options may also reduce the intake of nutrients required for good health. This study revealed possible tensions between nutritional quality and environmental sustainability.
ISSN:2071-1050
2071-1050
DOI:10.3390/su11113190