'My Planet Diet' Study offers to change your diet while saving the planet

8 Aug 2022

Researchers at the School of Food and Nutritional Sciences are conducting research into how best to develop dietary guidelines that will help to protect and promote health, as well as reduce greenhouse gas emissions - one of the contributors to climate change.

The ‘My Planet Diet” study will also look at whether these guidelines can provide people with the sufficient nutrients they require, in comparison to a healthy diet that does not take environmental impact into account.

As part of the study, researchers are seeking volunteers who will participate in a 12-week study, with benefits including feedback on their existing diet and tailored nutritional advice from a qualified nutritionist. They will also be provided with personalised resources and recipes along the way.

To help inform the study, the researchers will collect information on participants’ dietary intake, analyse nutrient levels in their urine and blood, and take measurements such as weight, height, and blood pressure.

The study is funded by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, and the information collected will be used to inform policymakers and support the development of sustainable dietary guidelines.

Professor Mairead Kiely, Head, School of Food and Nutritional Sciences, UCC, and Principal Investigator of the study commented:

“Recent studies have shown that what and how we eat can have an impact on the environment. This study will allow us to create a diet that is healthier for people, and healthier for the planet”.

Five Ways to eat healthier while saving the planet

By Ursula Leonard, PhD researcher at the Human Nutrition Studies Unit, Cork Centre for Vitamin D and Nutrition Research, UCC.

1. Add plant-based protein sources such as beans, chickpeas and lentils to your diet to complement protein sources from animal foods.
   These will not only provide protein, they are also packed with fibre and other nutrients and for people starting from a high meat intake, are a helpful way to reduce red meat intake to two portions per week.
   
   
2. Increase your intake of whole grains and avoid white, refined grains.
   This could be achieved by opting for porridge oats or Weetabix for breakfast, wholemeal bread for lunch, and brown rice or pasta for dinner.
   
   
3. Eat fruits, nuts, and seeds as snacks throughout the day.
   Aim for a minimum of 2 portions of fruit and a handful of unsalted nuts or seeds every day. This will help displace high energy-low nutrient foods such as biscuits, sweets, chocolate, and crisps, which contribute to excess energy intake and weight gain, and generate carbon emissions during production without providing nutritional value.
   
   
4. Choose tap water as your beverage of choice.
   Minimise bottled and canned fizzy drinks and limit alcohol intake. These are not necessary components of a healthy diet, therefore the carbon emissions generated during production could be avoided or minimised.
   
   
5. Plan ahead to help avoid food waste.
   This can be achieved through simple tasks like taking a stock-take at home before you shop; making a shopping list and avoiding promotions on perishable foods if they are likely to be wasted; placing older foods at the front of your fridge and cupboards for easier access; and using left-overs for lunch the following day. Eating just enough and not too much is another way to avoid wasting food.