Healthy and sustainable diets that meet GHGE reduction targets and are affordable for different income groups in the UK.

Abstract

Major change is required to shift the population to diets that meet dietary recommendations for health and have lower greenhouse gas emissions (GHGE). These changes may have implications for the cost of the diet and therefore affordability to some income groups. The aim of this study was to model healthy, low GHGE diets by income groups, taking into account their current dietary intakes and food budgets. Using household food purchase data from the 2013 UK Living Costs and Food Survey mapped to nutrient composition, GHGE and price data, linear programming was used to create new optimised diets that meet dietary requirements for health, GHGE reduction targets, and current food budgets for different income groups. All income groups had similar total GHGE associated with their current and modeled diets. Yet, there were differences in the food groups with which these GHGE were associated. This was due to the differences in the type and quantities of foods purchased by each income group. Understanding these income based dietary differences allows for focused dietary change and limiting the dietary changes needed. This will not only reduce total dietary GHGE, but improve nutritional quality of the diet while remaining affordable.