Research article - Peer-reviewed, 2021
Food Dishes for Sustainable Development: A Swedish Food Retail Perspective
Torstensson, Linn; Johansson, Rebecca; Mark-Herbert, CeciliaAbstract
Current dietary patterns contribute negatively to greenhouse gas emissions and to the increased prevalence of non-communicable diseases. Earlier research on sustainable food consumption mainly focuses on diets, rather than single meals. Diets are difficult to measure, which is usually executed through self-reporting. This paper aims to identify frequently prepared dishes in a home setting through sales statistics, and how they can be altered to reduce climate impact and increase nutritional value. Commonly prepared food dishes in a home setting among customers of a major food retailer in Sweden were identified through sales statistics. The dishes were altered to reach nutritional and climate impact guidelines. Commonly prepared food dishes exceeded goals for climate boundaries by more than threefold and were not in line with nutritional guidelines. The content of fat, including saturated fat, was too high. Vegetables, fruits, wholegrains and fiber need to be increased. To reduce climate impact and increase nutritional value, the amount of animal-based product need to be reduced and/or exchanged to plant-based alternatives. This research contributes empirically to understandings of how portfolio management decisions influence food consumption based on sales statistics and how nutritional and climate impact guidelines can be applied from a single meal perspective.Keywords
nutritional sustainability; portfolio management; sustainable diets; sustainable food consumption; sustainable nutritionPublished in
Foods2021, volume: 10, number: 5, article number: 932
Publisher: MDPI
Authors' information
Torstensson, Linn
No organisation
Johansson, Rebecca
No organisation
Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Department of Forest Economics
Sustainable Development Goals
SDG2 Zero hunger
SDG12 Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns
UKÄ Subject classification
Food Science
Publication Identifiers
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/foods10050932
URI (permanent link to this page)
https://res.slu.se/id/publ/112249