Are more environmentally sustainable diets with less meat and dairy nutritionally adequate?

May 24, 2017Public health nutrition

Are diets with less meat and dairy still nutritionally healthy and more environmentally friendly?

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Circadian Biology on OpenScience ↗PubMed ↗DOI ↗

Abstract

Replacing 100% of meat and dairy with plant-based foods may lower environmental impacts by more than 40%.

Replacing 30% of meat and dairy did not significantly change the percentage of adults below the Estimated Average Requirement (EAR) for all nutrients studied.
In the 100% replacement scenario, saturated fat intake decreased by approximately 35%, and sodium intake decreased by about 8%.
Median calcium intakes were below the Adequate Intake level.
Estimated intakes of fiber, iron, and vitamin D increased, though non-heme iron had lower bioavailability.
Between 10-31% of adults had intakes of zinc, thiamin, and vitamin B12 below the EAR, with 60% having inadequate vitamin A intake.
Replacing 30% of meat and dairy resulted in a 14% reduction in environmental impacts while maintaining neutral effects on other nutrients.

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OBJECTIVE: Our current food consumption patterns, and in particular our meat and dairy intakes, cause high environmental pressure. The present modelling study investigates the impact of diets with less or no meat and dairy foods on nutrient intakes and assesses nutritional adequacy by comparing these diets with dietary reference intakes.

DESIGN: Environmental impact and nutrient intakes were assessed for the observed consumption pattern (reference) and two replacement scenarios. For the replacement scenarios, 30 % or 100 % of meat and dairy consumption (in grams) was replaced with plant-based alternatives and nutrient intakes, greenhouse gas emissions and land use were calculated.

SETTING: The Netherlands.

SUBJECTS: Dutch adults (n 2102) aged 19-69 years.

RESULTS: Replacing 30 % of meat and dairy with plant-based alternatives did not substantially alter percentages below the Estimated Average Requirement (EAR) for all studied nutrients. In the 100 % replacement scenario, SFA intake decreased on average by ~35 % and Na intake by ~8 %. Median Ca intakes were below the Adequate Intake. Estimated habitual fibre, Fe and vitamin D intakes were higher; however, non-haem Fe had lower bioavailability. For Zn, thiamin and vitamin B12, 10-31 % and for vitamin A, 60 % of adults had intakes below the EAR.

CONCLUSIONS: Diets with all meat and dairy replaced with plant-based foods lowered environmental impacts by >40 %. Estimated intakes of Zn, thiamin, vitamins A and B12, and probably Ca, were below recommendations. Replacing 30 % was beneficial for SFA, Na, fibre and vitamin D intakes, neutral for other nutrients, while reducing environmental impacts by 14 %.

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Are more environmentally sustainable diets with less meat and dairy nutritionally adequate?

Abstract

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