Healthy eating recommendations call for decreased consumption of meat, SRT1720 meat products and highly processed foods. Reduction of meat consumption is at the same time among the most effective measures to reduce the resource intensity of one’s diet 14••, 36, 37•• and 38. While meat intake should be decreased, healthy eating recommendations indicate most consumers should increase the intake of fruit and vegetable. These, just as many other plant-based

products, have a much lower relative environmental impact upon production than animal-based food categories [36]. It has been found that the concern about ‘food miles’ is overrating the relative environmental impact of transportation: for most foods, the share of transportation is dwarfed by the crucial impact of the production stage [24], unless, however, transportation is via air [37••]. Furthermore, using less highly processed foods in the diet should, apart from being healthier, also be relatively more environmentally

friendly due to lower energy use [36] and possibly less package material needed. Furthermore, eating less and eating just the right amount is both healthier and most resource-efficient. It would mean the foods are used most effectively, and there is no wastage of resources incurred by measures Protein Tyrosine Kinase inhibitor to reduce or offset the negative effects of obesity in, for example, increased public health efforts. Even when more packaging material is needed in order to provide smaller units, the type of material chosen or the choice of reuse systems can avoid an increase in packaging waste

[22]. Thus, it has been suggested that considering environmental and health aspects of diets is of ‘no apparent contradiction’ [36]. Organic food is among the food types suggested to choose when it comes to relatively more sustainable food choices [37••], with the FAO having acknowledged its potential contribution to sustainable agricultural systems already in 1999 [39]. According to the organic principles defined by the sector [40], ‘health’ is an integral goal Methocarbamol of organic farming systems — a fact that is not to the same extent noticeable in the regulations and certification systems, given it is process standards that cannot ensure certain product characteristics to materialise at the end of the process, as is the goal in functional food [20]. Nevertheless, it is repeatedly found that an improved health quality is what consumers expect of organic food [39]. Thus, their choice, even when greatly motivated by health concerns, ought to have a positive impact on sustainability.