Sustainable Food Consumption

Food represents one of the greatest health and environmental challenges of the 21st century. Consuming less of the most environmentally damaging foods, such as meat, is considered an effective method to reduce food-related greenhouse gas emissions. The aim of these N-of-1 FOOD SWAP intervention studies is to investigate whether and which physiological, psychological and environmental factors, at an individual level, modify the adoption and adherence of food swaps aiming to reduce the intake of red meat and replace this with fish or plant-based foods, in young adults. The series of N-of-1 studies will also assess whether an 8-week food swap intervention will improve general health markers such as blood pressure, plasma lipids and glucose, and blood/urinary metabotype. This approach will provide insight into physiological, behavioural and environmental factors that can help explain individual fluctuations in adherence and physiological outcomes common in nutrition studies. In the future, this should enable us to tailor how we deliver effective individualised interventions and better consider and control for factors affecting adherence and response to dietary interventions.

Background: Problems such as worldwide population growth, climate change and depletion of natural resources increase the importance of sustainable nutrition. Sustainable nutrition is an approach that promotes healthy food choices, taking into account environmental, social and economic impacts. This approach affects not only the environment, but also the health of individuals and social equity. Eating mindfulness supports individuals to make both healthy and environmentally friendly choices by increasing their sensory and mental attention while eating. University students are an important target group for raising sustainability awareness as they develop independent eating habits during this period. However, it is seen that young individuals are not sufficiently informed about sustainable nutrition and eating awareness. Aim: This study aims to examine the relationship between eating awareness and sustainable eating habits of university students. Expected Results of the Study: It is expected to determine the relationship between eating awareness levels and sustainable eating habits of university students. The findings are expected to show that students with high levels of eating awareness are more prone to sustainable eating habits. In addition, the links between physical activity level and sustainable nutrition will also be revealed, and it is thought that it can be concluded that physically active students are more sensitive to environmental awareness and sustainable food preferences.