Nutritional Composition and Environmental Impact of Meals Selected in Workplace Canteens before and after an Intervention Promoting the Adherence to the Mediterranean Diet
Enhancing healthy and sustainable food systems is one of the key goals of the current European Commission policy. In this light, the creation of a food environment where people are properly informed about the healthiness and sustainability of food choices is essential. This study aimed to evaluate t...
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MDPI AG
2022-10-01
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| Series: | Nutrients |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/14/21/4456 |
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| author | Alice Rosi Beatrice Biasini Elisa Monica Valeria Rapetti Valeria Deon Francesca Scazzina |
| author_facet | Alice Rosi Beatrice Biasini Elisa Monica Valeria Rapetti Valeria Deon Francesca Scazzina |
| author_sort | Alice Rosi |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Enhancing healthy and sustainable food systems is one of the key goals of the current European Commission policy. In this light, the creation of a food environment where people are properly informed about the healthiness and sustainability of food choices is essential. This study aimed to evaluate the nutritional profile and the environmental impact of meals consumed in a workplace canteen in Italy in the presence of a nudge (i.e., the Double Pyramid logo) combined with a web-based application promoting the Mediterranean Diet. Energy and nutrient contents and the carbon, water, and ecological footprints of 29,776 meals were compared across three subsequent periods (from June to April) through one-way ANOVA. Although the choice of dishes labelled with the Double Pyramid logo was comparable across periods, the selection of fish- and plant-based dishes increased from +2% (fish, vegetables) up to +17% (whole-grain cereals), with a concurrent reduction of meat-based options (−2%). Although the consumption of healthy items increased (<i>p</i> < 0.001), they were not added as a replacement for alternative options, leading to a higher content in energy (<i>p</i> < 0.001) and nutrients (<i>p</i> < 0.001) and worse environmental footprints, contrarily to what was observed when data were adjusted for energy. The intervention significantly improved food choices; however, as the higher selection of desired dishes was not adequately compensated for, it was not fully effective. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T18:47:13Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-a470647261714c51837d1cde95b6790b |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2072-6643 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T18:47:13Z |
| publishDate | 2022-10-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Nutrients |
| spelling | doaj.art-a470647261714c51837d1cde95b6790b2023-11-24T06:11:46ZengMDPI AGNutrients2072-66432022-10-011421445610.3390/nu14214456Nutritional Composition and Environmental Impact of Meals Selected in Workplace Canteens before and after an Intervention Promoting the Adherence to the Mediterranean DietAlice Rosi0Beatrice Biasini1Elisa Monica2Valeria Rapetti3Valeria Deon4Francesca Scazzina5Human Nutrition Unit, Department of Food and Drugs, University of Parma, 43125 Parma, ItalyHuman Nutrition Unit, Department of Food and Drugs, University of Parma, 43125 Parma, ItalyHuman Nutrition Unit, Department of Food and Drugs, University of Parma, 43125 Parma, ItalyGlobal Nutrition & Wellbeing Unit, Research, Development & Quality Group, Barilla G. e R. Fratelli, 43122 Parma, ItalyGlobal Nutrition & Wellbeing Unit, Research, Development & Quality Group, Barilla G. e R. Fratelli, 43122 Parma, ItalyHuman Nutrition Unit, Department of Food and Drugs, University of Parma, 43125 Parma, ItalyEnhancing healthy and sustainable food systems is one of the key goals of the current European Commission policy. In this light, the creation of a food environment where people are properly informed about the healthiness and sustainability of food choices is essential. This study aimed to evaluate the nutritional profile and the environmental impact of meals consumed in a workplace canteen in Italy in the presence of a nudge (i.e., the Double Pyramid logo) combined with a web-based application promoting the Mediterranean Diet. Energy and nutrient contents and the carbon, water, and ecological footprints of 29,776 meals were compared across three subsequent periods (from June to April) through one-way ANOVA. Although the choice of dishes labelled with the Double Pyramid logo was comparable across periods, the selection of fish- and plant-based dishes increased from +2% (fish, vegetables) up to +17% (whole-grain cereals), with a concurrent reduction of meat-based options (−2%). Although the consumption of healthy items increased (<i>p</i> < 0.001), they were not added as a replacement for alternative options, leading to a higher content in energy (<i>p</i> < 0.001) and nutrients (<i>p</i> < 0.001) and worse environmental footprints, contrarily to what was observed when data were adjusted for energy. The intervention significantly improved food choices; however, as the higher selection of desired dishes was not adequately compensated for, it was not fully effective.https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/14/21/4456sustainable menusMediterranean Dietenvironmental burdeneducational interventionchoice architectureworksite cafeteria |
| spellingShingle | Alice Rosi Beatrice Biasini Elisa Monica Valeria Rapetti Valeria Deon Francesca Scazzina Nutritional Composition and Environmental Impact of Meals Selected in Workplace Canteens before and after an Intervention Promoting the Adherence to the Mediterranean Diet Nutrients sustainable menus Mediterranean Diet environmental burden educational intervention choice architecture worksite cafeteria |
| title | Nutritional Composition and Environmental Impact of Meals Selected in Workplace Canteens before and after an Intervention Promoting the Adherence to the Mediterranean Diet |
| title_full | Nutritional Composition and Environmental Impact of Meals Selected in Workplace Canteens before and after an Intervention Promoting the Adherence to the Mediterranean Diet |
| title_fullStr | Nutritional Composition and Environmental Impact of Meals Selected in Workplace Canteens before and after an Intervention Promoting the Adherence to the Mediterranean Diet |
| title_full_unstemmed | Nutritional Composition and Environmental Impact of Meals Selected in Workplace Canteens before and after an Intervention Promoting the Adherence to the Mediterranean Diet |
| title_short | Nutritional Composition and Environmental Impact of Meals Selected in Workplace Canteens before and after an Intervention Promoting the Adherence to the Mediterranean Diet |
| title_sort | nutritional composition and environmental impact of meals selected in workplace canteens before and after an intervention promoting the adherence to the mediterranean diet |
| topic | sustainable menus Mediterranean Diet environmental burden educational intervention choice architecture worksite cafeteria |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/14/21/4456 |
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