Sustainable Nutrition
In response to growing concerns about climate change alongside widespread dietary concerns, a new effort has arisen to address these dovetailing issues. What was once a local level grassroots cause has become a global movement known as sustainable nutrition, a system intended to better not only our health but our planet.
What Is Sustainable Nutrition?
Sustainable nutrition is an approach to eating that aims to utilize the world’s resources without depleting them or causing other kinds of environmental damage. It is designed to combat the tremendous harm that many methods of food production have caused the planet, ensuring that future generations will continue to be able to have access to natural sources of nutrition. In thinking about sustainability, there are four main factors that proponents of sustainable nutrition consider:- Individual health and nutrition
- Environmental concerns
- Economic dynamics
- Socio-cultural context
The following bachelors and Master’s programs offer career-focused instruction delivered by trained nutritionists with experience in the field. Find out more what each individual course of study offers through the locations below.
Liberty University offers Online Nutrition Degrees. with a M.S. in Nutrition and a Nutrition Certificate.
George Washington University's Online Master's in Integrative Medicine with a Concentration in Nutrition specialize in promoting health and wellness through nutrition.
American University offers two different programs focused on Nutrition and Health. Their Online Master of Science in Nutrition Education will prepare you to become an influential leader in nutrition education and advocacy while promoting nutrition and healthy lifestyle choices in your community and beyond. Or Earn your Master of Science in Health Promotion Management from AU’s award-winning program in just 20 months with $10K available in scholarships upon enrollment (qualifier is a 3.0 GPA).
UNC's MPH Nutrition concentration prepares students to provide, evaluate and communicate nutritional and dietary guidance that improves individual and population-wide health outcomes. In addition to developing their knowledge of nutrition science, students will explore behavior change, communication, counseling and the effects of dietary culture on individuals and communities.
Arizona State University offers an Online Master of Science in Nutritional Science - Dietetics. Along with an Online Masters in Medical Nutrition
Bay Path University's health and wellness certificates build the knowledge, skills, and experience you need to upskill your abilities in your profession or to provide a robust concentration to your degree program for a specific role. Learn more about the Certificate in Food Science and Safety certificate.
If you want to work in fitness and nutrition, take the first step toward a new career with one of Penn Foster's accredited, online fitness and training programs. These affordable programs are all offered online, and can be taken at your own pace.
Grand Canyon University offers an M.S. in Nutrition and Dietetics.
Personal Health and Nutrition
In conceiving of a sustainable food system, one of the fundamental guiding principles must be health and nutrition. Around the world, high rates of obesity as well as malnutrition can be found, as well as life-threatening conditions caused by unhealthy diets. The World Health Organization reported that in 2106, 1.3 billion adults were overweight or obese, and 462 million adults were experiencing malnourishment and malnutrition. Designing sustainable eating habits for the planet therefore means assessing the needs of diverse demographics and implementing initiatives that respond to their dietary needs. Below are just a few of the biggest areas of focus for sustainable nutritionists.
Overconsumption and “Addiction” to Sugar and Salt
The US Department of Health and Human Services reports that two out of every five adults and one out of every five children has obesity, a condition that is caused by overconsumption and a high-calorie diet. Obesity has been linked to a wide variety of serious diseases and conditions including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, strokes, and cancer. Some demographics have been found to be more likely to have obesity and therefore are at greater risk of developing these conditions. Many of these diseases can also be caused by an unhealthy diet even for those not struggling with obesity. Those who consume too much sugar – especially children – are at risk of cardiovascular disease and diabetes. In developing sustainable nutrition practices, it is imperative to design new diets that lower overall sodium and sugar intake and provide more nutritious options to populations with high rates of obesity.High Quality Proteins
Protein is an essential part of any diet. For children, proper protein intake is necessary for healthy growth. For adults, it is a primary source of energy. Consuming more protein can also help people lose weight. The US Department of Health recommends that each person eat 0.8 grams of protein for every kilogram they weigh. For a person weighing 165 pounds, that would mean 60 grams of protein per day. Making a protein-rich diet available in the long term is an important factor for those focused on sustainability and nutrition. Some examples of high quality sustainable proteins are the following:- Beans
- Lentils
- Eggs
- Soy products
- Tofu
- Seaweed
Implementing Fibers
Fiber is an important part of a healthy diet, providing a whole range of benefits to the body including aiding with important digestive processes, lowering cholesterol, and even helping prevent some forms of cancer. Despite its many health benefits, many Americans already struggle to get the proper amount of fiber. Harvard’s School of Public Health reports that while the average adult needs between 25 and 35 grams of fiber per day, many adults are only consuming around 15 grams per day. This shows that thinking about sustainability and nutrition is also an occasion to improve our existing nutrient intake, in this case by designing diets that contain more fiber for the majority of people. Below are some sustainable foods that contain large amounts of fiber:- Oatmeal
- Nuts
- Lentils
- Flax seeds
- Quinoa
- Brown Rice
- Kale
Age-Based Nutrition
Nutritional needs vary greatly by age, body type, and genetics, as well as life events like pregnancy. One of the great challenges of developing a thorough plan for sustainable nutrition is that a good system must be able to meet the great variety of nutritional needs faced by people in vastly different demographics and stages of life. For information on official recommendations for nutritional intake by age type and stage of life, take a look at the US Department of Agriculture’s index.Chemicals and Preservatives
Chemicals and artificial preservatives are a major part of large-scale agricultural practices, though they are known to be harmful to our health. Some pesticides have been found to harm the nervous system and eyes, while others have even been found to be carcinogenic. Though chemicals used in farming are under scrutiny, they are still very much in use. In addition to being harmful to our health, using chemicals and preservatives is not sustainable for the environment, as many of these agents can ultimately cause long-term damage to the land, making it unfarmable.
Environmental Considerations
Many of the environmental benefits of a sustainable approach to food are outlined in the health benefits listed above. But there are even more ways that thinking about sustainability and nutrition go hand in hand to protect the planet. In some cases, these areas of concern address factors outside of food itself but related to food, from production methods to waste.Food Waste
In addition to solving the issue of human food consumption, it’s equally important to address the issue of human food waste. This is likely to vary by community, as waste management systems vary greatly from place to place. What’s imperative is that the issue of food waste be considered at the same time as dietary concerns, as the two are intimately connected.The Move to Plant-Based Nutrition
Many of the solutions to our crisis of resources and human health points to a shift to plant-based nutrition. Indeed, the sustainable forms of protein listed earlier in this article are all plant-based, and are proven to have significant health benefits without the harmful environmental impact of meat. That being said, many who are involved in the conversation about sustainability and nutrition, including researchers at Wageningen University in the Netherlands, argue that there is still a place in our ecosystem for the livestock sector, though on a greatly reduced scale from our current large-scale farming practices. Still, unless you are getting fresh meat from a local farm, if you are looking to cultivate sustainable eating habits, you are likely to rely upon plant-based nutrition.Reducing Carbon Footprint
One of the most important places that the issues of sustainability and nutrition converge is in the carbon footprint of the agricultural industry. Animal farming in particular has been found to have disastrously harmful effects on the environment, producing 65% of the world’s nitrous oxide emissions annually, according to a report from the University of Colorado Boulder. Farming is how humans have derived their food for millennia, and there are many farming practices that do more than merely avoid harming the land but actively improve it. The question is of how to draw from those practices and adapt them to suit the contemporary needs of our planet. While it will take much advocacy and grassroots-led pressure to change how these systems are affecting our ecosystem on the broadest scale, you can play your part by developing sustainable eating habits that lower your carbon footprint. This is where plant-based nutrition is often the answer: on average, vegans and vegetarians have a significantly lower carbon footprint than meat-eaters.Sustainable Shopping and Home Items
When thinking about the environmental impact of food, it’s important to reflect on the other food-related items that we use every day. Though compostable and recyclable straws are becoming more common, single-use plastic remains a huge source of non-degradable waste. To reduce waste, invest in reusable products from food containers to shopping bags so that your food habits won’t continue to produce non-degradable waste. Be sure to select items that are as convenient to use as their single-use plastic counterparts so that you actually incorporate them into your routines.