Eating green

We are all aware of the importance of diet to our own health, but do we consider the impact our eating habits have on the health of the planet?

This year, CSIRO will use data from Australia’s largest diet survey, the Healthy Diet Score, to investigate the contribution food consumption makes to our environmental footprint, as well as providing people with a score indicating the nutritional quality of their eating habits.

Improving the national diet can not only achieve personal and community health benefits, it can also make a positive impact on our environment, such as minimising harmful greenhouse gases via reducing processing, packaging and transport requirements.

CSIRO research has found that reducing overconsumption of kilojoules and eating whole foods at the levels recommended in the National Dietary Guidelines could cut the greenhouse gas contribution of the average diet by 25%.

Last year more than 70,000 people took part in the Healthy Diet Score, a 10-minute online assessment that provides researchers with a detailed picture of the country’s eating habits. Our national rating came in at just 61/100 against the Australian Dietary Guidelines.

The poor score was attributed to our penchant for junk food; our intake was three times higher than the recommended daily limit. This addiction is also proving damaging to our environment, with the CSIRO estimating that junk food is one of the highest contributors to food-related greenhouse gas emissions, accounting for up to 27% of the 14.5 kg of diet-related greenhouse gas emissions produced by the average Australian each day.

People across Australia are being asked to once again participate in the online survey, which evaluates diet based on food variety, frequency and quantity of the essential food groups, as well as other attributes to calculate greenhouse gas emissions related to food consumption.

This is the first year that the Healthy Diet Score will use survey data to measure the broader environmental impact of poor eating and the findings will be released later this year.

The 2016 edition of the Healthy Diet Score also tracks special diets for the first time, such as vegetarian and gluten-free, offering tailored advice for people who struggle to meet the Dietary Guidelines.

To take the Healthy Diet Score, click here.