Nearly two-thirds of Americans have thought about whether their foods and beverages are produced in an environmentally sustainable way. But, there isn't much consensus about the meaning of a sustainable diet: 39% see it representing a ‘balanced, nutritious diet,’ 25% say it means foods are ‘affordable and readily available,’ and 23% say it means both that the foods you eat ‘have a smaller impact on the environment’ and that they are ‘produced in a socially responsible way.’ What does a 'sustainable diet' mean to you?

1. sustainable diet?
How do Americans define a
Americans believe a sustainable diet
means the foods you eat . . .
sus•tain•a•ble diet, suh-stey-nuh-buhl dahy-it, adj. “a pat-
tern of eating that promotes health and well-being, and
provides food security for current and future populations
while sustaining human and natural resources.”
--Working Definition, 2015 Dietary Guidelines Advisory
Committee
Americans with higher income
tend to define “sustainable
diet” as “having a smaller
impact on the environment.”
Those with lower income tend
to define it as “representing a
balanced, nutritious meal.”
25%
23%
23%
39%
Represent a balanced,
nutritious meal
Are affordable and
readily available
Have a smaller impact
on the environment
Are produced in a socially
responsible way
IFIC Foundation 2015 Food & Health Survey
Foodinsight.org
S
T
U
V
W
X
Y