Sustainability Recommendations and Practices in School Feeding: A Systematic Review

Toward Sustainable Diets-Interventions and Perceptions Among Adolescents: A Scoping Review

Adolescence is an important life stage during which shifts toward more healthy and sustainable diets can be promoted. Adolescents have increasing influence over their food choices, informed by their developing personal knowledge and values, affecting long-term dietary behaviors into adulthood. The recent literature regarding adolescents' (1) perceptions of environmentally sustainable diets and (2) interventions to support adolescents to eat sustainably was reviewed in this study. We reviewed published literature that focused on adolescent participants and their perceptions of, or interventions to support, sustainable dietary habits. Five electronic databases were searched to include studies published since 2012 that met the inclusion criteria, including reporting of participants aged between 11 and 18 years, reporting on adolescents' perceptions of sustainable diets or interventions implemented to improve the sustainability of adolescents' diets, and framed in the context of sustainability. Data were extracted, including study and participant characteristics, methodology, and results in relation to each of the 2 research focus areas. Twenty-eight articles were included in the review. Findings suggest that adolescents' understanding of what constitutes sustainable eating is poor. Adolescents who had previously received education regarding sustainable diets valued nature and health, or were from a rural or indigenous community, were more likely to value environmentally sustainable-food choices. Interventions which target adolescents' understanding of and aspiration to make sustainable-food choices appears to improve their attitudes toward sustainable food, whereas interventions to increase the availability of sustainable foods improved the environmental sustainability of adolescents' dietary intake. Multicomponent, tailored, and community-based interventions were most effective; however, the long-term effect of these interventions remains unclear. More research is needed in low- and middle-income countries, with consideration of adolescents' level of autonomy in food choice in local food environments and the long-term effectiveness of interventions. Systematic Review Registration: Open Science Framework identifier osf.io/h3jz6.

Nutrition quality and food and packaging waste associated with the school food system: A pilot, citizen science study in an Irish secondary school

BACKGROUND

School is an important setting for creating healthy and sustainable food environments. Using participatory methods, this pilot study examined food and packaging waste and nutrition quality within the school food system.

METHODS

One secondary school in Ireland participated in a waste audit. Eleven male students (15-17 years) participated as citizen scientists. Students collected waste over 1 day and documented data on waste categories. Nutrition labels were photographed for analysis. Students created a video and participated in a focus group. Quantitative data were summarised using descriptive frequencies. A Nutrient Profile Model was applied to summarise nutrition quality. The focus group discussion was analysed using content analysis.

RESULTS

Highest weights of waste were organic waste (14.2 kg), paper and cardboard (5.0 kg), and hard plastics (4.1 kg). Materials banned by the European Union Single Use Plastics Directive were found. Recycling bins were contaminated with food waste. Nutrition labels from 132 food packages were analysed, of which 115 items (87%) were low-nutrient, energy dense foods. Confectionary, energy bars and desserts and savoury snacks were the most common packaged food groups. Students were not surprised by the unhealthy food choices; however, they were shocked and saddened at the waste practices. Their proposed solutions mapped across individual, community and organisational levels.

CONCLUSIONS

The methodologies allowed successful engagement with students on this topic. The use of unnecessary plastics to serve food, poor waste separation practices, and the production of avoidable waste from low-nutrient, energy-dense products were key issues identified. Students proposed solutions that are achievable in the short-term.

Perceptions of food environments in the school and at home during Covid-19: An online cross-sectional study of parents, teachers and experts from Latin America

BACKGROUND

The high prevalence of overweight and obesity in children from Latin America (LA) have been related to obesogenic food environments. Besides, the negative effects of the Covid-19 pandemic should also be considered. The objective of this research was to describe and compare the perceptions of parents, teachers, and experts in LA of food environments at home and school that favor healthy habits in schoolchildren in pre Covid-19 stage and during the pandemic.

METHODS

This study used a survey self-reporting regarding conditions at home and the school favoring healthy habits, for three profiles: parents, primary school teachers, and experts. A fisher exact test was used to establish the difference between the response categories between countries and profiles. Logistic regression models were used to determine the probability of response in the levels of importance adjusted for sex and nationality.

RESULTS

Information from 954 questionnaires was reported: 48.4% experts, 32.0% teachers, and 19.6% parents. There were differences in the perception of food environments at school between profiles (p<0.001). In multivariate logistic regression models, experts and teachers were 20% more likely to give greater importance to elements of the food environment at school compared to parents (p<0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings showed that parents were less likely to perceive important elements of the school food environment compared to experts and teachers. Interventions are required to improve healthy eating environments that consider children's interpersonal mediators.

Wild berries and related wild small fruits as traditional healthy foods

The consumption of cultivated berry species (e.g., strawberries, blueberries) has increased dramatically in the last two decades after consumers appreciated them as flavorful, convenient and healthy fruits. Wild berries and similar small wild fruits are traditionally consumed around the world by local people as safe, nutritious, tasty, and versatile foods. These wild fruits have played an important role in the nutrition and bio-cultural aspects of rural communities. Like their commercial counterparts, wild berries contain important nutrients and bioactive compounds that may prevent or delay some chronic diseases attributed to oxidative stress and chronic inflammation. This review provides a comprehensive appraisal of the chemical and bioactive components in wild berry species and their traditional uses as foods around the globe. Presently, wild berries and similar wild small fruits are novel food sources that inspire applications as culinary products, processed foods, and nutraceuticals. Further research is needed to validate the content and action of bioactive components responsible for health claims. Sustainable commercial exploitation of wild berries should consider biocultural, environmental, and socio-economic aspects.

Health and Sustainable Nutritional Choices from Childhood: Dietary Pattern and Social Models

BACKGROUND

The role of diet in the pediatric age for optimal development, achievement, and maintenance of a healthy status is well recognized. Increasing attention is nowadays also paid to reducing the burden of human nutrition on the planet's health for present and future generations.

SUMMARY

Beyond environmental sustainability, the transition to diets rich in animal and processed foods contributes to an overall unhealthy nutritional status leading to an increased prevalence of obesity- and diet-related noncommunicable diseases. Childhood overweight and obesity are a growing public health crisis worldwide. The aim of this narrative review was to summarize evidence of the nutritional status and dietary habits in children and the link with environmental sustainability.

KEY MESSAGE

Optimizing nutrition in infancy and establishing healthy lifestyles from the preschool years might help to reduce the risk of overweight, and all the disorders related, respecting the sustainability dimension.