Researchers looking for ways to encourage more people to adopt healthier and more sustainable diets are recruiting volunteers for three new studies.
The trials are being led by nutrition scientists at the Rowett Institute, University of Aberdeen, as part of a Scottish Government-funded programme.
A 20% cut in meat consumption by Scots over the next six years – and a 35% reduction by 2050 - is recommended by the Climate Change Committee to help reach the country’s net-zero targets.
At the same time, there is an increasing focus on alternative crops like hemp, which is known to provide nutritional benefits as well as being environmentally-friendly.
But evidence shows even people who are keen to reduce their food-based carbon footprint face a number of different hurdles to starting – and sticking to – planet-friendly diets. These may include social, economic and cultural barriers.
This new three-pronged approach uses a variety of approaches to help understand and address these – including an online tool that helps select alternative ingredients to supply volunteers with, so that they can use them in home-prepared meals.
Others will be carefully studied as they confront the day-to-day reality of going meat-free for three days a week without any outside assistance and the third set of participants will be testing the health and climate advantages of well-known dishes where traditional ingredients have been replaced with hemp.
Two of the studies involve expert staff at the Rowett’s Human Intervention Studies Unit (HISU), which houses research kitchens and state-of-the-art analysis facilities at the university’s Foresterhill Health Campus.
The contribution that agricultural hemp can make to Scotland’s health, environment and economy has been the subject of intense research at the Rowett Institute for more than a decade and it is becoming an increasingly popular crop with farmers.
Several projects are underway to reformulate favourite foods with hemp and other nutritious and sustainable crops in order to help improve the national diet.
The studies
Food Swap Study
For healthy young adults (18-30) who eat red meat most days and would like to make their diets healthier and more sustainable. Previous Rowett research suggests this age group is particularly open to reducing meat consumption.
The trial involves eight weeks of monitoring existing diets, followed by eight weeks of being provided with personalised food swaps picked using a sophisticated online model and another eight weeks without supplied food to see what happens next.
Lead researcher: Dr Magaly Aceves-Martins Magaly.aceves@abdn.ac.uk
Dr Aceves Martins says: “Are you looking to change your diet for your personal health and the health of the planet but do not know how? You are not alone. We know there are lots of people – especially among younger generations – who are in that boat.
“We would love you to join this study to help us understand how easy or difficult it is for you and others to swap the red meat in your diet with fish or plant-based foods.”
He-Low Carbon Study
Volunteers (healthy 18-70 year old meat eaters with no food allergies) will receive meals and drinks prepared by the Rowett Institute’s nutritionists for 10 days, including five days of a low-carbon-footprint diet rich in hemp foods .
This is part of a much wider project led by the Rowett for more than a decade to encourage the growing of hemp as an agricultural crop in Scotland in order to improve public health and meet climate change goals. Details: https://www.abdn.ac.uk/rowett/volunteer/helow-carbon-study-1999.php
Lead researcher: Dr Madalina Neacsu m.neacsu@abdn.ac.uk
Dr Neacsu says : “By identifying the components from the Scottish diet which contribute the most to the carbon footprint score, we have designed a low carbon-footprint diet based on hemp food and ingredients to replace protein, fibre and fat. Specifically, we will assess how a diet rich in hemp impacts on people’s hunger and understand how the body metabolises the hemp nutrients and their impact on their gut microbiota ."
LESS: Meat (Lived Experience of Sustainability in Scotland)
For anyone who eats meat at least six days a week who is prepared to cut that down to three times per week for three months.
They will be asked to keep food diaries, fill in questionnaires and be interviewed about their eating habits during the trial period.
Rather than providing food, this study asks people to make their own swaps to allow researchers to understand the challenges in daily life to having meat-free days. It is therefore best suited to people from beyond the north-east.
Lead researchers: Dr David McBey lessmeat@abdn.ac.uk
Dr McBey says: "Eating less meat is important to help the planet and save resources, but it can be hard because of habits, traditions, or not having other options. Our study wants to find out what makes it tricky for people, so we can help them make changes more easily."