Ways to Achieve Healthy and Sustainable Diets

Dear Colleagues,

The relationship between food and the three main pillars of sustainability (social, economic, and environmental sustainability) has always existed, but it is currently becoming more visible. Alongside increasing environmental degradation and the scarcity of natural resources, undernutrition in its different forms affects thousands of individuals worldwide, highlighting food inequalities in the most vulnerable populations. Food choices represent a complex process reflecting methods of food consumption and production. Individuals’ dietary patterns may impact the main domains of sustainability and quality of life. In this sense, dietary choices must be thought of as a collective act, and a healthy diet can only materialize by understanding feeding and food complexity. As a basic human right, food must be accessible, considering sufficient, nutritious, and safe food; respect cultural habits; and originate from sustainable production systems, among others. To achieve this human right and make healthy eating accessible, research must be strategically designed to stimulate public policies and other government policies, or private actions may be adopted to ensure that adequate diets are affordable. By developing a collective awareness of healthy food choices, this pathway can be transformed. The community and food environments have an important role in this regard. Menu planning must be performed to encompass all of the principles of healthy and sustainable eating. Thus, it can be used for health promotion in several types of food services, from which many people eat their meals daily. It is also important to consider nutritional education and external influences, such as the media, in constructing food choices. The joint action of actors involved in forming conscious individuals committed to healthy eating will strengthen the guarantee of the right to food access. In this sense, this Topic proposes to publish research that supports the promotion of collective awareness focused on healthy and sustainable food choices. Actions regarding different aspects of food, especially concerning more vulnerable individuals, should be widely discussed to create solutions focused on protecting life, health, and the planet. Therefore, this Topic aims to summarize state-of-the-art research and practices regarding achieving healthy and sustainable diets. The Topic includes but is not limited to the following topics:

• Food as a human right;
• Food security;
• Food choice;
• Food quality;
• Food literacy;
• Sustainable diets;
• Menu management;
• Quality of life;
• Nutritional education.

Prof. Dr. Verônica Cortez Ginani
Dr. Renata Puppin Zandonadi
Topic Editors