80% of toddler foods on grocery shelves are ultra-processed

Almost half of sample exceeded recommended sugar, sodium, fat or calories

American Society for Nutrition

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National Harbor, Md. (July 26, 2026) — An audit of toddler foods sold at 21 grocery stores in Texas revealed that 4 out of 5 products were ultra-processed and 49% of all products failed to meet at least one nutrient standard established by the World Health Organization (WHO) Nutrition and Promotion Profile Model (NPPM) for commercial foods intended for children aged 6-36 months.

The findings come as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is considering new guidelines for front-of-package nutrition labels, healthy claims and marketing of food products to children. The United States does not currently require warning labels on any food products that are high in sugar, sodium or calories.

“Many parents may assume that products sold on the baby/toddler food aisles of their grocery stores have to meet certain nutrient standards. Our findings highlight that half of the toddler foods available in local grocery stores do not,” said Erin A. Hudson, JD, ASN Science Policy Fellow and PhD candidate at The University of Texas at Austin. “As a result, parents have to be vigilant in checking labels and ingredients to determine the nutrient content and processing level of products for their toddlers.”

Hudson will present the findings at NUTRITION 2026, the flagship annual meeting of the American Society for Nutrition held July 25–28 in National Harbor, Maryland, just outside Washington, D.C. Hudson conducted the study with Marissa Burgermaster, PhD, assistant professor at The University of Texas at Austin.

The foods children consume during the toddler years can shape taste preferences and dietary habits that persist throughout childhood, influencing long-term health. High sugar intake, in particular, is well established as harmful to the health of young children. According to the study, ultra-processed products were significantly more likely to be high in sugar than less-processed products.

Researchers photographed the baby/toddler aisles at 21 grocery stores in Austin, Texas, and analyzed the nutritional content of products marketed as suitable for children age 6 to 36 months. Infant formula, beverages and purees commonly introduced as first foods were excluded from the sample.

Of 2,783 products analyzed, 81% were classified as ultra-processed according to the Nova classification system. Seventeen percent of products failed to meet the WHO recommended nutrient content levels for sugar, 25% failed for sodium, 11% failed for fat content and 12% failed for energy density. Examples of foods exceeding these recommendations include fruit pouches (high in sugar), oat bars (high in sugar and calories), mac and cheese (high in sodium and fat), turkey sticks (high in sodium and fat), cheese puffs (high in calories), and peanut butter puffs (high in sodium, fat and calories).

Some previous studies have linked ultra-processed foods to poor health outcomes regardless of their nutrient content, although it remains unclear which aspects of ultra-processed foods may contribute to those outcomes. Researchers noted that the higher fat and calorie content of some less-processed products largely reflects whole-food ingredients, such as peanuts or beef, which contribute fat while also being nutrient-dense. By contrast, ultra-processed toddler foods were more often high in sugar without additional nutritional benefits, strengthening the case for limiting the number of products that toddlers consume from this category.

“During these critical early years of development, most parents are trying to feed their children healthfully but may be challenged to do so by the toddler food products available in their grocery stores,” said Hudson. “Warning labels on products exceeding nutrient thresholds could help parents navigate the toddler food environment and might encourage manufacturers to reformulate these products.”

Researchers noted that their methodology focused solely on packaged products parents encounter on grocery shelves and does not necessarily capture the full spectrum of what parents ultimately feed their toddlers.

Hudson will present this research at 3:06 p.m.–3:18 p.m. EDT on Sunday, July 26, during the Ultra-Processed Foods: Methodological Advancements Oral Session in the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center (abstract; presentation details).

Please note that abstracts presented at NUTRITION 2026 were evaluated and selected by a committee of experts but have not generally undergone the same peer review process required for publication in a scientific journal. As such, the findings presented should be considered preliminary until a peer-reviewed publication is available.

 

About NUTRITION 2026

NUTRITION 2026 is the flagship meeting of the American Society for Nutrition and the premier educational event for nutritional professionals around the globe. NUTRITION brings together lab scientists, practicing clinicians, population health researchers and community intervention investigators to identify solutions to today’s greatest nutrition challenges. The meeting also attracts rising leaders in the field, including undergraduate, graduate, and medical students. NUTRITION 2026 will be held July 25–28 in Washington, D.C. https://nutrition.org/meeting #Nutrition2026

About the American Society for Nutrition (ASN)

ASN is the preeminent professional organization for nutrition research scientists and clinicians around the world. Founded in 1928, the society brings together the top nutrition researchers, medical practitioners, policy makers, and industry leaders to advance knowledge and application of nutrition. ASN publishes four peer-reviewed journals and provides education and professional development opportunities to advance nutrition research, practice, and education. Since 2018, the American Society for Nutrition has presented NUTRITION, the leading global annual meeting for nutrition professionals. http://www.nutrition.org

Find more news briefs from NUTRITION 2026 at: https://www.eurekalert.org/newsroom/nutrition2026.

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Study finds teens who start the day with breakfast eat better overall

Older teens who ate breakfast took in more nutrients and consumed less daily fat and sugar than those who skipped it, particularly when breakfasts were high in protein

American Society for Nutrition

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A new study showed that consuming breakfast increased the overall intake of important nutrients such as fiber, iron, zinc and choline in teens who tended to skip breakfast. Study participants received prepacked meals, with one group consuming higher-protein breakfasts, such as the one pictured.

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Credit: Emma Rose Brown, University of Texas at Austin

National Harbor, Md. (July 25, 2026) — A new study of teens around age 18 who tended to skip breakfast showed that consuming breakfast increased their overall intake of important nutrients such as fiber, iron, zinc and choline.

The researchers also found that eating breakfast reduced the intake of high-fat and high-sugar foods throughout the day when compared to those who didn’t eat breakfast. Participants who consumed higher-protein breakfasts saw even stronger benefits.

“This is one of the largest and longest tightly controlled breakfast trials in adolescents,” said Emma Rose Brown, a doctoral student under the mentorship of Heather Leidy, Ph.D., professor in the Department of Nutritional Sciences and the Department of Pediatrics - Dell Medical School at the University of Texas at Austin. “Our findings suggest that adding breakfast, particularly one rich in protein, may be an effective way to improve nutrient intake and diet quality among older adolescents.”

Brown will present the findings at NUTRITION 2026, the flagship annual meeting of the American Society for Nutrition, held July 25–28 in National Harbor, Maryland, just outside Washington, D.C.

“Although most Americans think that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, there isn’t a lot of evidence to support this idea,” said Brown. “We wanted to see whether consuming a high-protein breakfast would increase nutrient intake and promote healthier eating throughout the day.”

The study included 128 adolescents who were between 14 and 21 years old and skipped breakfast at least six times a week. Participants were randomly assigned to eat either a normal-protein breakfast, a high-protein breakfast or to continue skipping breakfast. 

For the groups eating breakfast, the researchers prepared and packed over 18,000 meals that included breakfast foods commonly consumed by adolescents such as burritos, quesadillas, egg scrambles and smoothies. Meals for the normal protein group contained around 15 g of protein, and meals for the high-protein group contained 30 g of high-quality protein.

At the start of the study and again at 3 and 6 months, study participants in the breakfast-eating groups received a food cooler containing the prepared foods. They could eat as much or as little as they wanted to over three days. This approach allowed the researchers to precisely track intake while allowing the food to be consumed at home. It led to excellent compliance, with participants consuming the provided meals more than 90% of the time.

Researchers assessed what participants ate by asking them to recall everything they consumed over a 24-hour period and by weighing the food coolers before and after consumption. Food intake was entered into nutrition software for analysis.

The researchers found that although all the groups consumed around the same amount of calories throughout the day, those eating breakfast took in more fiber, iron, zinc and choline overall. Participants in the high-protein group also consumed more protein, iron and choline compared to those in the normal protein group. 

The study also showed that both groups who ate breakfast consumed fewer desserts, sweets and candy compared to participants who skipped breakfast.  Additional benefits were observed with the high-protein group, who ate even less added sugar compared to the other groups.

Next, the researchers plan to look at how increasing dietary protein at breakfast might affect people’s thoughts and cravings about food, specifically in young adults and adults stopping GLP‑1 medications. A better understanding of how breakfast protein affects what people eat and how much they think about food throughout the day could help inform practical strategies that support long-term, healthy weight management.

The research team conducting the study procedures included Kamille Piacquadio, Ph.D., Charlotte Griffith, Ph.D., Morgan Braden, Ph.D. and Heather Leidy, Ph.D.

Brown will present this research at 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. EDT on Saturday, July 25, during the Protein Intake and Health Poster Session in the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center (abstract; presentation details).

Please note that abstracts presented at NUTRITION 2026 were evaluated and selected by a committee of experts but have not generally undergone the same peer review process required for publication in a scientific journal. As such, the findings presented should be considered preliminary until a peer-reviewed publication is available.

This research was supported by the National Institutes of Health under award number NIH/NIDDK R01 DK107390.

 

Meals for the normal protein group contained around 15 g of protein (example pictured), and meals for the high-protein group contained 30 g of high-quality protein. Participants in the high-protein group consumed even less added sugar and more protein, iron and choline daily compared to those in the normal protein group. 

Credit

Emma Rose Brown, University of Texas at Austin

 

About NUTRITION 2026

NUTRITION 2026 is the flagship meeting of the American Society for Nutrition and the premier educational event for nutritional professionals around the globe. NUTRITION brings together lab scientists, practicing clinicians, population health researchers and community intervention investigators to identify solutions to today’s greatest nutrition challenges. This meeting also attracts rising leaders in the field, including undergraduate, graduate and medical students. NUTRITION 2026 will be held July 25–28 in National Harbor, Maryland, just outside Washington, D.C. https://nutrition.org/meeting/ #Nutrition2026

About the American Society for Nutrition (ASN)

ASN is the preeminent professional organization for nutrition research scientists and clinicians around the world. Founded in 1928, the society brings together the top nutrition researchers, medical practitioners, policy makers and industry leaders to advance knowledge and application of nutrition. ASN publishes four peer-reviewed journals and provides education and professional development opportunities to advance nutrition research, practice, and education. Since 2018, the American Society for Nutrition has presented NUTRITION, the leading global annual meeting for nutrition professionals. http://www.nutrition.org

Find more news briefs from NUTRITION 2026 at: https://www.eurekalert.org/newsroom/nutrition2026.

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Cafeteria menu makeover could reduce students' sugar, salt intake

Researchers work to help school meals meet new nutrition standards

University of Mississippi

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 Ahead of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's updated guidelines for school lunches, researchers at the Institute of Child Nutrition studied which cafeteria foods students eat most often and how much sodium and sugar those foods contain. Substituting excess sugar and salt with herbs and spices could keep the flavor while making the meals healthier. 

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Credit: Photo by Srijita Chattopadhyay/Ole Miss Digital Imaging Services

Pizza, pastries and parfaits are staples in many school cafeterias. But new research from the University of Mississippi and the University of Southern Mississippi suggests some of students' favorite meals may contain more sodium and sugar than schools will be allowed to serve under updated federal nutrition standards.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture will require schools across the United States to reduce sodium and added sugars in meals by fall 2027. A new study published in Nutrition Reviews aimed to identify which popular menu items are highest in sodium and sugar, giving school officials a starting point for creating healthier menus.

School meals are designed to meet nutrition standards, and for many children, they are among the most balanced meals they eat," said Aleshia Hall-Campbell, executive director of the Institute of Child Nutrition at Ole Miss. "But because students may eat school breakfast and lunch many times each week, the nutrition quality of those meals matters.

"Reducing added sugars and sodium is not about blaming school meals. It is about using school meals as an opportunity to support children's health while still serving foods students enjoy."

The researchers aimed to create healthier versions of students' preferred meals that adhere to updated guidelines for the National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program, said Ruaa Al Juboori, assistant professor of public health and data analytics statistician.

"For families, the practical point is that these changes are not about taking away foods students enjoy," she said. "They are about making the foods already served in schools a little healthier while keeping them familiar, flavorful and appealing to students.

"This matters because school meals reach many children every day. For students who eat breakfast and lunch at school, even small changes in added sugar and sodium can make a difference over time."

To make students' favorite foods healthier, the researchers surveyed 1,071 school nutrition professionals to determine what schools serve and what students eat most often. Then they reviewed recipes for those cafeteria items – such as pizza, smoothies, yogurt parfaits, muffins and chicken wings – to identify which foods contained the highest amounts of sugar and sodium.

For example, flavored chicken wings recipes average more than 2,100 milligrams of sodium per serving. The USDA's Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends adults eat no more than 2,300 milligrams of sodium per day.

Excess sodium intake over time is linked to high blood pressure, a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Because many students eat school meals every weekday, researchers say even modest reductions in sodium could have meaningful long-term health benefits.

Substituting herbs and spices for excess salt and sugar can make recipes healthier. But those improved recipes will succeed only if students will eat them, the researchers said.

"While sodium and sugar make foods taste good, herbs and spices can also add flavor to the foods we eat," said Marjuyua Lartey Gibson, director of the institute's Applied Research Division at Southern Miss. "School nutrition professionals should explore flavor enhancers, such as spices like cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger for sweetness, and salt substitutes like herbs – rosemary, thyme, garlic and paprika – to minimize sodium.

"Taste testing and student feedback are also important, because the best recipe change is one that students will actually eat."

While the primary goal of the research was to help schools meet nutrition guidelines, the long-term impact of improving cafeteria offerings is improving student health.

"School meals alone do not determine a child's lifelong eating habits, but they can play an important role," Hall-Campbell said. "Children are exposed to foods at school again and again, so school meals can help shape what students see as normal, familiar and acceptable.

"That is why balance is important. We want students to enjoy their meals, but we also want them to become familiar with foods that are lower in added sugar and sodium and still taste good."

This material is based on work supported by the USDA grant no. FNS-CN-ICN-FY23.

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Journal

Nutrition Reviews

DOI

10.1093/nutrit/nuaf290 

Article Title

Evaluation of Popular Food Trends in K–12 Schools: Nutritional Analysis of Recipes and Daily Serving Patterns

 

Photo-based calorie-tracking apps may underestimate energy in meals

Study examining four AI-powered apps found that calories and fat content were underestimated by roughly one-third

American Society for Nutrition

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National Harbor, Md. (July 25, 2026) — Thanks to advances in AI, popular calorie-tracking apps can now use a photo of a meal to estimate the nutritional content of what you’re eating. Although these apps are convenient, a new study found that four photo-based apps underestimated the calories and fat content of meals by about a third.

Photo-based calorie tracking uses AI image recognition to identify foods in a meal photo and estimate portion sizes. This information is then compared with nutrition databases to calculate estimated calories and nutrients.

“Photo-based calorie tracking apps are very popular, especially for people trying to manage their health or lose weight,” said Aaron Hengist, a postdoctoral visiting fellow with the Intramural Program of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), part of the National Institutes of Health. “However, the accuracy of many of these apps has not been thoroughly evaluated. Our study helps address this question by looking at whether these apps can reliably estimate calories.”

Olivia Charles, a postbaccalaureate intramural research training fellow at NIDDK, will present the findings at NUTRITION 2026, the flagship annual meeting of the American Society for Nutrition, held July 25–28 in National Harbor, Maryland, just outside Washington, D.C.

The new research is part of a larger diet study at the NIH Clinical Center examining how the body processes nutrients when a person eats a low-carbohydrate (ketogenic) or standard diet. Meals for this clinical trial are prepared in a controlled metabolic kitchen, a type of research kitchen where ingredients are carefully weighed to the nearest 0.1 gram.

To evaluate how well photo-based calorie-tracking apps estimate nutritional content from images, the researchers acquired standardized photos of 102 meals prepared as part of the diet study and then ran them through the MyFitnessPal, LoseIt!, CalAI and Appediet apps.

“By using meals prepared in a tightly controlled metabolic kitchen, we were able to compare the apps’ estimates against a precise reference,” said Hengist. “This kind of direct, high-quality comparison hasn’t been available before.”

All four apps underestimated the calorie content of meals by about 250 to 345 calories, on average, and fat by about 30 grams. The analysis also showed that the MyFitnessPal and LoseIt! apps estimated the energy content of higher-calorie meals more accurately than lower-calorie meals and that all four apps estimated carbohydrates more consistently than other macronutrients.

“People using a photo-based tracking app without adjusting the portions or entering the amounts of food should take the results with a grain of salt,” said Hengist. “These apps tend to underestimate calories, especially from fats, so what they actually ate is likely higher than what the app shows.”

After performing the initial analysis, the researchers examined more than 200 additional meals to better understand what might affect the accuracy of the apps. Their early results suggest that the apps struggle more with meals that are part of a low-carb ketogenic diet, likely because the higher fat content of these meals tends to be consistently underestimated.

The investigators say that combining photo-based features with more traditional methods of measuring diet quality could improve the real-world accuracy of calorie-tracking apps.

Charles will present this research at 4:42 – 4:54 p.m. EDT on Saturday, July 25, during the President's Oral Session in the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center (abstract; presentation details).

Please note that abstracts presented at NUTRITION 2026 were evaluated and selected by a committee of experts but have not generally undergone the same peer review process required for publication in a scientific journal. As such, the findings presented should be considered preliminary until a peer-reviewed publication is available.

Images available.

 

About NUTRITION 2026

NUTRITION 2026 is the flagship meeting of the American Society for Nutrition and the premier educational event for nutritional professionals around the globe. NUTRITION brings together lab scientists, practicing clinicians, population health researchers and community intervention investigators to identify solutions to today’s greatest nutrition challenges. The meeting also attracts rising leaders in the field, including undergraduate, graduate and medical students. NUTRITION 2026 will be held July 25–28 in National Harbor, Maryland, just outside Washington, D.C. https://nutrition.org/meeting/ #Nutrition2026

About the American Society for Nutrition (ASN)

ASN is the preeminent professional organization for nutrition research scientists and clinicians around the world. Founded in 1928, the society brings together the top nutrition researchers, medical practitioners, policy makers and industry leaders to advance knowledge and application of nutrition. ASN publishes four peer-reviewed journals and provides education and professional development opportunities to advance nutrition research, practice, and education. Since 2018, the American Society for Nutrition has presented NUTRITION, the leading global annual meeting for nutrition professionals. http://www.nutrition.org

Find more news briefs from NUTRITION 2026 at: https://www.eurekalert.org/newsroom/nutrition2026.

 

Could sparkling water be a better choice for your teeth?

Study finds unsweetened sparkling water lowers oral pH less than sugar-sweetened soda

American Society for Nutrition

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In a new study, researchers found that sparkling water lowered mouth acidity less than sugar-sweetened soda.

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Credit: Wajiha Zulfiqar, Purdue University

National Harbor, Md. (July 26, 2026) — Findings from a new study comparing the effects of different beverages on mouth acidity suggest that unsweetened sparkling water may be better for your teeth than sugar-sweetened soda.

When the mouth’s pH drops below about 5.5, acids begin to dissolve tooth enamel. The new study looked beyond beverage acidity itself and showed that although sparkling water lowers the mouth’s pH, it does so less than soda.

“Many people are switching from soda to sparkling water, and our findings suggest that unsweetened sparkling water may be a lower-risk alternative to soda, when consumed in moderation and alongside good oral hygiene practices,” said Wajiha Zulfiqar, a graduate student in Nutrition Science at Purdue University.

Zulfiqar will present the findings at NUTRITION 2026, the flagship annual meeting of the American Society for Nutrition, held July 25–28 in National Harbor, Maryland, just outside Washington, D.C.

Although studies have shown that sugar-sweetened soda can contribute to dental erosion by lowering the pH in the mouth below 5.5, less is known about how unsweetened sparkling waters affect oral acidity.

To find out more, the researchers measured how sugar-sweetened soda, regular sparkling water, calcium-fortified sparkling water and plain water affected mouth acidity — or salivary pH — in 20 adults. They used the same study participants for all the beverages to help minimize differences between individuals that could affect results.

“Directly comparing different beverages using the same experimental framework allowed us to evaluate the effects of sparkling water relative to both soda — a higher-risk beverage — and plain water as a neutral reference,” said Zulfiqar. “Additionally, by measuring how the mouth responded in real time, rather than only testing beverage acidity alone as other studies have done, our study provides a more realistic understanding of how these drinks may impact oral health.”

The researchers found that the soda made the mouth the most acidic, leading to a salivary pH that was significantly lower than that of water at both 2 and 20 minutes after consumption. Unsweetened sparkling water without calcium caused a temporary decrease in salivary pH at 2 minutes, whereas calcium-fortified sparkling water showed a decrease at 5 minutes. For both beverages, salivary pH returned to near baseline levels by 20 minutes.

They also found that, after consuming both the soda and the sparkling waters, saliva quickly restored the mouth’s acidity to normal, keeping pH above the level that causes enamel damage. The researchers note that the study only measured short-term changes in salivary pH. In real life, the potential for enamel damage depends on factors such as the frequency of consumption, duration of exposure and sugar content.

“Our results suggest that replacing sugar-sweetened sodas with unsweetened sparkling water may help lower the risk of enamel erosion,” said Zulfiqar. “The results also highlight an opportunity for the beverage industry to explore reformulation strategies that could potentially reduce the erosive potential of acidic beverages.”

Next, the researchers plan to test how sparkling water influences oral health over the long term, which will help reveal whether it changes other aspects of the mouth environment that are important to good oral health.

Zulfiqar will present this research at 9:30 – 10:30 a.m. EDT on Sunday, July 26, during the Clinical Nutrition II Poster Session in the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center (abstract; presentation details).

This release may include updated numbers or data that differ from those in the submitted abstract.

Please note that abstracts presented at NUTRITION 2026 were evaluated and selected by a committee of experts but have not generally undergone the same peer review process required for publication in a scientific journal. As such, the findings presented should be considered preliminary until a peer-reviewed publication is available.

 

About NUTRITION 2026

NUTRITION 2026 is the flagship meeting of the American Society for Nutrition and the premier educational event for nutritional professionals around the globe. NUTRITION brings together lab scientists, practicing clinicians, population health researchers and community intervention investigators to identify solutions to today’s greatest nutrition challenges. The meeting also attracts rising leaders in the field, including undergraduate, graduate and medical students. NUTRITION 2026 will be held July 25–28 in National Harbor, Maryland, just outside Washington, D.C. https://nutrition.org/meeting/ #Nutrition2026

About the American Society for Nutrition (ASN)

ASN is the preeminent professional organization for nutrition research scientists and clinicians around the world. Founded in 1928, the society brings together the top nutrition researchers, medical practitioners, policy makers and industry leaders to advance knowledge and application of nutrition. ASN publishes four peer-reviewed journals and provides education and professional development opportunities to advance nutrition research, practice, and education. Since 2018, the American Society for Nutrition has presented NUTRITION, the leading global annual meeting for nutrition professionals. http://www.nutrition.org

Find more news briefs from NUTRITION 2026 at: https://www.eurekalert.org/newsroom/nutrition2026.

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Tailored food policies could cut emissions and improve health, global study finds

University of Oxford

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Improving diets is one of the world's biggest public health and environmental challenges. More than 2.5 billion adults are now overweight or obese, 88% of countries with available data face a serious burden of two or more forms of malnutrition, and food systems account for between a quarter and a third of global greenhouse gas emissions.

Published in Nature Food, the study introduces MATILDA (Micro-Macro Assessment Tool to Identify Low-impact Dietary Actions), a global database that combines individual dietary surveys with country-level food supply chains and population data. Covering 165 countries, it provides a globally harmonised picture of how the nutritional quality and environmental impacts of diets vary within populations, offering policymakers a stronger evidence base than national averages alone.

Looking beyond national averages revealed how widely diets differ within countries. The highest-impact diets produced almost double the greenhouse gas emissions of the lowest-impact diets. 

Across the 165 countries studied, every 5% improvement in diet quality, measured using the Alternative Healthy Eating Index (AHEI), was associated with a 7.7% reduction in diet-related greenhouse gas emissions, alongside lower water and land use. Diets containing a higher proportion of plant-based foods were also consistently associated with lower environmental impacts. 

People's dietary patterns are shaped by far more than personal choice. Where they live, whether that is a town or the countryside, how long they spent in education, what they can afford and the wider social and environmental context all play a part. Recognising those differences creates opportunities to develop food policies that better reflect the realities in which people make food choices.

Dr Oliver Taherzadeh, lead author from the Institute of Environmental Sciences (CML), Leiden University, said:

“MATILDA connects what’s on our plate to global environmental consequences. We achieve this by linking group-level dietary patterns to a macroeconomic model which captures their impact within and beyond national borders. To date, macroeconomic food system models have overlooked national-level differences in food consumption patterns and integration of food supply chain data into country case studies has been piecemeal. We try to bridge this gap and in doing so manage to pin-point the high-impact and vulnerable consumer groups otherwise hidden by dietary food modelling and policy. This enables sustainable dietary policy to be more targeted, fair and effective.”

Dr Hongyi Cai, developer of MATILDA from the Institute of Environmental Sciences (CML), Leiden University, said:

“There is no one-size-fits all when it comes to sustainable and healthy diets. When we benchmark the population against the actual diets they follow, food system impacts become more accountable, health inequalities become more explicit, and differentiated needs become more clear.” 

Professor Paul Behrens, co-author at the Oxford Martin School, University of Oxford, said:

"People don't make food choices in isolation. What we eat is shaped by where we live, what we can afford and what is available to us. We've entered an era where food policy can become much more evidence-based. Instead of treating entire populations as though they eat the same foods, we can now identify where interventions are likely to have the greatest benefit while making sure vulnerable groups aren't left behind."

The paper discusses a range of possible policy responses, including public information campaigns, supermarket incentives and other measures that make healthier, lower-impact choices easier. Broader approaches, such as taxation and regulation, also have an important role. The authors conclude that uniform interventions are unlikely to be sufficient, because dietary patterns and nutritional needs differ within populations.

-ENDS-

Notes to Editors

This study introduces MATILDA, the first global framework to combine individual dietary surveys, food supply chains and population data, enabling comparisons of dietary environmental impacts and diet quality across 165 countries and 72 socio-demographic population groups.

Journal: Nature Food 

Title: Dietary environmental impacts and quality differ by socio-demographic characteristics

Publication date: 22 July 2026 

• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s43016-026-01389-y
• Link: https://www.nature.com/articles/s43016-026-01389-y

Key findings:

• First global framework combining dietary intake, food supply chain and population data. 
• 165 countries. 
• 72 socio-demographic population groups.
• The highest-impact socio-demographic group generated almost double the emissions of the lowest-impact group. 
• The study's highest-impact group is young, highly educated urban men, as a median across all 165 countries rather than a finding specific to high-income nations. The comparison is between group medians; plant-sourced foods account for 62% of that group's diet against 70% for the lowest-impact group.
• Every 5% improvement in diet quality associated with 7.7% lower diet-related GHG emissions, 4.4% lower water use and 7.2% lower land use. 
• Higher proportions of plant-based foods associated with lower environmental impacts. 
• Main policy message: uniform interventions are unlikely to be sufficient because dietary patterns differ across populations.

 

 

Authors and affiliations

• Institute of Environmental Sciences (CML), Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
  • Oliver Taherzadeh, 
  • Arthur Schoorlemmer, 
  • Paul Behrens
  • Hongyi Cai
• Oxford Martin School, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
  • Paul Behrens
• Wellbeing Research Centre, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
  • Paul Behrens
• Institute for Ecological Economics, University of Economics and Business, Vienna, Austria
  • Martin Bruckner

 

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Journal

Nature Food

DOI

10.1038/s43016-026-01389-y 

Article Title

Dietary environmental impacts and quality differ by socio-demographic characteristics

Article Publication Date

22-Jul-2026