Evaluating the Portuguese diet in the pursuit of a lower carbon and healthier consumption pattern

There is growing concern about the nutritional quality and the environmental impact of the food we eat. Although the population is increasingly aware of adhering to diets that meet these requirements, the reality is that current dietary patterns deviate greatly from these recommendations. In the case of Portugal, the Mediterranean and Atlantic diets have traditionally coexisted in the country but it is predictable that current consumption patterns do not conform to them. Accordingly, the present research has a dual objective, taking the Portuguese dietary pattern as a case study. First, sustainability in terms of environmental and health impacts is monitored over a 9-year period (2008–2016), including the stages of production, distribution, and household activities. Secondly, an example of alternative diet is proposed in the pursuit of a more sustainable dietary pattern. The carbon footprint from a life cycle perspective has been selected for the environmental impact assessment and the Nutrient Rich Diet 9.3 index for the analysis of the nutritional quality. An average value of 4.20 kg CO2 eq·inhabitant−1·day−1 is reported for the Portuguese diet for the period under study. Regarding the alternative diet proposal, it leads to an increase of the nutritional quality of around 67%, and a reduction of the carbon footprint by approximately 25%, approaching the values of recommended diets such as the Mediterranean and the Atlantic ones. This research can serve as a reference for decision-makers, as well as to provide consumers with a clearer picture of what should be included in their food basket.