Those wishing to maintain diets that are both healthy and sustainable need to look beyond simple carbon footprinting figures and consider the nutrient density of the foods they consume, senior research officer Sinéad McCarthy told Teagasc’s sustainability conference on Tuesday.

McCarthy warned consumers that scrapping meat and dairy from the diet is not the way to go for consumers conscious of their health and that of the environment.

“If you think of our bodies and our diets as an ecosystem, similar to the environmental ecosystem, what are the consequences for that,” the researcher commented, pointing to “significant evidence” gathered that doing so runs the risk of micronutrient deficiencies.

The carbon footprint of food and drink products has different energy, and nutrient densities should also be considered when weighing on the dietary emissions debate, she said, giving the example of fizzy drinks having a similar carbon footprint to milk.

“We don’t need to have a diet devoid of dairy or meat, but that never hits the headlines,” McCarthy concluded.