Across Europe, diets high in animal-based foods and low in plant-based alternatives are contributing to poor health and environmental harm. Changing what we eat is essential, but knowing how to shift habits at scale remains a major challenge. ABC-SHEADE focuses on unlocking the pathways to real dietary change, identifying what drives people to adopt healthier, more sustainable eating patterns, and how those changes can be supported across different communities, cultures, and systems. Our goal: to help accelerate a Europe-wide transition toward diets that are better for people and the planet.
The project examines how real people are making real changes: shifting to diets with lower carbon footprints that align with national and global climate goals. Focusing on the UK and Italy, we’re studying how some consumers have (or have not) been rebalancing their diets toward more plant-based choices and fewer animal-based foods (the “champions”. A key part of this work is understanding the role of plant-based alternatives in driving such change. We also look at how food culture shapes what’s possible or realistic in terms of dietary change. These country case studies reveal not just what works, but what works well within each cultural context, which informs effective interventions and policies.
Pauline
Scheelbeek
Associate Professor
Andrew
Haines
Professor of Environmental Change and Public Health
Sarah
Nájera Espinosa
Research Fellow
Tony
Carr
Research Fellow in Food Systems - Health
Arli Zarate
Anouk
Reuzé
Research Fellow
Rosie
Green
Professor
- Dietary patterns in Great Britain
- UK Champion Households Cut Emissions by Eating Less Meat - We published a major study in Nature Communications Earth and Environment showing that some UK households – which we called “champion households” – were able to reduce their food-related greenhouse gas emissions in different ways. The one thing they all had in common? Eating less meat. Some families replaced meat with healthier, plant-based foods like vegetables and legumes, leading to both environmental and health benefits. These households were usually smaller, older, and had higher incomes and education levels. Others also cut back on meat but ended up eating more dairy and processed foods instead, possibly because they struggled to find good replacements. This group tended to snack more and make less healthy choices overall.
- Why Did These Families Change Their Diets? - We are wrapping up a study that looks at what motivated the champion households to change their food shopping habits. We are also finding out what made it easier for them to stick to their new diets – for example, what worked well in supermarkets or food outlets. We will share these findings this summer.
- Plant-Based Swaps in a Healthy Basket - We looked at what happens when people swap some meat and dairy for new plant-based products in a typical healthy shopping basket.
- The results showed that this can help lower environmental impacts with only minor nutritional downsides. But cost is still a problem – especially for things like plant-based meats and some dairy alternatives. We will present this research at the International Congress of Nutrition in Paris in 2025.
- What Motivates People to Eat More Plant-Based? - We ran an online survey of UK adults to understand their eating habits, motivations, and what influences their food choices. People who follow vegan or vegetarian diets often say they are driven by concerns for the environment or animal welfare. In contrast, those who eat a mix of plant and animal products (like flexitarians or omnivores) are more likely to be motivated by health. This tells us that if we want to encourage more people to eat plant-forward diets, we need to focus on health benefits and tailor messages to different groups of people.
- Dietary patterns in Italy
- Italian Households Cutting Emissions with Less Meat - Like in the UK, we identified a group of “champion households” in Italy that managed to lower their food-related greenhouse gas emissions. They mainly did this by cutting back on animal-based foods – especially red meat from cows and sheep. We found two different approaches among these families, each showing a unique way of reducing their food carbon footprint. These patterns also seemed to relate to factors like age and income. We are finalising the analysis now, and this research will be presented at the International Congress of Nutrition in Paris in 2025.
- Understanding Food Choices in a Culture-Rich Food Environment – We are currently running a survey in Italy to better understand what motivates people to change their diets, and what might make it harder to do so – especially in a country with such a strong food culture. We expect to receive the full data by the end of May and aim to complete the analysis by the end of June.
- Novel plant-based alternatives to meat and dairy in high-income countries
- Sustainability and health impacts – our research found that novel plant-based alternatives to meat and dairy, have lower environmental impacts than animal products, with an average reduction of 87% in greenhouse gas emissions, 84% in land use, and 61% in water consumption. Nutritionally, these foods are complex and vary widely by type of product, brand and ingredients. Legume- and mycoprotein-based meats and legume-based drinks typically align with healthy dietary guidelines as they contain higher fibre, lower calories, and reduced saturated fat compared to their animal-based counterparts. The limited health literature suggests plant-based meats support weight management, reduce chronic disease risk factors, and improve gut health. Some plant-based drinks may cause micronutrient deficiencies, though fortified novel plant-based alternatives can meet or exceed daily nutritional requirements compared to their animal-based counterparts.
- Substitutions in a healthy basket – making minor substitutions of processed meat, milk, or yogurt with plant-based alternatives in an individual’s diet can reduce greenhouse gas emissions, water usage, and land use. Minor substitutions in the diet did not compromise nutritional outcomes. However, certain popular brands may reduce key micronutrients, such as iodine in both men and women, or iron in women of reproductive age, who require higher doses. Nevertheless, other plant-based yogurt and milk brands can help increase iodine intake and other essential micronutrients.
- Affordability of novel plant-based foods – While there are affordable plant-based milk and yogurt alternatives, there is currently a lack of cost effective, like-for-like plant-based meats to replace processed meats. If this were to be a food group to be promoted in our search for sustainable food system solutions, the cost of these alternatives should be reduced (for example, through subsidies) to make them more accessible.
Nájera Espinosa et al (2025). Brief: novel alternative foods to meat and dairy.
Hadida et al. (2025). Brief: Integrating sustainability in food-based dietary guidelines.
Nájera Espinosa et al (September 2025). Mapping the evidence of novel plant-based foods: A systematic literature review of nutritional, health, and environmental impacts in high income countries. Poster presentation at the International Food Data Conference (IFDC)2025 hosted by FAO in Rome, Italy.
Nájera Espinosa et al (August 2025). Substituting certain animal-sourced foods with novel plant-based alternatives maintain nutritional outcomes and lower environmental impacts in diets -International Congress of Nutrition IUNS-ICN 2025 in Paris.
Reuze et al (August 2025). Tracking dietary shifts for lower carbon footprint in Italian households -International Congress of Nutrition IUNS-ICN 2025 in Paris.
Scheelbeek et al (April 2025). Environmental considerations in national dietary guidelines. Balancing trade-offs between nutritional health and health co-benefits of climate change. Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Brain Food Event
Scheelbeek et al (Mar 2025). Four Nations Diet & Healthy Weight Technical Working Group - Environmental considerations in national dietary guidelines. Balancing trade-offs between nutritional health and health co-benefits of climate change mitigation.
Scheelbeek et al (Jan 2025). Keynote: Nutrition Society Winter Conference: Dietary guidelines and advice - current and future - Reflections on the Eatwell Guide and other dietary guidance.
Scheelbeek et al. (Nov 2024). Parliamentary Event - Food Security on an (Un)Liveable Planet: How Do We Overcome Climate-Induced Food Insecurity and Malnutrition? – Environmental and health impacts of global food system reforms in Global North and LMIC contexts.
Scheelbeek et al (Sep 2024). National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute. Advancing Nutrition Research to Promote Respiratory Health in Adults. “Climate Change Impact on Global Food Systems and Human Nutrition”.
Scheelbeek et al (June 2024). Mapping the evidence of novel plant-based foods: A systematic literature review of nutritional, health, and environmental impacts in high income countries. Presentation at the What Works Climate Solutions Summit 2024, Berlin, Germany.
Nájera Espinosa et al (June 2024). Mapping the evidence of novel plant-based foods: A systematic literature review of nutritional, health, and environmental impacts in high income countries. Presentation at the Global Food Security conference, Leuven, Belgium. Provided written evidence to the House of Lord call of evidence: food, diet and obesity committee.
Written evidence FDO0073. https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld5901/ldselect/ldmfdo/19/19.pdf
Provided written expert review for UK governmental report on nutritional quality and toxicology of plant-based milks.
Academic publications
Carr, T.W., Zárate-Ortiz, A.G., Reuzé, A., O’Donovan, G., Mahfouz, H., Nájera Espinosa, S., Green, R. & Scheelbeek, P.F.D. Eating habits and sociodemographic factors impact household dietary greenhouse gas emissions reduction in Great Britain. Commun Earth Environ 6, 312 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-025-02252-x
Nájera Espinosa, Sarah; Hadida, Genevieve; Jelmar Sietsma, Anne; Alae-Carew, Carmelia; Turner, Grace; Green, Rosemary; Pastorino, Silvia; Picetti, Roberto; Scheelbeek, Pauline; (2024) Mapping the evidence of novel plant-based foods: a systematic review of nutritional, health, and environmental impacts in high-income countries. Nutrition Reviews. nuae031-. ISSN 0029-6643 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/nutrit/nuae031
Nájera Espinosa S, Hadida G, Jelmar Sietsma A, Alae-Carew C, Turner G, Green R, Pastorino S, Picetti R, Scheelbeek P. Mapping the evidence of novel plant-based foods: a systematic review of nutritional, health, and environmental impacts in high-income countries. Nutr Rev. 2024 Apr 25:nuae031. doi: 10.1093/nutrit/nuae031. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 38657969
Reports and other outputs
Nájera Espinosa, S (2025) Assessing the role of novel plant-based alternatives to meat and dairy in the transition towards sustainable and healthy diets. PhD thesis, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine. DOI: https://doi.org/10.17037/PUBS.04676014
Most plant-based meat and dairy alternatives have lower saturated fat and higher fibre, study finds, Sky News
Calls for plant-based alternatives to be labelled with warning signs, The Independent
The unhealthy secret about the vegan food you’re eating, The Telegraph
Which plant-based alternatives are healthier than animal products?, Food Navigator
Clearer labelling needed on plant-based meat and dairy alternatives, study says, Irish Examiner
The “First” Systematic Review of its Kind Explores the Impact of Plant-Based Alternatives on Health & Environment, Vegconomist
Study Reveals That Plant-Based Meat and Dairy Alternatives Have Higher Fiber and Lower Saturated Fat, One Green Planet
Meat and dairy alternatives should be clearly labeled to help consumers make healthy choices, says study, Medical Xpress
Most plant-based meat and dairy alternatives have lower saturated fat and higher fibre study, Xpress
Meat and dairy alternatives should be clearly labelled to help consumers make healthy choices, LSHTM Press
The Good Food Institute Europe’s Post, Good Food Institute Europe: