Overview

• The study’s two optimized weekly menus cut diners’ carbon footprints by 31.4% and 30% and reduced saturated fat intake by up to 11.3%.
• The intervention required no recipe changes and simply reordered the same 15 dishes across days so high-impact meals compete and encourage greener choices.
• In a halls-of-residence trial with about 300 diners, participants did not notice the reshuffle and reported satisfaction levels remained steady.
• Further modelling indicated potential for up to 69% more fiber, one-third reductions in land and water use and a possible 14% increase in salt intake.
• Published in Nature Food under UKRI and NIHR Bristol BRC funding; the team is distributing its methods and recipes ahead of broader trials in schools, hospitals and workplace canteens, with plans for longer-term evaluation.