The foods we eat affect our health, which means we need to eat a balanced diet to meet our nutritional needs. The Healthy Dietary Guidelines outline the types and amounts of food to be eaten for a healthy and nutritious diet and have been developed for more than 100 countries worldwide . The basic message communicated through these guidelines is the same worldwide, recommending higher consumption of fruit and vegetables and minimal consumption of calorie- and nutrient-poor foods. If food consumption is not in accordance with the principles of healthy eating, the risk of many health conditions increases, such as heart disease, diabetes and obesity.

Fruits and vegetables start from the bottom of the food pyramid, which are the most important shelf and the foundation on which our diet should be based. It is recommended to consume at least five portions of fruit and vegetables per day, ideally seven portions. However, fruit and vegetable intake was too low, with most people consuming little more than two portions a day. Emissions associated with the current consumption of fruit and vegetables are low, approximately 0.15 kg CO2/day. Food consumption for cereal/starchy foods and dairy products was aligned with the recommended intake and a guideline was achieved for each of these shelves. Emissions associated with the cereal/starchy food and dairy food groups were 0.65 kg CO2/day and 0.73 kg CO2/day, respectively. Moving up the pyramid, foods on the protein shelf include meat, poultry, fish and legumes. Meat was consumed above the recommended amount by approximately 90 g per day. Consumption of food from the protein shelf generates emissions of approximately 2.8 kg of CO2/day. (By Marie Conway and Sinéad McCarthy, Teagasc)