1. Promoting pulse-rich dishes in institutional food services for environmental sustainability.
Increased consumption of pulses (dried beans and peas of all kinds) in place of red meat is recognized as an effective way of not only promoting our health but also mitigating environmental problems associated with our overconsumption of animal proteins.
In a collaboration with the Canadian College and University Food Service Association (CCUFSSA), a multi-disciplinary team consisting of Goretty Dias (Environmental Study, University of Waterloo), Lisa Duizer (Food Science), Paula Brauer (Applied Human Nutrition) and myself, is exploring different methods campus food services are using to offer more pulse-rich dishes over meat-heavy dishes. We are collecting recipes of alternative dishes developed by campus food services around Canada and estimating the effect of preparing and serving them on environmental sustainability. This project is funded by Guelph Institute of Environmental Research (GIER) and the SSHRC Partnership Engagement Grant.
2. How Flexitarians try to reduce their meat intake
More and more consumers are interested in reducing their meat intake for various reasons, such as environmental concerns, animal welfare, health concerns, etc. The number of individuals who try to reduce their meat intake without giving it up, known as Flexitarians, is likely to increase for years to come. However, a lot of them are not successful in reducing their meat intake in a significant manner and some discontinue their effort. I am exploring different ways these individuals use to reduce meat intake and factors that distinguish those who successfully reduce meat intake from those who fail to do so. I have got inspired to start this project while supervising my former M Sc student, Jessica MacDonald’s thesis, which was published in 2023.
MacDonald, J., Brauer, P., & Yi, S. (2023). Meat reduction among post-secondary students: Exploration of motives, barriers, diets and preferences for meals with partial and full meat substitution. Appetite, 188, 106977–106977. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2023.106977