Incorporating low cost pulses, such as yellow peas, that are rich in nutrients and low in fertilizer requirements, into daily food items, can improve the nutritional and sustainability profile of national diets. This paper systematically characterized the effect of using Canadian grown whole yellow pea and refined wheat flours on nutritional density and carbon footprint in cereal-based food products. Canada-specific production data and the levels of 27 macro- and micronutrients were used to calculate the carbon footprint and nutrient balance score (NBS), respectively, for traditional and reformulated pan bread, breakfast cereal, and pasta. Results showed that partial replacement of refined wheat flour with yellow pea flour increased the NBS of pan bread, breakfast cereal, and pasta by 11%, 70%, and 18%, and decreased the life cycle carbon footprint (kg CO2 eq/kg) by 4%, 11%, and 13%, respectively. The cultivation stage of wheat and yellow peas, and the electricity used during the manufacturing stage of food production, were the hotspots in the life cycle. The nutritional and greenhouse gas (GHG) data were combined as the nutrition carbon footprint score (NCFS) (NBS/g CO2 per serving), a novel indicator that reflects product-level nutritional quality per unit environmental impact. Results showed that yellow pea flour increased the NCFS by 15% for pan bread, 90% for breakfast cereal, and 35% for pasta. The results and framework of this study are relevant for food industry, consumers, as well as global and national policy-makers evaluating the effect of dietary change and food reformulation on nutritional and climate change targets.

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Numerous studies have shown that replacing a portion of beef with plant-based foods in daily diets of high-income nations can improve health, nutrition, and environmental consequences globally. Pulses are one of the major plant-based protein foods shown to have both environmental and nutritional benefits. For consumers to adopt more plant-based foods in their diets, more options are needed that meet consumer demands for taste, convenience, nutrition, and sustainability along with dietary preferences. Beef-based burger patties can be made more sustainably, nutritiously, and cost-effectively while maintaining palatability by reformulating with a portion of pulses such as whole cooked lentils. The aim of this study was to quantify the nutritional and environmental benefits of such lentil-reformulated beef burgers. Here we compared the nutrient balance score (considering 27 essential macro and micronutrients) and environmental footprints (carbon, bluewater, water scarcity, land use, and biodiversity) of an all-beef burger with a beef burger reformulated with a portion of cooked lentil puree. The geographic resolution of the analysis was Saskatchewan, Canada. Results showed that partial replacement of a lean beef burger with cooked lentil puree increased the nutrient density by ~20%, decreased the life cycle environmental footprint by ~33%, and reduced the cost by 26%. In particular, the lentil reformulated burger had 60 times higher dietary fiber, three times higher total folate, five times higher manganese, and 1.6 times higher selenium than the all-beef burger. We highlight the importance of using high-spatial resolution inventory of agricultural inputs and characterization factors (impacts per unit agricultural inputs) to obtain more accurate environmental results. The results underscore the potential of food innovation to contribute towards multiple global sustainable development goals.

Liquid hog manure (LHM) is used to improve productivity of grasslands in western Canada. However, application of manure to meet crop N requirements can result in excessive accumulation of P, especially in grazing systems. A three-year study was carried out to assess the impact of timing of liquid hog manure application and harvest strategy on nutrient utilization and accumulation by grasslands in southeast Manitoba. Liquid hog manure was applied annually at a full rate of 142 ± 20 kg available N ha -1 in spring (Single application) or as two half rate applications of 70 ± 6 kg available N ha -1 , one in fall and one in spring (Split application). Two harvest strategies, haying and grazing, were employed to export nutrients from grasslands. Spring-applied manure averaged 8.9% dry matter, 5.7 g total N L -1 , 1.5 g total P L -1 , and 2.1 g total K L -1 and fallapplied manure from the same source averaged 3.9% dry matter, 4.4 g total N L -1 , 0.7 g total P L -1 , and 2.2 g total K L -1 . Manure application based on grass N requirements resulted in at least two times more P and K applied than recommended for Manitoba grasslands. Nutrient (N, P, and K) export from grasslands was five times higher when grass forage was harvested as hay than through grazing. Average nutrient utilization when forage was harvested as hay was 153 kg N ha -1 , 18 kg P ha -1 , and 123 kg K ha -1 and was higher in the years with increased precipitation. Grazing was not effective in removing nutrients from grasslands as indicated by lower N, P, and K utilization efficiency (% applied nutrient) in grazed (30% for N, 7% for P, and 18% for K) relative to hayed (75% for N 32% for P, and 103% for K) paddocks. Nutrient accumulation was impacted by a combination of harvest strategy and timing of manure application. Both single and split applications increased soil extractable nutrients, but soil extractable nutrients were higher in grazed relative to hayed paddocks following single manure application. After 3 years of manure application, the amount of Olsen-P (62 kg ha -1 ) exceeded that required for optimal forage growth. However, soil levels did not exceed the soil Olsen-P regulatory threshold (60 mg kg -1 ) that restricts manure P applications in Manitoba. An analysis of P balance, for this particular soil, indicated that a surplus of 18.9 kg manure P ha -1 (in excess of forage P exported as hay or weight gain) increased the soil Olsen-P concentration by 1 mg kg -1 . Nutrient utilization and accumulation will be impacted by timing of manure application and harvest strategy employed as well as amount of precipitation received during the growing season.