The 100-Mile Diet: A Community Approach to Promote Sustainable Food Systems Impacts Dietary Quality

Abstract

Rose et al. 271exclusively on locally produced foods (i.e., a local food diet) for 4 weeks during the summer and fall of 2006. For this study, a local food was defined as a food produced within 100 miles of an individual's residence. Food records were used to assess each participant's compliance with the local food diet as well as the impact of following the diet on the intakes of energy, macronutrients, and fruits and vegetables. Body weight was assessed at baseline and immediately following the 4-week period. Compliance with the local food diet varied considerably, but the average intake of local foods increased from 15% of calories at baseline to 81% of calories during the local food diet. Compared to participants' baseline values, following the local food diet for 4 weeks significantly (p < 0.05) reduced reported intakes of energy and protein and increased reported intakes of dietary cholesterol, saturated fat, and servings of fruits and vegetables. Results from this pilot study suggest that individuals attempting to follow a local food diet vary in how they execute a local food diet and that following a local food diet may result in a reduction of energy intake. Future research into the impacts of following a local food diet on dietary quality is needed.

The Benefits, Challenges, and Strategies of Adults Following a Local Food Diet

“…All participants were able to increase their consumption of local foods from approximately 15 percent at the baseline to approximately 82 percent during the four-week local diet challenge (Rose, et al, 2008). The participants reported consuming an average of 82 percent of their kilocalories from locally grown, raised, and processed foods.…”

“…Overall kilocalorie and protein intake were reduced during the diet. Saturated fat, cholesterol, and fruit and vegetables increased during the diet (Rose, et al, 2008).…”

The potential for local croplands to meet US food demand

“…C onsumption of local food has rapidly escalated in recent years, in parallel with a broad debate on the potential benefits of transitioning to a food system that involves much smaller distances between areas of production and consumption (Halweil 2002;Hinrichs 2003;Rose et al 2008;Peters et al 2009;Morrison et al 2011). Local food systems are characterized by "foodsheds" -geographic areas in which food is both produced and consumed.…”

Re-imagining the ‘social’ in the nutrition sciences

“…The implications of major climate change on food production and on the sustainability of that production has resulted in the direct link with nutrition (19) . Internationally, dietary guidelines for sustainability were developed 25 years ago and more recently this has captured the imagination of consumers through the local food and Slow Food movements (32)(33)(34)(35)(36) . Concerted efforts in this arena have now placed the environment, the protection of natural resources and sustainability of the food supply on the agenda for the next iteration of the Australian Dietary Guidelines (37) and on the national food policy agenda (38) .…”