Abstract
Currently, most countries have to deal with multiple discrepancies that have arisen between the constraints of sustainable development and the return to traditions, involving food producers, as well as consumers, aspects that are also easily noticed in Romania. Thus, the main purpose of this study was to assess the nutritional quality of the Romanian traditional diet using a nutrient profiling method based on the Nutri-Score algorithm, applied to several representative Romanian traditional dishes. Because this algorithm has the capacity to highlight the amount (%) of fruits, vegetables, and nuts from a certain dish, it might be considered an indicator of the sustainable valences of the selected meals. The results showed that the traditional menus do not correspond to a balanced and sustainable eating behavior; thus, it is recommended to improve the Romanian pattern of food consumption and to ensure its sustainable basis. In order to achieve this goal, we propose the development of a new paradigm of the contemporary Romanian food style incorporating three main directions of action: acceptance, adaptation, and transformation.
Highlights
IntroductionOn the background of abundance and excessive consumption of industrial ultra-processed foods, specific to our contemporary consumer society, which has generated serious economic, environmental, and public health issues, sustainability has become a recurring theme of food system rhetoric and a challenge for food producers, as well as consumers
On the background of abundance and excessive consumption of industrial ultra-processed foods, specific to our contemporary consumer society, which has generated serious economic, environmental, and public health issues, sustainability has become a recurring theme of food system rhetoric and a challenge for food producers, as well as consumers.If recycling, favoring locally sourced foods, and reducing food waste are already common practices among consumers, especially in developed countries, the ideas expressed in recent studies led to the conclusion that one of the most important consumer contributions could be the transition toward a plant-based and low-meat diet [1]
The nutrient profiling method based on the Nutri-Score algorithm was applied to certain representative Romanian traditional dishes, in order to assess their nutritional quality and sustainability valences
Summary
On the background of abundance and excessive consumption of industrial ultra-processed foods, specific to our contemporary consumer society, which has generated serious economic, environmental, and public health issues, sustainability has become a recurring theme of food system rhetoric and a challenge for food producers, as well as consumers. If recycling, favoring locally sourced foods, and reducing food waste are already common practices among consumers, especially in developed countries, the ideas expressed in recent studies led to the conclusion that one of the most important consumer contributions could be the transition toward a plant-based and low-meat diet [1] This demarche represents the core principle of the flexitarian style, which is considered a fundamental aspect of a sustainable diet. It tends to be fashionable, veganism is not a viable option, primarily because it deprives the body of certain essential nutrients (such as proteins, vitamins B12, iron, zinc), which are difficult to obtain in adequate levels from vegetal origin foods [21,22,23] In this regard, researchers are criticizing this new attitude of doing away with meat and other animal origin products completely, advocating flexitarianism as the right choice from a health and environmental point of view [24].
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