D.NRE.2502 - Journal Publication

Summary

CSIRO study published in the Dietetics journal in August 2025, examined the role of protein sources in achieving nutrient adequacy in healthy and environmentally sustainable Australian diets. Using data from over 9300 adults in the Australian Health Survey, researchers identified a subgroup of 1589 diets with higher diet quality and lower environmental intake (sustainable healthy diets). 

Importantly, the subgroup of sustainable healthy diets that included 60-80% protein from animal sources where the most nutritionally adequate. This is important because the concern of environmentally sustainable diets is the potential for inadequate intake of micronutrients.  This study addresses this concern through the lens of the animal/plant protein ratio, finding that sustainable healthy diets in the Australian context have better micronutrient characteristics when they contain 60-80% of protein from animal sources.

Objectives

1.    Describe dietary patterns of a subgroup of Australian adult diets eating a higher diet quality and lower environmental impacts (HQLI) diet relative to average adult diets, including intake of discretionary and core foods, nutrient density, animal to plant source food ratio, and environmental indicator scores.
3.    Within the HQLI subgroup of diets, identify dietary patterns with varying ratios of animal and plant source foods and compare choices of high protein animal foods (e.g. meat and dairy types), total energy, nutrient intakes, and achievement of Nutrient Reference Values (NRVs). 
4.    Recommend the ratio of animal and plant source foods of dietary patterns that optimise nutrient adequacy, diet quality and lower environmental impacts.