Cheap foods can deliver low-carbon, healthy diets, study finds

Using local ingredients is more sustainable and often more affordable. (Photo: iStock)

Eating low-carbon does not have to be expensive. A new study finds that relying on the cheapest food items — such as bananas, carrots and eggs — can meet daily dietary needs while cutting greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by about one-third compared with commonly consumed diets. By contrast, foods associated with the lowest emissions in a healthy diet, including oats, tuna and sardines, are often almost twice as expensive as the cheapest options.