Eating sustainably is frequently cited as a crucial step in fighting climate change, but changing what's on our plates can be easier said than done. To understand how people actually make these changes, we examined detailed shopping data from around 30,000 British households over seven years (2012–2019). Our findings reveal some promising insights.

We found a group of households who successfully cut their food-related greenhouse gas emissions (GHGE) by over a third. We called them our "Champions." When we looked more closely at how these reductions were achieved, two broad dietary patterns emerged.

Some households followed what we describe as a plant-based path. These households have significantly reduced their meat and dairy products and instead filled their shopping baskets with fruit, vegetables, beans and various plant-based alternatives. These households typically included older adults, were smaller, and had higher incomes and education levels.

Others took a different route. This second group also reduced their meat intake but increased their consumption of dairy products and convenient, ready-made foods like snacks and prepared meals. We refer to this pattern as the meat-to-dairy shift. These households shared similarities with the plant-based group in terms of age and size but came from more diverse socioeconomic backgrounds.

Interestingly, both groups achieved nearly identical reductions in emissions, primarily by cutting back on beef, which has one of the highest environmental impacts of any food. However, the plant-based group's dietary changes were notably closer to expert recommendations for both environmental sustainability and public health.

A critical insight from our research is the influence of income, education, and household size on dietary choices. Households with higher incomes and education levels found it easier to embrace plant-based diets. Meanwhile, larger households and those with children faced hurdles when trying to adopt greener diets.

Given these insights, a crucial question arises: how can we make sustainable eating achievable for everyone, regardless of their circumstances? Several practical strategies are already being implemented in various settings that could help support this shift if scaled up more broadly.

One effective approach involves boosting public awareness through education. Schools and universities in particular have a unique opportunity to offer appealing, nutritious plant-based meals on a regular basis. By doing so, they can help younger generations see sustainable eating as both normal and desirable from an early age. This approach should not stop at the school gates. Other institutions, such as hospitals, public sector organisations, and workplaces, also shape what people eat day to day. When these settings provide tasty, convenient plant-based options, they help normalise sustainable food choices and set an example that healthy, climate-friendly eating can be part of daily life, not just a personal choice for the few.

Campaigns encouraging experimentation with plant-based diets also play an important role. Initiatives like Veganuary, where people pledge to follow a plant-based diet for a month, have grown hugely popular. Such campaigns help people to engage with a plant-based diet without pressure, making a sustainable diet more accessible and less intimidating.

Financial and policy support is another vital component. Looking at successful examples, governments can have a huge impact in supporting healthy and sustainable eating. Denmark, for example, has launched a nationwide action plan that promotes plant-based foods and offered training for farmers and chefs to embrace the shift as a business opportunity rather than a threat. The plan also supports the food industry in creating appealing plant-based alternatives. Another success story from Denmark is the Whole Grain Partnership, which increased wholegrain consumption through clear labelling and public awareness campaigns. In cities like Edinburgh and Los Angeles, local governments have endorsed initiatives like the Plant-Based Action Plan, pushing for more plant-based menus in public institutions.

These tested policies show that when governments take clear, proactive steps, they can make sustainable diets easier, healthier, and accessible to everyone. Crucially, these actions also bring long-term economic benefits: improving public health through healthier diets reduces healthcare costs, while cutting emissions from food helps avoid the far greater costs of climate adaptation and crisis response down the line.

Moving forward, future research should further explore what motivates people to change their diets and identify barriers, especially among lower-income and larger households. Understanding the role supermarkets and food producers play in facilitating or hindering sustainable choices could also uncover new strategies for widespread dietary change.

Ultimately, we hope this research sparks meaningful conversations and drives innovative solutions that make sustainable food choices easy and appealing for everyone.

Read the full paper here.