Promoting the uptake of healthier and low carbon food options in institutional settings

Providing healthier and low-carbon food options can improve both human and planetary health. Through Impact Case 4 (IC4), we are developing a mixed-methods living systematic review and evidence gap map to identify and synthesise evidence on interventions that promote healthier and low-carbon food options. These include foods, meals, menus or dietary patterns that improve nutrition and have a lower environmental impact, especially by reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Our focus is on institutional settings, such as schools, hospitals and workplace cafeterias.

Institutional food settings play a key role in shaping daily diets and can serve as an effective strategy for climate mitigation. Current evidence on what works effectively focuses on demand-side policies. To fill in this gap, we will measure the impact of interventions that promote healthier and low-carbon food options, look at how results differ across various groups and settings, and examine the barriers and enablers from the consumer side that influence the uptake of these foods.

The review will begin using traditional systematic research methods before transitioning into a living systematic review using digital tools developed through DESTINY. This will allow us to regularly update our findings as new evidence becomes available. This synthesis is designed to provide practical evidence for decision makers, evidence users working and evidence synthesis practitioners to increase the availability and appeal of healthy and low-carbon foods.

The project is currently in its early stages, with the team piloting the screening and data extraction phases ahead of the official protocol publication in Campbell Systematic Reviews, which is expected in the final quarter of 2026. We aim to finish synthesising the extracted evidence in the first quarter of 2027, with regular updates to the review.