Sustainable diet perceptions among Canadian young adults: a qualitative study

Purpose Canadian diets are unsustainable, and perceptions of sustainable diets among Canadians are not well-understood. The purpose of this study was therefore to explore perceptions of sustainable diets among Canadians. Design/methodology/approach The study sample comprised 30 Canadians aged 18–35 years (33% male; 3% gender diverse, 27% rural and 27% who did not attend university) who were recruited using online advertisements, posters, snowball sampling and word-of-mouth. Semi-structured online interview transcripts were analysed using thematic analysis. Findings The study themes included: understanding of sustainable diets, sustainable diet behaviours, willingness to change, barriers to sustainable diets and strategies to support sustainable diets. Participants associated sustainable diets with health and nutrition, environmental protection, ethics and economics. The mean willingness to change eating habits to be more sustainable was 8.2 (1 = not at all willing; 10 = very willing). Barriers included a lack of food affordability, accessibility and availability, low food literacy, food systems distrust, food-related values, beliefs and norms, and dietary preferences and restrictions. Strategies to support sustainable diets included intrapersonal approaches related to improving food literacy, interpersonal factors such as shifting norms, community-based and institutional approaches to increase food accessibility and government actions such as subsidies for producers and consumers. Originality/value This study builds upon previous research by exploring perceptions of sustainable diets among a diverse sample of Canadians using in-depth interviews. Findings can inform public health messaging, behaviour change interventions and policy approaches to support the adoption of sustainable diets.