Higher education settings menus have low compliance with the Mediterranean Diet and high carbon and water footprint: a case study from Portugal, Croatia and Turkey

This study focuses on evaluating the compliance of menus from Higher Education Institutions (HEI) with the Mediterranean Diet (MD) and calculates their respective carbon and water footprints. From September 2023 to June 2024, menus from 52 HEI's across Portugal, Croatia and Turkey were analysed using a Mediterranean Diet Compliance Index (MeDCIn). Also, the footprints of 300 meals from 30 different menus were calculated. Overall results show a low compliance with the MD (mean score 2.7 ± 3.4). Turkish menus scored the highest values (5.2 ± 1.7) while Portuguese menus scored the lowest (1.10 ± 3.7) (MeDCIn varies between −20.5 and 27). The limited availability of dishes with eggs, wholegrains, olive oil, nuts, seeds, and seasonal products was a key factor contributing to the low compliance observed, as well as insufficient variety in Mediterranean dishes, vegetables, pulses, seafood and lean meat. The average water footprint was 1785.41 ± 909.3 m3/ton, with Turkish menus having the highest consumption (2271.90 ± 1016.11 m3/ton) and Portuguese menus the lowest (1485.46 ± 767.28 m3/ton). The average carbon footprint was 1.9 kg CO2-eq, with Turkish menus again scoring the highest (2.91 ± 2.13 kg CO2-eq) and Portuguese menus the lowest (1.42 ± 1.26 kg CO2-eq). The findings reveal a complex relationship between MD compliance and environmental footprints, with moderate positive correlations observed. These results provide valuable insights to develop targeted interventions to improve menu options in HEI cafeterias and reduce their environmental impact.