Overconsumption of unhealthy, discretionary, foods and beverages are associated with an increased risk of weight gain and non-communicable diseases, including diabetes, heart disease, and cancer. This cross-sectional study explored preferences for setting goals to reduce discretionary food and beverage consumption. The online survey included items about discretionary food and beverage intake, goal setting preferences to reduce intake, habit strength, personality traits, and demographic characteristics. A total of 2664 Australian adults completed the survey. The sample was mostly female (65.9%), half (52.8%) were aged between 30–49 years, and the median intake of discretionary food and beverages was 4.9 (IQR: 3.6 to 7.2) serves per day. Multinomial logistic regression and ordinal logistic regression models were used to explore demographic and psychological predictors of the helpfulness of long-term and short-term goals, elimination and gradual goals, specific food goals, specific eating occasion and food goals, self-set goals, collaboratively set goals, and assigned goals. The results showed participants with higher habit strength had greater odds of finding short-term (OR 1.40, 95% CI 1.06–1.86), gradual (OR 1.14, 95% CI 1.01–1.29), specific (OR 1.35, 95% CI 0.84–1.76), assigned (OR 1.38, 95% CI 1.14–1.66) and collaborative goals (OR 1.24, 95% CI 1.01–1.53) helpful. The results also indicated that age and gender were important predictors of goal setting preferences, particularly for long-term goals, elimination goals, broad goals, and collaborative goals. Interventions to reduce discretionary food and beverage intake are needed and consideration of goal setting preferences could be a novel way to developing more tailored and effective dietary interventions.

Nutrition education is crucial for improving nutritional knowledge. This study aims to evaluate the impact of healthy nutrition education on hedonic hunger, adherence to the Mediterranean diet and self-efficacy for healthy eating among early adolescence. This one-group, pre-test-post-test, quasi-experimental study included 202 middle-school students. Data were collected using a researcher-designed survey that included demographic variables, the Children’s Power of Food Scale, the Self-Efficacy for Healthy Eating Scale, the Mediterranean Diet Score and the Brief Nutritional Knowledge Assessment Form. Anthropometric measurements (weight, height, waist circumference, hip circumference and neck circumference) were also taken. After the pre-test, each student received 2 h of healthy nutrition education. A follow-up survey was administered 4 weeks later. The study revealed that most early adolescents exhibited unhealthy dietary habits, such as skipping main meals (15·3 % all the time and 60·2 % occasionally), snacking on sweet treats (33·3 %) and having irregular eating patterns (47·4 %). Additionally, the early adolescents had higher weights, BMI, neck circumferences and heights compared with reference values (P < 0·01). Significant changes were observed post-intervention: lower hedonic hunger scores (beginning: 2·90 (sd 0·68), follow-up: 2·70 (sd 0·76), P < 0·01), decreased self-efficacy for healthy eating (beginning: 5·41 (sd 3·50), follow-up: 4·33 (sd 3·61), P < 0·01) and increased knowledge about healthy nutrition (beginning: 67·23 (sd 14·39), follow-up: 80·00 (sd 17·22), P < 0·01). This study highlighted that healthy nutrition education enhances nutritional knowledge and decreases hedonic dietary tendencies among early adolescents. Continued nutrition education may further improve children’s preferences for healthy foods.

Using a behavioural intervention to target nutrition during pregnancy may be key in meeting recommendations for healthy eating. The aim was to assess the use of a short-term dietary intake measurement tool (3-day food intake record) to infer long-term habitual dietary intake during pregnancy (using a short-form FFQ). A convenience sample (n 90) between 12- and 18-weeks’ gestation was recruited from a larger randomised controlled trial for cross-sectional analysis. Participants completed a forty-four-item FFQ and 3-day food intake record. Using the participant food intake record, the investigator blindly completed a second frequency questionnaire. The frequency questionnaires were scored using dietary quality scores (DQS) and compared. Aggregate data were evaluated using a Wilcoxon signed rank test, and individual-level data were evaluated using a Bland–Altman plot. No significant difference was observed in the scores (Z = –1·88, P = 0·06), with small effect size (r= 0·19). The Bland–Altman plot showed that comparing the DQS derived from the two different dietary assessments underestimated scores by a mean difference of 0·4 points (95 % limits of agreement: −3·50 to 4·26). The data points were evenly spread suggesting no systematic variation for over- or underestimation of scores. Minimal difference was observed between the functionality of the two assessment instruments. However, the food intake record can be completed by pregnant individuals to estimate short-term nutrient intake and then scored by the investigator to estimate long-term dietary quality. Combining these two instruments may best capture the most accurate representation of dietary habits over time.

This review highlights the importance of dietary fibres (DF) intake and its interconnection with the gut microbiome and psychological well-being, while also exploring the effects of existing DF interventions on these aspects in adults. The gut microbiota is a complex and diverse ecosystem in which microbial species interact, influencing the human host. DF are heterogeneous, requiring different microbial species to degrade the complex DF structures. Emerging evidence suggests that microbial fermentation of DF produces short-chain fatty acids (SCFA), which may play a role in regulating psychological well-being by affecting neurotransmitter levels, including serotonin. The effectiveness of DF interventions depends on factors such as baseline gut microbiota composition, the dosage and the source of DF consumed. Although the gut microbiota of adults is relatively stable, studies have shown that the abundance of the species in the gut microbiota can change within 24 h of an intervention and may return to baseline following the termination of DF intervention. This review underscores the need for larger and well-powered dietary clinical trials incorporating longitudinal biological sample collections, advanced sequencing and omic techniques (including novel dietary biomarkers and microbial metabolites), validated subjective questionnaires and dietary records. Furthermore, mechanistic studies driven by clinical observations are crucial to understanding gut microbiota function and its underlying biological pathways, informing targeted dietary interventions.

The NutriLight system presents a novel dietary approach designed to enhance health communication, promote sustainable eating habits, and address limitations in existing dietary patterns. Using a traffic light scoring system, it simplifies dietary recommendations, making them more accessible and adaptable across diverse populations. Unlike rigid diets, NutriLight categorises foods into green, yellow, and red groups, encouraging balance rather than restriction. This flexibility allows for cultural adaptations, ensuring relevance in different dietary contexts while supporting planetary health. Additionally, NutriLight mitigates the risk of nutrient deficiencies by emphasising whole, minimally processed foods and reducing overconsumption of unhealthy options. While promising, its effectiveness depends on proper implementation, localised adaptation, and long-term evaluation to confirm its health benefits. By bridging the gap between nutritional science and practical application, NutriLight has the potential to serve as an effective tool in public health nutrition, fostering healthier and more sustainable dietary choices worldwide.

In recognition of the impact of current dietary patterns on human and environmental health, dietary shifts towards sustainable diets are considered crucial to adequately feed a growing global population within planetary boundaries. Whilst the composition of sustainable diets varies to account for regional specificity, consensus exists on the need to reduce meat and increase plant protein intakes in sustainable dietary patterns for high-income settings. Due to the high environmental impact resulting from meat production and observational evidence of higher risks of negatives health outcomes associated with excess red and processed meat, a reduction in meat consumption is considered a ‘win-win’ for both people and the planet. However, meat is an important contributor to dietary protein and micronutrient intakes and plays an important sociocultural role, particularly in the UK and Ireland. Whilst a strong evidence-base exists on the environmental and health benefits associated with increased consumption of whole plant foods such as legumes, nuts and seeds, these foods may not address the barriers associated with lower meat diets. Plant-based meat alternatives (PBMAs) are products created to replicate the taste, texture, appearance and functionality of meat and therefore may provide an acceptable means of facilitating the shift to healthy and more sustainable diets. However, less is known about the health and environmental impact of substituting meat with PBMAs. Therefore, this review summarises the literature on the nutritional, health and environmental impact of PBMAs to better understand the role of these products in healthy and sustainable diets for the UK and Ireland.

In individuals with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), eliminating dietary triggers can alleviate symptoms but may lead to nutrient deficiencies and overall health decline. Although various nutritional supplements show promising results in relieving IBS symptoms due to their potential to alter the microbiome, conclusive scientific evidence remains lacking. This exploratory study aims to assess the bifidogenic properties of four nutritional supplement interventions and their impact on IBS-symptoms, faecal microbiota composition, faecal short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) concentrations, stool pattern, and quality of life (QoL), compared to a placebo control. Seventy subjects with IBS, meeting the ROME IV criteria, participated in this randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled parallel intervention study. Subjects were assigned to one of the four treatment groups, receiving either resistant starch, pea fibre, chondroitin sulfate, protein hydrolysate, or placebo daily for four weeks. Daily reports on stool pattern and gastrointestinal complaints were collected. Stool samples and questionnaires on dietary intake, symptom severity, QoL, and anxiety and depression were collected at baseline and after the 4-week intervention. The results show no significant increase in Bifidobacterium abundance or faecal SCFA levels after the 4-week intervention with any of the four nutritional supplement interventions. While some improvements in symptom severity and QoL were observed within-groups, these were not significantly different from changes observed with placebo. In conclusion, the tested nutritional supplements did not increase Bifidobacterium abundance in subjects with IBS within four weeks. Furthermore, we conclude that future studies should consider a run-in period and a larger sample size to study improvements in IBS symptoms.