Climatarian? Regenivore? New diets take aim at climate change

This article by Mike Allen was in the January 26th issue of the Axios AM newsletter. Axios offers a number of daily newsletters with factual and concise new coverage.

Move over, locavores:

  • A slew of new labels - from "climavore" to "reducetarian" - reflect the trend of people eating with sustainability in mind to reduce their climate "foodprint", Jennifer A. Kingson writes in Axios What's Next.

Why it matters: Food manufacturers, restaurants, and supermarkets are racing to cater to the zeal for lower-carbon eating choices.

What's happening: People are eschewing plastic packaging, ingredients flown in from afar, and foods that are environmentally damaging to produce.

  • The "eat local" mantra is being replaced by the notion that what you eat is more important - since transportation is sometimes just a small part of your meal's carbon footprint.
  • Restaurant chains - including Chipotle and Panera - are putting "carbon labels" on their foods.

There's a dizzying nomenclature affiliated with climate-conscious eating, with meaningful yet hard-to-parse differences.

  • "Sustainatarians" - eat some meat but filter their diet through an environmental lens.
  • "Regenivore" - food from companies actively healing the planet - is a hot labeling trend, the N.Y. Times reported.

Implications for location-based entertainment

The above shows how Americans' diets and food preferences are changing, something we covered in last month's issue. It's something location-based entertainment venues need to seriously consider for their menu and bar offerings.