Informing sustainability recommendations for nutritional therapists through lived experiences of vegans in the UK: a thematic analysis of vegan perspectives

By Amina Pfeufer - Online MSc - Advanced Nutrition

Abstract

Background:

The degradation of planetary resources and the ecological impact of human consumption have become an increasing global concern, and the economic growth in Western countries has increased food production activity. While the modernisation of Western societies has facilitated continuous access to a wide variety of foods, it has also contributed to major ecological impacts and planetary resource degradation. In this changing ecological environment, practising nutritional therapy may require an increased understanding of sustainable solutions, including the need to increase awareness and change consumption behaviours. Several studies suggest that sustainable diets may include more unprocessed plant foods, fewer processed animal-derived products, and rely mostly on whole plant-based foods. Sustainable diets advocate the adoption of dietary patterns which minimise ecological impacts whilst also providing the nutrition needed for human health.

Aims:

This research purports to understand how the experience of vegans in the UK may help nutritional therapists integrate sustainability into their nutritional advice. The study will explore the perceived benefits, challenges, and motives of vegans and seek to understand how these perceptions can inform sustainability in the field of nutritional therapy. The research may help nutritional therapists consider how to practise more sustainably by enhancing their nutritional advice with sustainable components.

Methodology:

The researcher will conduct qualitative individual interviews with up to eight vegans. The participants will be recruited online through social media or snowball sampling. The interviews will be conducted online, and the data analysed using thematic analysis. The results will make recommendations that nutritional therapists may choose to integrate into their advice.