Objective: Schools and school menus are among the most effective settings to address healthy and sustainable nutrition. This study aims to examine the carbon footprint (CF) and water footprint (WF) of the lunch menu in a private school in İstanbul, Türkiye. Material and Methods: The study examined 56 different foods and beverages included in a 21-day fall semester lunch menu for 275 students. The carbon and WF values of the foods in the meals were computed according to data obtained by literature review, and the relevant values per person were interpreted monthly, weekly, and daily. Results: As a result, the 21-day lunch menu had a total CF of 18.9 kg CO2 eq/person/month, with a mean of 0.90±0.54 kg CO2 eq/person/day; the total WF of the menu was 16,026 L/kg food/month, with a mean of 763.2±330.2 L/kg food/person/day. When the day with the highest carbon and WF was examined, it was observed that the menu consisted of vegetable soup, meatballs with potatoes, piyaz (bean salad), semolina halva with raisins, and salad bar (1.6 kg CO2 eq/person/day, 988.5 L/kg food/person/day). Conclusion: Comparing the values in the current results with school menu studies conducted in different countries, the values in our study are at a moderate level for CF and higher for water footprint. This study is expected to pioneer school sustainability studies in our country, and further studies are warranted. The relationship between nutrition and sustainability should be more part of dietary guidelines, and awareness should be raised.
Keywords: Carbon footprint; sustainable development; menu planning; schools
Amaç: Okullar ve okul menüleri, sağlıklı ve sürdürülebilir beslenmenin ele alındığı en etkili ortamlar arasında yer almaktadır. Bu çalışma, İstanbul'da bulunan özel bir okulun öğle yemeği menüsünün karbon ayak izi ve su ayak izini incelemeyi amaçlamaktadır. Gereç ve Yöntemler: Araştırmada, 275 öğrencinin 21 günlük güz yarıyılı öğle yemeği menüsünde yer alan 56 farklı yiyecek ve içecek incelenmiştir. Yemeklerde yer alan besinlerin karbon ve su ayak izi değerleri literatür taraması sonucunda elde edilen verilere göre hesaplanmış ve kişi başına ilgili değerler aylık, haftalık ve günlük olarak yorumlanmıştır. Bulgular: 21 günlük öğle yemeği menüsünün toplam karbon ayak izi 18,9 kg CO2 eşdeğeri/kişi/ay, ortalama 0,90±0,54 kg CO2 eşdeğeri/kişi/ gün; menünün toplam su ayak izi ise 16,026 L/kg besin/ay, ortalama 763,2±330,2 L/kg besin/kişi/gündü. Karbon ve su ayak izinin en yüksek olduğu gün incelendiğinde menünün sebze çorbası, patatesli köfte, piyaz (fasulye salatası), kuru üzümlü irmik helvası ve salata barından oluştuğu görülmüştür (1,6 kg CO2 eşdeğeri/kişi/gün, 988,5 L/kg besin/kişi/gün). Sonuç: Mevcut sonuçlardaki değerler farklı ülkelerde yapılan okul menüsü çalışmaları ile karşılaştırıldığında, çalışmamızda değerlerin karbon ayak izi açısından orta düzeyde, su ayak izi açısından ise daha yüksek olduğu gösterilmiştir. Bu çalışmanın ülkemizdeki okul sürdürülebilirliği çalışmalarına öncülük etmesi beklenmekte ve daha fazla çalışmaya ihtiyaç duyulmaktadır. Beslenme ve sürdürülebilirlik arasındaki ilişki beslenme rehberlerinde daha fazla yer almalı ve farkındalık artırılmalıdır.
Anahtar Kelimeler: Karbon ayak izi; sürdürülebilir gelişme; menü planlama; okullar
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