Scientists created a new scoring system called DIEM that helps people understand how their food choices impact the environment. Instead of looking at one environmental problem at a time (like water use or pollution), DIEM combines all these impacts into one simple number. The tool works with real-time food tracking apps to show you how your daily eating habits affect things like land use, water consumption, and greenhouse gas emissions. This makes it easier for people to make food choices that are better for both their health and the planet.

The Quick Take

  • What they studied: Can scientists create a simple scoring system that tells people how much their food choices harm or help the environment?
  • Who participated: This was a tool development study, not a traditional research study with human participants. Scientists used existing databases about food and the environment to build the DIEM system.
  • Key finding: Researchers successfully created DIEM, a unified scoring system that combines multiple environmental impacts of food (water use, land use, pollution, and greenhouse gases) into one easy-to-understand number that people can use when making food choices.
  • What it means for you: Soon, you may be able to use an app that shows you an environmental score for your meals, similar to how nutrition labels show calories. This could help you make food choices that are better for the planet without needing to understand complicated environmental science.

The Research Details

Scientists didn’t test the DIEM system on people yet. Instead, they developed it by combining information from existing databases that track how different foods affect the environment. They used published research about land use, water consumption, nitrogen pollution, and greenhouse gas emissions for various foods. They also connected this environmental information to diet quality scores (using a system called HEI-2020) so the tool could show both environmental and health impacts together. The researchers created a way to organize different types of diets and calculate their overall environmental footprint based on what people actually eat.

Before DIEM, people could find environmental information about individual foods, but there was no easy way to understand the total environmental impact of their entire diet. This tool fills that gap by giving people one simple score instead of making them juggle multiple numbers. Having a unified score makes it practical for real people to use in their daily lives.

This is a tool development study, not a test of whether the tool actually works in real people’s lives. The researchers built DIEM using established, published databases, which is a strength. However, the system hasn’t been tested yet to see if it actually helps people make better food choices or if the scoring accurately reflects real-world environmental impacts. Future research will need to test whether DIEM works as intended.

What the Results Show

The DIEM scoring system was successfully developed and combines four major environmental impacts of food: land use (how much farmland is needed), water use (how much water is required), nitrogen inputs (fertilizer pollution), and greenhouse gas emissions (pollution that causes climate change). The system can calculate an overall environmental score for individual foods and for complete diets. The researchers integrated DIEM into real-time dietary tracking, meaning it could work with apps that monitor what you eat throughout the day. The system also connects environmental scores to diet quality, so users can see both how their food choices affect the planet and how healthy their diet is.

The DIEM system can organize different eating patterns into defined diet types and objectively measure diet quality using established nutrition science standards. This means the tool doesn’t just show environmental impact—it also helps people understand whether their diet is nutritionally balanced. The system is designed to be consumer-friendly, meaning regular people can understand and use it without needing special training in environmental science.

Previous research showed that environmental impacts of food vary widely, and scientists have created databases tracking these impacts. However, no one had created a simple, unified way to show the total environmental impact of an entire diet pattern. DIEM builds on existing environmental databases but adds the innovation of combining multiple impacts into one actionable score that consumers can actually use.

This study introduced the DIEM system but didn’t test it with real people yet. We don’t know if the scoring system accurately reflects actual environmental impacts in all situations, or if it actually motivates people to change their eating habits. The system relies on existing databases, which may not include all foods or may have incomplete environmental data for some items. Future research needs to validate whether DIEM works as intended and whether it actually helps people make more environmentally friendly food choices.

The Bottom Line

This research suggests that DIEM could be a useful tool for people interested in reducing their environmental footprint through food choices (moderate confidence level—the tool hasn’t been tested with real users yet). It appears promising for combining environmental and health information in one place. However, wait for future research that tests whether the tool actually works before making major dietary changes based solely on DIEM scores.

This tool is designed for anyone interested in making food choices that are better for the environment. It may be especially useful for people who care about climate change, water conservation, or sustainable farming. People who want to improve both their health and their environmental impact should find this tool helpful. However, people without access to apps or digital tools may not be able to use DIEM yet.

The DIEM system is being introduced now, but it will take time before it’s widely available in apps and tools. Researchers will need to test whether it actually helps people change their eating habits, which could take months to years. If you’re interested in using DIEM, look for it in nutrition tracking apps over the coming months and years.

Want to Apply This Research?

  • Track your daily DIEM environmental score (once available in your app) alongside your daily nutrition score. Record both numbers each day to see patterns in how your food choices affect the environment over weeks and months.
  • When logging meals in your app, pay attention to the DIEM score for different food options. Try swapping one high-impact food per day with a lower-impact alternative and watch how your daily environmental score changes. For example, if beef has a high score, try chicken or plant-based options and compare.
  • Set a weekly environmental impact goal (similar to calorie goals) and track whether you’re meeting it. Review your monthly trends to see if your dietary choices are becoming more environmentally friendly over time. Compare your environmental score to your nutrition score to find foods that are good for both you and the planet.

This research introduces a new tool for understanding the environmental impact of food choices but has not yet been tested with real people. The DIEM scoring system is based on existing environmental databases and may not capture all environmental impacts or be accurate for all foods. Before making significant dietary changes, consult with a healthcare provider or registered dietitian, especially if you have specific health conditions or nutritional needs. This tool is designed to provide information, not medical advice. Environmental impact scores should be considered alongside nutritional needs, food allergies, cultural preferences, and personal health goals.