Developing optimal sustainable menus: a guide based on university menus in Tehran Province

Promoting sustainable food systems is essential to ensuring both public health and environmental protection. University dining halls, as institutional food environments, provide a strategic opportunity to implement and evaluate sustainable dietary practices.

This study aimed to assess and optimize the sustainability of food menus in three military universities in Tehran by evaluating nutritional adequacy, environmental footprints (water and carbon), and economic cost.

In this cross-sectional analytical study, one-month food menus from three universities were analyzed. Nutrient content, cost, water footprint, and carbon emissions were calculated for each menu. Three optimization approaches-differing in menu design constraints-were developed and implemented using Linear Programming (LP) and Goal Programming (GP) to improve the sustainability of the menus while maintaining cultural acceptability.

The original menus were high in energy and fat, with considerable variation across universities. Optimization led to significant improvements, especially in the third approach, which combined menu reformulation and new food item integration. Compared to baseline, this approach reduced the water footprint by 30%, carbon emissions by 36%, and food cost by 32%, while increasing the Nutrient Rich Food (NRF) index by 25%. Micronutrient analysis confirmed that optimized menus provided adequate intake of key nutrients, including vitamin D, iron, calcium, and fiber, while significantly reducing sodium and saturated fat.

Strategic optimization of institutional food menus can substantially enhance nutritional quality, reduce environmental impact, and maintain affordability. Military universities and other public institutions can serve as platforms to promote sustainable eating habits and support national health and climate goals.