(ANSA) - Rome, August 1 - Young Italians are more and more climatarian at the dinner table, a new Barilla Center for Food and Nutrition (BCFN) survey showed Monday.
The term climatarian appeared on the New York Times list of top 2015 food-related words, and means someone whose diet is based on locally sourced food, on limiting food waste, and on avoiding the most energy-consuming of meat products in a bid to reduce carbon emissions and fight climate change. The survey of 800 Italians aged 18-30 across Italy's regions showed 62% are willing to adopt sustainable diets, 64% said they don't have negative repercussions on social life, and 73% believe such a diet to be nutritious.
Another 61% believes such diets are too expensive - which is a mistaken public perception, according to the BCFN.
A meat-based diet actually costs 0.85 euros more a day on average than a vegan or vegetarian one, while cutting meat consumption to twice a week equals savings of 4.50 euros a week and more than 320 euros a year per household, according to April 2015 data from the Italian Price Observatory.
"Eating healthy doesn't cost more," the BCFN study said.
More young Italians climatarians says Barilla study
Over 60% prefer green diet