Health, Nutrition, and Sustainability

Evolving dietary preferences, increasing concerns over food security and a growing awareness of the negative impact traditional food production practices have on the environment, have caused a major shift in the food landscape. Health, Nutrition and Sustainability: Exploring Unconventional Food Sources, Volume 1, addresses the surge in interest in exploring unconventional and alternative food sources that can diversify diets and become new sources of sustainable foods. From the underutilized to the lesser known, these foods are prime to improve nutrition and reduce ecological and carbon footprints. Health, Nutrition and Sustainability: Exploring Unconventional Food Sources, Volume 1, introduces readers to untapped food sources such as novel grains and seeds, underutilized fruits and vegetables, rare spices and herbs, edible invasives and edible flowers, and seaweed and microalgae and highlight their bioactive components and nutritional values. Through topics such as waste valorization, precision agriculture, organic farming and climate-smart agriculture strategies, the book also demonstrates how adaptation of underutilized plant foods play a crucial role in meeting global food security while minimizing environmental impact. The authors also navigate the readers through the safety and toxicity of these foods. A complementary volume highlighting the dietary, sensory, and gastronomic applications of unconventional foods and how they can enhance future product development is also available.

• Explores nutritional and sustainable aspects of unconventional food sources
• Discusses ethical sourcing and environmental benefits of alternative food sources
• Highlights innovative approaches to waste valorization by repurposing food byproducts as a source for future foods
• Uncovers nutritional potential and bioactive components of edible flowers
• Provides insights to the safety and toxicity of unconventional food sources