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RESEARCH ARTICLE

Sustainable proteins for future food systems: nutritional quality, environmental trade-offs, and consumer acceptance

Frontiers in Nutrition · 27 September 2026 · DOI 10.3389/fnut.2026.1913634

A multidisciplinary review compares plant, microbial, algal, insect, fermented and cultivated proteins to assess their role in future food supply and the trade-offs that could limit it. The authors examine amino acids, digestibility, micronutrients and health effects, alongside life-cycle measures and evidence on consumer uptake. They identify tensions around processing, energy use and production scale. Taste, culture, price and aversion to unfamiliar foods also affect adoption. The proposed framework shows that no single measure can judge protein alternatives.

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