Do Healthy Food Choices Lead to More Waste at Home? A Systematic Review

Food serves as a foundation of human existence, while healthy dietary choices are a cornerstone of individual health. A significant amount of edible food is not consumed and consequently wasted within households globally. Minimising this avoidable food waste can foster more sustainable consumption patterns, aligning with the overarching goal of enhancing environmental sustainability. However, existing literature on this issue remains limited and fragmented. Using PRISMA guidelines, this review synthesises 22 eligible peer-reviewed English-language journal articles published up to March 2025, identified across five databases: Scopus, Web of Science, ScienceDirect, Emerald Insight, and SpringerLink. The methodological quality of included studies was assessed with the MMAT. The review findings were summarised using descriptive analysis and narrative synthesis. Findings revealed four major themes: definitions and measurement of healthy food and food waste; influencing factors of food waste; intervention strategies; and the nexus among food waste, nutrition, and environmental health. The evidence indicates that healthy food selections can mitigate waste with proper management practices, may exacerbate waste with fresh perishables, and yield varying results depending on context. This review proposes a behavioural framework linking healthy food choices, purchasing decisions, and post-purchase food management practices to household food-waste outcomes. Future research should align national nutritional goals with global sustainability targets through healthy eating, whilst simultaneously reducing avoidable food waste. The study concludes with suggestions for behavioural nudges related to food purchasing and subsequent household food management, as well as circular-economy approaches, that hold promise for supporting both healthy food choices and reduced household food waste.