Exploring the Dimensions of Sustainable Diets in Iran’S Food Basket Programs: A Qualitative Content Analysis Publisher



Shahrdami F ; Sobhani S R ; Mohammadi Nasrabadi F ; Shams L ; Haghighian Roudsari A
Source: Nutrition and Food Science Published:2026

Abstract

Purpose – This study aims to conduct a qualitative content analysis of national programs related to food baskets to examine the extent to which components of sustainable diets were incorporated, using a combined conceptual framework of the Health Policy Triangle and Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations sustainable diet principles. Design/methodology/approach – To retrieve relevant documents, the authors searched official internal websites. Scott’s quality control criteria were applied to verify data validity. A total of 22 documents were included for review. Deductive content analysis was conducted. MAXQDA software was used to manage the data analysis. Findings – The findings showed that, based on the dimensions of the Health Policy Triangle (content, context and process), nine main themes of “Health-related factors, ” “Political factors, ” “Economic factors, ” “Sociocultural factors, ” “Legal requirements for the development and formulation of the food basket in national policies and regulations, ” “Defining strategic objectives of food baskets, ” “Operational actions to achieve goals, ” “Design and development of food baskets” and “Implementation challenges” with 22 subthemes were identified. Furthermore, according to the sustainable diet framework, nine subthemes were categorized under the nutritional, economic, political and cultural main themes. Findings reflect the policy intentions stated in official documents and may not capture implementation gaps or stakeholders’ perspectives. Research limitations/implications – Despite its contributions, this study has limitations that should be acknowledged. The analysis relied on available policy documents and reports, which may not fully capture informal or unpublished policy considerations. Future research could complement document analysis with stakeholder interviews to provide deeper insights into policy processes and implementation challenges. Originality/value – The analysis revealed that food basket programs in Iran are predominantly focused on nutritional and economic dimensions, while environmental and cultural aspects have received comparatively less attention. Moreover, mechanisms for monitoring and evaluation have not been clearly defined, highlighting the need for more comprehensive integration of sustainability dimensions and stronger evaluation mechanisms in future policies. © 2026 Emerald Publishing Limited