As more and more Americans become aware of the sustainability of their eating habits and its effects on the environment, the idea of whole food nutrition may become more relevant.

At a meeting of the Institute of Food Technologists, industry executives and researchers say that there is now a growing trend towards consumers wanting food that is less impactful on the environment, and benefits their health as well.

In a survey released during the event, "about 40 percent more [consumers] say they are more concerned about the environment than they were just a year ago,"” said Lynn Dornblaser, of Mintel International Group. “"Who would have thought we would be talking about carbon footprint?”"

And consumers are also concerned about the medicinal value of foods, a factor noted by one researcher into whole food nutrition.

Vitamins are part of a network of chemicals and nutrients in each food people eat, according to Dr Vic Shayne, and consumers may want to consider nutrition plans that focus on supplements that include the entire food in a condensed form, rather than focus on specific vitamins.