Abstract: This study assesses the environmental impacts associated with current regional-average diets in Spain, and it evaluates the environmental benefits of adopting a diet based on the National Dietary Guidelines (NDG). To establish a fair method for diets' comparison among the different regions, a novel functional unit (FU), that considers both the nutritional and the socio-economic dimensions, was developed. Diets in north-western regions have larger impacts due to the high caloric energy and ruminant meat intake, as well as for being less affordable. The adoption of the NDG-based diet can potentially reduce the environmental impacts (GHG emissions, blue water footprint and land use) between 15 and 60% of current regional eating patterns. This study highlights the importance of properly selecting the FU, and integrating the concept of food affordability within the FU in diet LCAs.

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