###### Abstract  
The ability of nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR) to extract chemical information from a complex mixture is invaluable and widely described in literature. Many applications of this technique in the foodomics field have highlighted how NMR could characterize food matrices, and it can be used all along its \"life chain\": from farm to fork and from fork to the digestion process. The aim of this review is an attempt to show, firstly, the potential of NMR as a method based on green chemistry in sample preparation, and then in characterizing the nutritional qualities of agri-food products (with particular attention to their by-products) from a sustainable point of view. For instance, the NMR-based metabolomics approach has been used to enhance the nutritional properties of bio-products waste naturally rich in antioxidants and prebiotics. The reintroduction of these products in the food supply chain as functional foods or ingredients answers and satisfies the consumer demand for more food with high nutritional quality and more respect for the environment. biocative compounds; food analysis; food quality; foodomics; green analytical method; green sample preparation; in vitro digestion; metabolomics; nuclear magnetic resonance +
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Before answering these two questions it is important to keep in mind the meaning of the word sustainable when we take into account academic research and, thus, analytical techniques. [PERSON], et al. [5] defined sustainable as those analytical techniques that take into consideration three fundamental pillars: (1) the environment, (2) the economy, and (3) the society (Figure 1). **Pillar 1**: Sustainability can be achieved by waste minimization, adopting green solvents, or focusing on solventless methods, energy savings, and trying to avoid the use of auxiliary reagents and chemicals [5]. Sustainable analytical techniques should also be considered to limit pollution. **Pillar 2**: Academic research is generally recognized as curiosity-driven. However, there has recently been a shift in this, which was also influenced by the types of funding available. Research has become more industry-oriented and practical than conceptual. It has also started to suggest green solutions to problems and have an economic impact. Therefore, in the current context, food analysis and quality evaluation need to be supported by procedures and analytical techniques whose challenge is to reduce the environmental footprint [5]. **Pillar 3**: The main educational task is to transmit a clear message to society that would shed light on chemistry as a fundamental part of the solution to pollution problems and not just part of the problem. Information on the possibility of \"making science\" with low environmental impact is a fundamental leitmotif that society should have clearly in mind. In the context of analytical chemistry, as well as in food analytical chemistry, some well-established methods require hazardous chemicals and/or a high energy demand for sample preservation, pretreatment, calibration, and analyte determination. Frequently, the analytical methods yield large amounts of waste with even higher toxicity than the target analytes. Thus, analytical chemistry plays an important role in the sustainable development of the planet [5]. For this reason, green chemistry (GC) is considered an important tool for achieving sustainability since it aims at the development of chemicals and chemical processes to reduce the impact on human health and the environment. But how can it be achieved? [PERSON], et al. [6] suggest a deep change in attitudes and behavior in the chemical industry all along the chemical supply chain. For example, at the start of the chain, laboratories, where research is carried out, should be rethought and built  
Figure 1: Sustainable analysis in academic research starts from sustainable analytical techniques that have to take into consideration three fundamental pillars: environment, economy, and society. to minimize the use of energy.