The Planetary Health Diet (PHD) is a science-based framework developed by the EAT-Lancet Commission, a collaboration of experts in health, nutrition, and environmental sustainability. This dietary pattern aims to establish a model for human health and environmental preservation. The goal is to offer optimal nutrition while ensuring the food system operates within the Earth’s ecological capacity. The PHD provides a flexible, evidence-based approach that can be adapted to various cultures and regional food traditions.
The Dual Mandate: Health and Environmental Sustainability
The Planetary Health Diet addresses the twin crises of human ill-health and environmental degradation. The global food system currently pushes the planet past critical ecological limits, including those for climate change, biodiversity loss, and freshwater use. This unsustainable production model also contributes to a global burden of disease, with millions suffering from undernutrition and diet-related chronic illnesses.
The diet is mandated to feed a projected global population of 10 billion people by 2050 with a healthy and sustainable food supply. Achieving this requires a systemic shift in both what people eat and how food is produced. The framework establishes targets that integrate nutritional requirements with defined planetary boundaries to guide this transformation.
Core Composition: Recommended Food Groups and Quantities
The Planetary Health Diet is a flexitarian pattern emphasizing a large increase in plant-based foods while strictly limiting animal-sourced foods, refined grains, and added sugars. Approximately half of the daily food intake should be comprised of fruits and vegetables, totaling about 500 grams. Whole grains, such as rice, wheat, and oats, form another major component, with a recommended intake of roughly 232 grams per day.
Plant-based proteins are prioritized, with a suggested daily intake of 75 grams of legumes and 50 grams of nuts. Red meat consumption is significantly restricted to a maximum average of 14 grams per day, equating to about one serving per week. Other animal products, including poultry, fish, eggs, and dairy, are included in modest amounts, balancing their nutritional value against their higher environmental footprints. Fats should mainly come from unsaturated plant oils, while added sugars and starchy vegetables are minimized to about 31 grams and 50 grams daily, respectively.
Personal Health Outcomes
Adherence to the Planetary Health Diet is associated with improvements in individual well-being and longevity. This plant-rich pattern provides a high intake of dietary fiber, which supports digestive health and helps regulate blood sugar levels. Minimized consumption of red and processed meats, along with reduced saturated fat, contributes to lower blood cholesterol and blood pressure.
Widespread adoption of this diet is projected to prevent an estimated 15 million premature deaths annually. The lower intake of saturated fats and high consumption of whole foods reduce the risk of major non-communicable diseases, including cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and certain forms of cancer. Studies show that individuals with the highest adherence to the PHD have a lower risk of all-cause mortality.
Reducing the Environmental Foodprint
The shift toward the Planetary Health Diet achieves its environmental goals by rebalancing the consumption of foods with high ecological impacts. The limitation on red meat is impactful, as livestock production is a major contributor to greenhouse gas emissions and land use change. Replacing these high-impact foods with plant-based proteins and whole grains reduces the overall carbon footprint of the diet.
Researchers estimate that global adoption of the PHD could slash food-related greenhouse gas emissions by over 50 percent. High adherence to the diet has been linked to a 29 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions and a 51 percent decrease in cropland use. This reduction in land demand minimizes deforestation and protects global biodiversity. The dietary shift also minimizes freshwater usage and the need for synthetic fertilizers, limiting nutrient runoff and water pollution.
Global Adoption and Accessibility Challenges
Translating the Planetary Health Diet from a scientific framework into a global reality faces socioeconomic and political hurdles. A primary challenge is affordability, as the reference diet is estimated to be approximately 60 percent more expensive than the cheapest nutritionally adequate diet. This cost barrier means that over 1.5 billion people, particularly in low- and middle-income countries, cannot consistently afford to adopt the recommended pattern.
Cultural acceptance also poses an obstacle, as the diet requires a shift in eating habits. In many high-income nations, meat and dairy consumption far exceeds the recommended moderate limits, requiring behavioral change. Conversely, in some low-income regions, diets heavily rely on starchy staples. A pivot to more diverse and perishable fruits, vegetables, and nuts requires changes in agricultural production and infrastructure. Successfully implementing the PHD requires coordinated policy interventions to make healthy, sustainable foods more accessible, affordable, and culturally resonant.