We all choose to feed our bodies differently; there are carnivores and vegans, low-fat dieters and ketogenic dieters, celery juicers and bone-broth-drinkers. But no matter what “diet” you follow, you may want to lean in for this one; there has been an exciting new set of dietary recommendations released that aims to protect not only our health, but also the future health of our children and grandchildren as well. The group responsible for the recommendations, the EAT-Lancet Commission on Food, Planet, and Health, has come up of with the Planetary Health Diet. Even just a shift toward these guidelines can improve individual wellness and also take care of the world in which we live.
A Truly Global Diet
The Planetary Health Diet aims to find a healthy and sustainable diet that can feed everyone on our planet and continue to do so into the future. Our current eating habits force production of food to a rate that is devastating to the climate, and we are doomed to fail together if we don’t make changes as individuals. Knowing that change is hard and doesn’t come overnight, the Commission’s goal was to find a set of guidelines that would be reasonable for people to follow, no matter what dietary preferences they are starting with.
Why Food Matters to Our Planet
Fertilizers we use to control pests and create large crop yields contribute to dead zones in the oceans. We’re overfishing our waters and diminishing our fish and shellfish supply. Clearing land to raise livestock and grow food for these animals is destroying forests and pasturelands. Raising more animals in response to high intakes of beef, pork and dairy causes rising greenhouse gas levels that are damaging the protective layer of earth’s atmosphere. Current methods of having our animal food raised in feedlots routinely contaminates drinking water. If we continue to have an animal-based diet, we’re headed for disaster.
I thought twice about that descriptive noun, ‘disaster’, before using it, but according to the evidence, it’s true, and not that far off. We could be facing dire consequences by 2050, and that’s only 30 years away. Unhealthy environmental changes are accelerating in ways that were not predicted when we started using current food raising practices, and tipping points are being reached with regard to climate change.
Our Part of the Equation
The commission for The Planetary Health Diet developed what they call planetary boundaries: how much greenhouse gas we can produce, how much cropland and water can be used, and how much nitrogen and phosphorus can be put into the ecosystem and still maintain sustainability. The dietary components have the following basis:
- Relatively low amounts of red meat and other animal foods
- Lots of fruits and vegetables
- Whole grains in amounts to support healthy weight
- Healthy fats in modest amounts
Taking these four steps will safeguard your health as well as that of our planet:
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Start with plants. Vegetables, fruit, beans, nuts, soy foods and whole grains are your base
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Add optional dairy. You can add one serving—1 cup of milk, 1 oz of cheese, or 5 oz of yogurt—per day
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Add optional seafood, poultry or eggs. You can add one small serving—3 oz cooked seafood or poultry or 1 egg—per day
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Trade seafood, poultry or eggs for red meat. Once a week, you can swap a serving of seafood, poultry, or eggs for 3 oz red meat
You May Be Closer than You Think
Here’s an example of what a day’s food intake could be when following the Planetary Health Diet (which also qualifies as a Flexitarian or Plant-Forward Diet).
Breakfast
Oatmeal with Fruit, Nuts, Flax, and Soy Milk
Lunch
Tomato Soup and Salad with Field Greens, Garbanzos and Avocado
Optional: Add 1 oz. crumbled feta to the salad
Dinner
Veggie Bowl with Quinoa, Crimini Mushrooms, Asparagus, and Garlic in Sherry Wine Sautée
Optional: Add 3 oz shrimp or chicken breast
Snacks
Whole Grain Crackers, Popcorn,Trail Mix, Raw Veggies, Fruit, Alternative Milk Yogurt, Nuts
Try a Planetary Health Recipe
Thai for Two
- 10 oz extra-firm tofu, cubed
- 1 tsp peanut oil
- 3 cups shredded cabbage
- 1 cup cooked brown rice
- 1 cup shelled edamame
- ½ cup cilantro Lime Sauce
- ½ cup diced mango
- ¼ cup roasted peanuts
- In a large non-stick pan, sauté tofu in oil over medium-high heat until browned, 3-5 minutes.
- Divide the cabbage into two bowls. Toss the tofu, rice and edamame with the Cilantro Lime Sauce. Spoon over the cabbage. Sprinkle with the mango and peanuts.
Cilantro Lime Sauce
- 1 bunch cilantro, chopped
- 2 serrano or jalapeño peppers
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 lime, juiced
- 1 tsp salt
- Combine all ingredients in a small food processor or with immersion blender. Blend until sauce forms, about 1 minute.
Nutrition Per Serving (3 ½ cups): 630 calories, 32 g protein, 35 g fat, 5 g saturated fat, 50 g carb, 13 g fiber, 580 mg sodium
I hope you’ll consider reducing the carbon footprint of the foods you choose, and in doing so, lessen the risk of ongoing global weather crises while ensuring your health for decades to come.
Karen Fisher, MS, RD, LDN, CDE is a dietitian in Reno, Nevada, happily promoting the benefits of healthy foods at her nutrition consulting firm, Nutrition Connection. Find her website at www.NutritionConnectionNV.com
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