By Preston Merrill, Alliance Intern from Brandeis University ‘25
What if your dinner plate could help save the planet and add years to your life? According to a new Harvard study, it can. Research shows that people who eat more vegetables, legumes, whole grains, and less meat and sugar, not only cut their risk of disease but also reduce their carbon footprint. The study, which tracked 200,000 participants over 34 years, found that those following diets close to the “Planetary Health Diet” lived longer and slashed greenhouse gas emissions by nearly a third. It turns out, what’s good for you is also good for the Earth!
The Planetary Health Diet is a guideline created and supported by the The EAT-Lancet Commission, an organization created by scientists around the world with the goal of finding the best way to feed a future population of 10 billion people a healthy diet within planetary boundaries. Through their meticulous research, they designed the Planetary Health Diet to balance the healthiest possible diet for humans while also being environmentally viable to produce enough food for everyone.
The diet consists of a “plant forward” approach, where whole grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts and legumes comprise a greater proportion of foods consumed. The diet plan does not get rid of meat and dairy entirely, but recommends limiting their consumption, and not depending on them to make up the base of your diet.
Our food system could be a powerful force for good, nurturing both our health and the environment. But right now, it’s doing the opposite. Feeding the world’s growing population with healthy diets from sustainable sources is a huge challenge. Sure, we’re producing enough calories to keep up with population growth, but reports show over 820 million people still don’t have enough to eat, and many more are eating poor-quality diets.
The Planetary Health Diet is a great way to start ensuring one’s diet is both healthy for them, and the planet. To help both your health and the planet, you could:
- Increase Plant-Based Foods: Eat more vegetables, fruits, beans and whole grains
- Reduce Meat Consumption: Limit intake of red meat and processed meats
- Choose Plant Proteins: Incorporate more plant-based protein sources like beans, lentils and nuts
- Cut Down on Sugar: Reduce added sugars and sweetened beverages
- Limit Refined Grains: Opt for whole grains instead of refined grains
- Choose Healthy Fats: Use unsaturated fats like olive oil instead of saturated fats like butter
- Reduce Food Waste: Be mindful of food waste and strive to reduce it
- Support Sustainable Practices: Choose foods produced through sustainable farming practices
Trying out these simple tips is an excellent way to not only improve your own health but also to contribute to important global climate goals. Personally, reading about this approach to a sustainable diet piqued my interest. It made me excited to try more plant forward meals in my everyday life. I hope you’ll give it a try, too!