How to have both a healthy and sustainable diet

The EAT-Lancet Commission report shows an urgent need for a radical transformation in diets and in agriculture encompassing both international and national action. This reinforces Eating Better’s campaign to reduce meat consumption.

The report sets out a reference point for a healthy and sustainable food system, while allowing for regional diversity. According to the report the daily dietary pattern of a planetary health diet consists of approximately:

• 35% of calories as whole grains and tubers, protein sources mainly from plants – but including approximately 14g of red meat per day
• and 500g per day of vegetables and fruits.

It also includes a low to moderate amount of seafood and poultry.

A move to this new dietary pattern will require global consumption of foods such as red meat and sugar to decrease by about 50%, while consumption of nuts, fruits, vegetables, and legumes must double. This supports Eating Better’s call to eat less and better meat with the target of reducing meat consumption in the UK by 50% and to value better sources of animal protein like grass fed and organic beef.

Read Sustain's comment on the EAT-Lancet report.