Chronic disease and climate change loom as major public health crises. In an effort to change this, an international team of scientists has proposed an ambitious solution: a new dietary approach that promises to simultaneously reduce premature death and shrink our environmental footprint. The Planetary Health Diet, developed by the EAT-Lancet Commission and championed by leading researchers at Harvard and reputable institutions worldwide, offers compelling evidence that what’s best for our bodies may also be best for the planet.
So How Does the Planetary Health Diet Work?
The Planetary Health Diet is a flexitarian diet that focuses largely on plant-based foods such as vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes, nuts, and unsaturated oils. It also includes moderate amounts of fish and shellfish, poultry, dairy, and eggs, with red meat in small quantities. The diet limits red meat (like beef), as well as, pork, and lamb. It also severely limits added sugars and processed foods.
The diet isn’t meant to be rigid, and it’s not a one-size-fits-all approach. Instead, it allows for cultural diversity and individual preference. This provides flexibility within clear guidelines to achieve optimal health and sustainability outcomes worldwide.
Variations of the Planetary Health Diet focus on fruits, vegetables, nuts, legumes, and whole grains, with moderate amounts of meat and dairy. It contains very little added sugar, saturated fat, and salt. It suggests limiting dairy to once a day, red meat to once a week, and eggs, poultry, and fish to about twice a week.
The diet emerged from the EAT-Lancet Commission, tasked with using the best available evidence to determine a universal reference diet that’s healthy for both humans and the planet. It minimizes the risk of chronic disease and maximizes human well-being.
The original report was released in 2019, but recent evidence has only strengthened the case for this dietary approach.
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Compelling Evidence Shows Benefits Across the Board
The most striking finding comes from a major 2024 study led by researchers at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. The study found that the risk of premature death was 30 percent lower among the top 10 percent of participants who most closely adhered to the Planetary Health Diet than those in the lowest 10 percent. Every major cause of death, including cancer, heart disease, and lung disease, was lower when people closely followed this dietary pattern.
Updated evidence shows that this diet reduces all-cause mortality by 28 percent in large cohort studies, equivalent to 15 million deaths averted annually. It also lowered the occurrence of type 2 diabetes, heart disease, obesity, and several types of cancers. For individuals and public health systems alike, these numbers represent a transformative opportunity.
According to Walter Willett, professor of epidemiology and nutrition at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and a leading researcher on the diet, the implications are profound. “Climate change has our planet on track for ecological disaster, and our food system plays a major role. Shifting how we eat can help slow the process of climate change. And what’s healthiest for the planet is also healthiest for humans.”
How the Planetary Health Diet Helps the Planet, Specifically:
Beyond individual health, the Planetary Health Diet delivers remarkable environmental benefits. People who stuck closely to the Planetary Health Diet had substantially lower environmental impact than those with the lowest adherence. This included 29 percent lower greenhouse gas emissions, 21 percent lower fertilizer needs, and 51 percent lower cropland use.
These numbers carry special significance for climate action. The modern global food system is a major contributor to the climate change crisis. It accounts for an estimated 26 percent of all anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions. Furthermore, it accounts for approximately 40 percent of land use, and 70 percent of global freshwater use. The Planetary Health Diet addresses this urgent problem at its source.
The reduction in land use is particularly important as a facilitator of reforestation. This is seen as an effective way to further reduce greenhouse gas levels that are driving climate change.
In essence, by changing what we eat, we simultaneously free up land that can be restored to natural ecosystems. This is a critical strategy in the fight against climate change.
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There is a Ton of Evidence Supporting the Planetary Health Diet
A 2025 study using data from two prospective cohorts to explore associations between the Planetary Health Diet and mortality, along with a meta-analysis of 37 cohort studies including over three million participants, found links between the diet and chronic disease risk. This study suggests a link between greater adherence to this dietary pattern and significant health benefits, alongside a simultaneous reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.
The diet’s appeal lies in its dual action. It simultaneously addresses two of the world’s most pressing crises: chronic disease and environmental destruction. Furthermore, it does so without requiring people to sacrifice nutrition or cultural traditions.
Combined with improved agricultural production practices and a 50 percent reduction in food waste and loss, the Commission estimated that this diet would provide healthy nutrition to 10 billion people. That’s the projected population of the entire Earth in 2050, and should be environmentally sustainable.
As the world grapples with rising rates of heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and climate-related disasters, the Planetary Health Diet represents more than just another dietary trend. It’s a scientifically backed roadmap toward a healthier population on a healthier planet. Most importantly, it proves that personal and planetary wellness are inextricably linked, and should be treated as such.
How to Get Started
If you’re interested in giving the Planetary Health Diet a try, here’s how to get started. Aim for these daily targets:
- Vegetables & Fruits: ~500g
- Whole Grains: ~232g
- Plant Proteins: ~50g legumes and ~25g nuts
- Dairy: ~250g (equivalent to one cup of cow’s milk)
- Added Fats: ~50g of unsaturated plant oils
- Red Meat: ~14g (about one small portion per week)
- Poultry & Fish: ~29g of poultry and ~28 g of fish
- Added Sugars: ~31g (limit severely)
The EAT Foundation and the Harvard School of Public Health’s Nutrition Source also offer detailed meal plans, recipes, and sustainability tips.
Featured Image by Clark Douglas on Unsplash