We talk more and more often about food because it has been understood for some time that what we bring to the table every day has an impact not only on our health, but also on the environment. The question then arises spontaneously: what should we eat every day to stay healthy and at the same time safeguard our planet as much as possible? This question is now answered by the joint EAT–Lancet Commission report of 2025, which is actually an update of the first edition of 2019.
Written by 70 scientists from 35 countries, experts in nutrition, public health, ecology and economics, the document analyzes how the global food system affects human health, environmental sustainability and social justice.
At the heart of the report is the Planetary Health Diet (PHD), a predominantly plant-based, balanced and sustainable diet, which according to experts could prevent up to 15 million premature deaths per year among adults, reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, stroke, some types of cancer and even neurodegenerative diseases.
The report confirms that our global eating style presents major imbalances. In the United States, Canada and Europe, consumption of red meat and dairy products far exceeds the Planetary Health Diet (PHD) recommendations, while in sub-Saharan Africa and parts of South Asia, diets are found to be too nutrient-poor.
The document also highlights that the richest 30% of the world’s population are responsible for more than 70% of food-related environmental damage. At the same time, around 2.8 billion people cannot afford a healthy diet and 1 billion are undernourished, while many live with obesity, highlighting a food system that doesn’t work for either those who have too much or those who have too little.
But what would the ideal diet actually look like?
The Planetary Health Diet (PHD)
According to the Commission, a healthy and sustainable diet is based mainly on plant foods, with a moderate consumption of foods of animal origin. It is not an ideological or restrictive diet, but on the contrary it is flexible and adaptable to different cultures, ages and economic conditions. The benefits can also be obtained simply by changing the proportions of foods on the plate, increasing plant-based foods and reducing those with a high environmental impact and low nutritional value.
Plant foods (the mainstay of the diet)
This is the quantity of plant foods that an adult should consume in a diet with an average intake of around 2400 kcal/day:
Foods of animal origin (to be consumed in moderation)
These are the foods of animal origin with their respective quantities:
Fats, sugars and salt
Regarding the most controversial substances in our diet, the report proposes:
Health benefits and impact on the environment
Numerous scientific studies confirm the advantages of adopting a predominantly plant-based eating style, such as that proposed by the Planetary Health Diet. Those who follow a diet rich in vegetables, fruit, legumes and whole grains significantly reduce the risk of developing multiple pathologies at the same time, the so-called multimorbidity, with an estimated decrease of 32%, regardless of age.
Additionally, choosing a healthy diet after age 40 increases your chances of reaching age 70 without chronic disease, improving your quality of life and reducing the risk of conditions such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, stroke, some types of cancer and dementia. These benefits do not only concern adults, but extend to all stages of life: a balanced diet can in fact positively influence health even in younger people and help prevent future health problems.
Then there is the environmental issue. The global food system is one of the main causes of the ecological crisis: the production, distribution and consumption of food are responsible for around 30% of global greenhouse gas emissions and contribute significantly to the loss of biodiversity, deforestation and pollution of water resources.
According to experts, the global adoption of the planetary diet could halve food-related emissions by 2050, an effect comparable to shutting down all the coal plants on the planet. Finally, this diet also represents a food justice tool, capable of reducing waste and inequalities, while guaranteeing sufficient food for an estimated world population of around 9.6 billion people by 2050.
You can read the full report HERE.
