A new diet that has been developed by scientists promises to save millions of lives each year and "transform" the planet's future by fighting against climate change.
The 'planetary health diet' - developed over three years by an international commission made up of 37 scientists from farming, climate change and nutrition backgrounds - advocates cutting down on meat, dairy and sugar by half, while increasing other plant-based foods like vegetables, fruit, pulses and nuts.
Flexitarianism: vegetarianism but fun!
Flexitarianism: vegetarianism but fun!
What can I eat on this diet?
While you don't have to cut out animal products completely - it does involve limiting them: researchers say you should aim to consume no more than 98g of red meat, 203g of poultry and 196g of fish per week.
Instead, they encourage embracing plant sources of protein by aiming to consume at least 125g of dry beans, lentils, peas and other nuts or legumes per day.
You should also eat in moderation by limiting portions to single serving sizes and avoiding eating more than necessary to stop weight gain and other health problems.
Global change from current health systems to the #EATLancet Commission reference diet will provide major health benefits and help avoid 11 million premature deaths per year #foodcanfixit @EATforum https://t.co/t2T3LVbMnC pic.twitter.com/46XKRPElqa— The Lancet (@TheLancet) January 17, 2019
What does a day on a plate look like?
Half of each plate on this diet is made up of fruits and vegetables, while a third is made up of whole grains, with minimum animal products:
Nuts: 50g a day
Beans, chickpeas, lentils and other legumes: 75g a day
Fish: 28g a day (about two servings a week)
Eggs: 13g a day (about one a week)
Meat: 14g a day of red meat (about one serving a week) and 29g a day of chicken
Carbs: whole grains like bread and rice 232g a day and 50g a day of starchy vegetables
Dairy: 250g a day (about one glass of milk or some cheese or butter)
Vegetables: 300g a day and fruit 200g a day
Why do we need this diet?
The CTA is two-fold: on the one hand, scientists warn that unhealthy diets are currently leading the charge in ill health worldwide with 800 million people going hungry, 2 billion malnourished and another 2 billion overweight or obese. And with the population, currently 7.7 billion, expected to climb to 10 billion around 2050, they say drastic action is needed.
The new food system would require global change with Europe and North America needing to pull back significantly on red meat, Asia on fish and Africa on starchy vegetables. However, researchers say it could save up to 11 million lives each year, largely by reducing diet-related illnesses such as some cancers, strokes and heart attacks, currently the biggest killers in developed countries.
#Nutrition will be a key focus @TheLancet in 2019 — today #EATLancet promotes a healthy diet for humans & and the planet – and on Jan 27 we publish our #GlobalSyndemic Commission on factors driving #obesity #undernutrition & #climatechange – stay tuned! https://t.co/DImHgDDAsM pic.twitter.com/Wgl35CDqGZ— The Lancet (@TheLancet) January 16, 2019
Scientists say the diet is "win-win" because it would also transition us towards a sustainable global food system by 2050 that ensures healthy food for everyone within planetary boundaries. Given foods sourced from animals - especially red meat - have "relatively high environmental footprints" per serving, scientists say switching to a more plant-based diet would help reduce global greenhouse gas emissions by 30% and freshwater use by 70%.
These benefits would also require food wastage to be halved to 15% and the amount of food being produced on farmland increased significantly.
However, experts warn the changes are essential: "Civilisation is in crisis," Lancet researchers Richard Horton and Tamara Lucas say in an editorial about the diet. "We can no longer feed our population a healthy diet while balancing planetary resources. If we can eat in a way that works for our planet as well as our bodies, the natural balance will be restored.”
Professor Walter Willet, another researcher, who is based at Harvard, said the diet would change the way we currently eat "dramatically" but contained "tremendous variety".
"You can take those foods and put them together in thousands of different ways. We're not talking about a deprivation diet here, it is healthy eating that is flexible and enjoyable," he said.
“The numbers for red meat sound small to a lot of people in the UK or US. But they don’t sound small to the very large part of the world’s population that already consumes about that much or even less. It is very much in line with traditional diets.”
So, now what?
The EAT-Lancet Commission is now set to take their findings to governments and bodies around the world, including the World Health Organisation, to encourage change.
Read more stories like this: What is the difference between a plant-based and vegan diet? Plus, Should I become a vegetarian?