Planetary Health Diet: Better for you, better for the planet

Researchers and chefs offer four takes on the sustainable, flexible eating pattern that Harvard Chan School experts dub the Planetary Health Diet.

September 12, 2024 – A diet with lots of whole plant foods and limited amounts of meat and dairy is a win-win—good both for you and for the planet.

People who follow this Planetary Health Diet (PHD) have a lower risk of every major cause of death, including cancer, heart disease, and lung disease, according to a recent study by Harvard Chan School researchers. They also found that widespread adoption of the diet would lead to substantial reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, fertilizer needs, and cropland use.

The PHD is based on recommendations from the landmark 2019 report by the EAT-Lancet Commission. Walter Willett, professor of epidemiology and nutrition, played a lead role in that report and its update, expected next year.

“Climate change has our planet on track for ecological disaster—use of fossil fuels is the largest contributor, and our food system plays a major role,” says Willett. Luckily, he says, “a diet that’s healthiest for the planet is also healthiest for humans.”

Importantly, the PHD does not provide a universal template for what to eat, but rather a framework that is flexible to differences in cultural preferences, nutritional needs, and food systems. Researchers—including students of Christopher Golden, associate professor of nutrition and planetary health—and chefs and culinary historians have been translating the PHD to a variety of cuisines from around the world. Practicality and affordability are important considerations. As Golden’s collaborator Abrania Marrero, PhD ’22, postdoctoral research fellow in the Department of Nutrition, notes, “Without centering equity, food-system transformations risk hindering human and planetary health.”

Read advice on putting the Planetary Health Diet into practice on your plate from Willett, Golden, and Frank Hu, Fredrick J. Stare Professor of Nutrition and Epidemiology and chair of the Depatment of Nutrition.

Pictured are four examples of PHD family meals using foods from traditional dietary patterns.

Illustration of a Vietnamese meal including broth soup with Asian greens and mushrooms, lemongrass seared tofu with peanuts and Asian basil, ginger salmon in claypot, Vietnamese stir-fry of cauliflower and tomatoes, brown jasmine rice, table salad of mixed raw Asian greens and nuoc cham (Vietnamese dipping sauce), Mandarin oranges. — Vietnam: Meal by Chef Mai Pham, Star Ginger and Lemon Grass Restaurant in Sacramento. Foods include: broth soup with Asian greens and mushrooms, lemongrass seared tofu with peanuts and Asian basil, ginger salmon in claypot, Vietnamese stir-fry of cauliflower and tomatoes, brown jasmine rice, table salad of mixed raw Asian greens and nuoc cham (Vietnamese dipping sauce), Mandarin oranges.

Illustration of Greek meal including gigantes plaki (giant baked beans in a chunky tomato sauce) and Cretan dakos salad, a common side dish consisting of barley rusks topped with tomatoes, olives, and cheese. — Greece: Meal designed by student Simone Wahnschafft, who took Golden’s course in 2020. Foods include gigantes plaki (giant baked beans in a chunky tomato sauce) and Cretan dakos salad, a common side dish consisting of barley rusks topped with tomatoes, olives, and cheese.

Illustration of West African meal including jollof rice, cooked greens, mafe (sweet potato peanut stew), chicken yassa. — West Africa: Meal from the African Heritage Diet by Oldways. Foods include: jollof rice, cooked greens, mafe (sweet potato peanut stew), chicken yassa.

Illustration of Costa Rican mean including black beans, brown rice, plantains, grilled fish, two types of vegetable “picadillos,” corn tortillas, shredded cabbage and carrot salad with lime, and pico de gallo. — Costa Rica: A healthy take on the traditional casado (meaning “married man”) combination of dishes, prepared by Hannia Campos, a nutrition researcher at the Universidad de Costa Rica. Foods include: black beans, brown rice, plantains, grilled fish, two types of vegetable “picadillos,” corn tortillas, shredded cabbage and carrot salad with lime, and pico de gallo.

—Amy Roeder

Illustrations: Grace Lee