Planetary Health Diet

…when confronted by climate, biodiversity, health, and justice crises, transformation will require urgent and meaningful changes in our individual and collective behaviours and our culture of unhealthy, unjust, and unsustainable food production and consumption. (Rockström, Johan et al., 2025)

The EAT-Lancet Commission has set out a new, clear scientific case for transforming food systems to protect both human health and the planet. The Commission concluded that current diets and modes of food production are driving climate change, biodiversity loss and rising diet-related disease. At the heart of the 2025 Commission is the Planetary Health Diet, which emphasises meals built primarily around vegetables, fruits, wholegrains, pulses, nuts and seeds, with much smaller portions of animal-sourced foods.

Crucially for public-sector catering, the Commission highlights the powerful role of institutional food settings in accelerating this transition, calling on publicly funded kitchens, like schools and hospitals, to make healthy, sustainable meals the default, use procurement to support resilient supply chains, and ensure that nutritious, plant-forward food is accessible to all.

What this means in practice for public-sector menus:

• Plates are built around plants
• Protein comes mainly from pulses, grains, nuts and seeds
• Animal products become optional and occasional, not routine
• The focus is on variety, affordability, and flavour, not restriction
• Carefully consider cultural contexts and sustainable dietary traditions in menu-planning

This Commission recommends a plant-rich diet with large shares of protein coming from minimally processed plant foods, such as legumes. We also find that globally, and in most regions, consumption of red meat and other meats is above healthy and sustainable levels. (Rockström, Johan et al., 2025)

Learn more about the Planetary Health Diet.

Rockström, J., et al. (2025). The EAT–Lancet Commission on healthy, sustainable, and just food systems. The Lancet, 406(10512), 1625–1700.