The message that we need to change what and how we eat is clear. Alice Ball looks at whether the plant-based diet proposed by the EAT-Lancet Commission is the one eco-size to fit all
I am starting to think that avocados are the root of all our problems. Not only are they keeping millennials like me off the housing market (according to one millionaire, anyway) but transporting them to the UK is raking up a reported footprint of 846.37 g CO2 per pack. With the planet dangerously close to a global warming of 2C, our dietary habits need to change.
Balancing environmental impact with health can be tricky, but scientists for the EAT-Lancet Commission believe they’ve found a solution that supports both — and it goes beyond avocado consumption.
The EAT-Lancet report brings together more than 30 experts who have defined a healthy and environmentally sustainable diet.1 The Planetary Health Diet is largely flexitarian, comprising plant-based products with modest amounts of fish, meat and dairy. Whilst the guidelines allow for an average mass of each type of food every day, you could save up your ‘allowance’ to enjoy a bigger portion once a week.
The authors believe that widespread adoption of the diet would reduce consumption of saturated fats and increase essential micronutrient intake for most people. One exception is vitamin B12, for which it is suggested supplementation may be required to meet adequate intake. They also hope that by halving red meat consumption and limiting dairy products, greenhouse gas emissions, water consumption and land use will be significantly reduced.
But Dr Zoë Harcombe, nutrition PhD, believes that the Planetary Health Diet is nutritionally deficient. “I analysed the micronutrients provided by the recommended diet,” she says. “Vitamin D provided only five per cent of the recommended daily [allowance] (RDA) of 15 mcg; retinol [vitamin A] only 15 per cent of the RDA of 900 mcg and calcium only 55-65 per cent of the 1,000-1,200 mg recommended.”
This story is from the Summer 2019 edition of Optimum Nutrition.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the Summer 2019 edition of Optimum Nutrition.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Summer Of
Summer is when we want to be out and about, as the warm embrace of the sofa on a cold winter’s night becomes a distant memory. So where do you go when the brain is willing but the body just can’t cut it at the same level of performance that it managed decades ago? Graeme Wilcockson reviews a few ways to satisfy those competitive weekend instincts that will tax both mind and body — yet leave you able to move on Monday morning
Common Kitchen Practices Making Us Sick
Every year, thousands of us fall sick from food poisoning because of how we have handled food. Louise Scodie and Louise Wates look at common ways in which we are going wrong
Could Antioxidants Save Our Bacan?
Nitrates and nitrites have long been linked to cancer. We look at how they are part of a chain reaction that may not always be harmful to human health... So what’s the case with bacon?
Eat For A Glow That Is More Than Skin Deep
Now that summer is here, it’s time to peel off the layers and make some vitamin D. But if your skin isn’t as peachy as you would like, or if you are worried about staying safe in the sun, find out how good nutrition may support your skin’s health. Maggie Charlesworth writes
Natural Beauty
If headlines about microbeads from cosmetics polluting our seas have got you wondering how you can do your bit for the environment, try using nature’s harvest to feed your skin. Hannah Maryse Robinson writes
A Summer Selection Of Goods And Goodies
Lazy Vegan frozen Chunky Pulled Peaz is a gluten-free, plant-based protein source suitable for vegans and — with a substantial texture — flexitarians.
Do Something Different
As many of us are concerned about keeping our brains active, Ellie Smith investigates whether trying something completely new could boost both our brain health and mental wellbeing
Lifting Weights, Lifting Confidence
When Bianca Mills was bullied at school she could not have dreamt that she would be able to speak in front of a group of women, let alone coach them in lifting free weights. She told Louise Wates why she believes buddying-up is just as important as physical strength for fostering confidence
Teaching Children How To Forage
Catherine Morgan finds out how foraging can teach children (and adults) about more than nature’s store cupboard, and can foster an understanding of and respect for the environment.
Keep Calm And Curry On
In August, India celebrates the anniversary of Indian Independence, yet the Anglo-Indian community, a legacy of the British Raj with its roots in European and Indian ancestry, still treads the cultural line between both communities. Jenny Mallin, author of A Grandmother’s Legacy, tells us about the fusion food in her family and recipes passed down through the generations
