diet has been developed that promises to save
lives, feed 10 billion people and all without
causing catastrophic damage to the planet.
Scientists have been trying to figure out how we
are going to feed billions more people in the
decades to come.
Their answer - "the planetary health diet" - does
not completely banish meat and dairy.
But it is recommending we get most of our
protein from nuts and legumes (such as beans
and lentils) instead.
Their diet needs an enormous shift in what we
pile on to our plates and for us to turn to foods
that we barely eat.
What changes am I going to have to
make?
If you eat meat every day then this is the first
biggie. For red meat you're looking at a burger a
week or a large steak a month and that's your
lot.
You can still have a couple of portions of fish
and the same of chicken a week, but plants are
where the rest of your protein will need to come
from. The researchers are recommending nuts
and a good helping of legumes every day
instead.
There's also a major push on all fruit and veg,
which should make up half of every plate of food
we eat.
Although there's a cull on "starchy vegetables"
such as the humble potato or cassava which is
widely eaten in Africa.
So what is the diet in detail?
If you served it all up this is what you would be
allowed each day:
1. Nuts - 50g a day
2. Beans, chickpeas, lentils and other legumes
- 75g a day
3. Fish - 28g a day
4. Eggs - 13g a day (so one and a bit a week)
5. Meat - 14g a day of red meat and 29g a day
of chicken
6. Carbs - whole grains like bread and rice
232g a day and 50g a day of starchy
vegetables
7. Dairy - 250g - the equivalent of one glass of
milk
8. Vegetables -(300g) and fruit (200g)
The diet has room for 31g of sugar and about
50g worth of oils like olive oil.
How do your food choices impact on the
environment?
