Labelled as “the optimal diet for people and planet”, the Planetary diet was commissioned in 2019 to tackle three global briefs: to feed a future population of 10 billion people in 2050, to champion a diet that is environmentally sustainable, and to reduce the number of deaths caused by poor diet around the world.

This diet encourages us to eat more plant-forward meals, focus on unsaturated fats, lower our dairy consumption, and cut down on highly-processed foods. According to the commission, by doing so we can lessen the pressure on our food supply chain, reduce our carbon footprint, save 11 million people a year from malnutrition deaths, and more. 

Now, with a mission statement this promising and an action plan that is highly doable and nowhere as intense as other diets, why hasn’t the word “Planetarian” made it on the food map yet? 

IS IT BECAUSE IT’S NOT A DEPRIVATION DIET?

It’s hard to keep up with the ever-growing dietary handles, and the way we differentiate one diet from another is often by recalling the food that we can not consume – i.e.: Keto means no carbs and Paleo means no farmed or processed foods. But as you can see below, the Planetarian diet ticks all the icons on the food pyramid: whole grains, vegetables, fruit, dairy, protein, fats and sugars. Perhaps when nothing is really off the table, and when there’s no major deficiency to look out for, there’s really nothing distinct or memorable about this diet.

OR BECAUSE IT DOESN’T COME WITH A COOKIE CUTTER FORMULA?

Planetarian is one of the more intuitive diets. Rather than simply foregoing meat or carbs, it requires an understanding of our food culture, our food sources, and how they impact the environment. For example, according to The Guardian, in order to consume a healthy diet while balancing planetary resources, North Americans should eat 84% less red meat and Europeans should eat 77% less.

Not having a universal fix means we have to rely on local interpretation or do our own homework, and as much as we want to do or eat the right thing, sometimes it’s just easier to tune out and nibble on the taste of ignorance.    

WATCH THIS SPACE

To us, the planetarian diet sounds very much like an underdog. It’s one of the newer diets that reflects our current climate and lifestyle. It takes both our environment and human health into accounts, including those who are malnourished and overnourished. And it’s probably one of the easiest diets to follow and doesn’t deprive us of any essential nutrients.

So watch this space – we won’t be surprised if this diet takes off tomorrow and becomes the talk of every dinner table.