Sustainable diets include a wide variety of foods, focusing on plant-based options such as fruits, vegetables, legumes, and whole grains, alongside responsibly sourced seafood and modest portions of meat, dairy, and eggs. They minimize consumption of high-fat, high-salt, and high-sugar foods.

These diets promote responsible food production practices. Embracing sustainable eating not only offers health advantages but also plays a crucial role in addressing environmental concerns. Plant-forward meals serve as the foundation of sustainable diets, optionally incorporating small amounts of sustainably sourced animal products or entirely excluding them (plant-based).

Plant-based meals only use ingredients from plants such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes and nuts. They may also include honey and sugar.

Plant-forward meals emphasize plant-based ingredients but still contain animal products. At least 75% of the dish is plant-based, with a maximum 25% of animal products.

The Planetary Health Diet, created by the EAT-Lancet Commission, provides guidelines for different food groups that together constitute an optimal diet for human health and environmental sustainability. It emphasizes a plant-forward diet where whole grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts and legumes comprise a greater proportion of foods consumed. Meat and dairy constitute important parts of the diet but in significantly smaller proportions than whole grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts and legumes. These food groups and suggested intake ranges are intended to be adaptable to culture, geography and demography of populations and individuals across the world.
For additional information on the Commission’s recommendations, visit https://eatforum.org/eat-lancet-commission/.

You can still include modest amounts of animal-sourced foods throughout the week. When transitioning to a plant-forward diet, it might be helpful to focus on taking small, positive steps. For example, if you currently eat 5+ weekly servings of meat, you might try setting a modest initial goal such as only 3 weekly servings. One simple tip is that when you’re eating a meal that includes meat, think of meat as a side portion taking up about 25 percent of your plate, rather than the main feature of your meal. The other 75 percent of your meal can consist of plant-based foods.
This expert information is shared courtesy of The Gaples Institute, a physician-led educational nonprofit. For more information and to participate in their full “Learn to Eat Sustainably” course, please visit: https://www.gaplesinstitute.org/sustainable-diets/

The answer is yes, but it will only be possible by transforming eating habits, improving food production and reducing food waste. The EAT-Lancet Commission on Food, Planet, Health brought together 37 world-leading scientists from across the globe to answer this very question. The Commission found that if we change the way we produce, consume, transport and waste food, we can feed everyone a healthy diet while improving the health of our planet. According to the findings, meat can remain on our plate, but plants need to be the new main course. We should eat a huge variety of fruits and vegetables and a low amount of meat, dairy and seafood. We should choose unsaturated fats and stay away from refined grains, highly processed foods and added sugars. Producing and consuming food more efficiently and mindfully will help to keep our planet flourishing.
For more information about the Eat-Lancet Commission, please visit: https://eatforum.org/eat-lancet-commission/

Gut health refers to the overall well-being of your digestive system and the microorganisms residing within. In most instances, your gut maintains balance without any additional probiotics needed, especially if you are consuming foods that naturally contain probiotics like yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut and miso.

Gut health is affected when you have more bad bacteria in your gut than good. If you are currently taking an antibiotic, it is beneficial to consume probiotic supplementation.

The amount of protein you eat depends on your age, sex, weight, activity level and overall health goals. The general recommendation for the average adult is around .35 to .45 grams of protein per pound of body weight per day. However, athletes, pregnant or breastfeeding women or individuals looking to build muscle mass may need higher amounts of protein.

Some high-protein foods include:
Chicken, turkey, and lean cuts of beef or pork
Fish and seafood like salmon, tuna and shrimp
Eggs
Dairy products such as cheese, Greek yogurt and cottage cheese
Legumes, including beans, lentils and chickpeas
Nuts and seeds like almonds, chia seeds and pumpkin seeds
Plant-based proteins such as tofu and tempeh
Quinoa

These foods can help you meet your daily protein needs and support muscle health, satiety, and overall nutrition.

Functional foods may provide a specific health benefit beyond basic healthy eating. Minimally processed whole foods, alongside fortified, enriched, or enhanced foods, can collectively be classified as functional foods. These types of foods typically offer potential health benefits when consumed regularly and in appropriate quantities. For example:

• Walnuts or salmon are excellent sources of omega-3 fats, which may be associated with reduced risks of heart disease, cancer and Alzheimer’s.
• Yogurt, a fermented food that, when containing live cultures, may help balance gut bacteria and aid digestive issues.
• Turmeric may reduce inflammation and in turn aid in conditions such as indigestion/gastrointestinal conditions, joint issues and seasonal allergies.
• A balanced eating plan that incorporates a diverse range of foods from all food groups, prepared in a healthy manner, can effectively fulfill your nutritional requirements, and lower your susceptibility to chronic illnesses.

Not every processed food is unhealthy. The term “processed” is broad and includes various techniques, some of which, like canning or freezing, make eating a balanced meal more convenient, or safer, such as pasteurizing raw milk.

However, other processing methods create foods that are high in added sugar, sodium, saturated fat and artificial ingredients. The most highly processed foods are called ultra-processed foods. Examples include frozen meals, soft drinks, hot dogs, cold cuts, fast food, packaged baked goods and most salty snacks. Minimally processed foods like bagged spinach, precut vegetables and roasted nuts offer the nutritional benefits of eating the same foods in their original form. Canning and freezing lock in peak nutrition after harvest, with little nutrient loss.

While Mindful focuses on whole foods and minimally processed foods, you don’t need to completely avoid other processed foods. Life is busy and always preparing food from scratch can be difficult. Also, some ultra-processed items, such as breakfast cereals and fruit-flavored or sweetened yogurt, aren’t necessarily unhealthy; they also contain whole grains and dairy.

Instead of focusing on the degree of processing, Mindful recommends understanding the fundamental ingredients and gradually introducing replacements for ultra-processed foods. For example, beverages such as seltzers, kombuchas, water and some teas have less processing and sugar than soda. For frozen meals, aim for less than 500mg sodium and ensure they contain whole grains, vegetables and lean proteins. It’s okay to enjoy chips and candy—just don’t let them push out the more healthful foods. No food has to be completely off limits; as always, moderation is key.

Sugars that are added during food processing are found in cakes, candies, cookies, pastries, pie, ice cream, regular carbonated and fruit drinks, as well as energy and sports drinks.

Sugar occurs naturally in healthy foods such as dairy products, fruits,100% fruit and vegetable juices and vegetables—and are not usually sources of added sugars.

The Food and Drug Administration requires manufacturers to include the amount of added sugar on food labels and packaging. The 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend limiting calories from added sugars to less than 10% of total calories per day. That’s 200 calories—about 12 teaspoons—in a 2,000 calorie diet.

To calculate how many teaspoons of sugar a product contains, divide the total grams of added sugar by four. For example, if a product contains 16 grams of sugar, that is equivalent to 4 teaspoons of sugar.

Excess consumption has been linked to an increased risk for heart disease, obesity and type 2 diabetes. According to The American Heart Association, many people consume more added sugar than they realize. Be sure to check nutrition labels for these possible hidden sources of added sugar:

Sucrose
High-fructose corn syrup
Syrups, such as maple, corn and rice
Molasses
Cane sugar
Honey
Agave
Maltodextrin
Fruit juice concentrates

Sleep is essential for optimal health and directly affects your mental and physical wellbeing. Achieving adequate sleep will promote increased productivity and energy, immune system function, emotional balance, brain and heart health and healthy weight management. Healthy adult individuals need 7 to 9 hours of sleep during a 24-hour period.

The sleep cycle consists of two recurring phases, rapid eye movement (REM) and non-rapid eye movement (NREM). If the cycles are interrupted throughout the night, then we miss out on vital body processes, such as tissue growth and repair, processing and consolidating emotions, memories and stress. If you wake up feeling well rested and perform well throughout the day, it can be assumed that you obtained an adequate amount of sleep. In contrast, if you need an alarm clock to wake up on time, rely on the snooze button and feel sluggish in the afternoon, chances are you’re sleep deprived.

Important sleep hygiene tips include removing screens from the bedroom, refraining from exercising late in the day, avoiding caffeinated beverages in the evening and following a consistent and relaxing bedtime routine.