LM1 Part 4: What is a Healthy and Sustainable Diet? (30 Minutes)

A healthy and sustainable diet looks different for different people and communities around the world. There is no one dietary pattern that is best for all. In the Glossary, we use the following definition from Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO):

Sustainable Diets are those diets with low environmental impacts which contribute to food and nutrition security and to healthy life for present and future generations. Sustainable diets are protective and respectful of biodiversity and ecosystems, culturally acceptable, accessible, economically fair and affordable; nutritionally adequate, safe and healthy; while optimizing natural and human resources.” 

Sustainable diets focus on the consumption component of the food system. They contribute to and are supported by food system sustainability. 

4.1. Watch (5 minutes)

Start by watching the two short videos below to explore what Healthy and Sustainable diets are:

  1. Food & Health: a sustainable and balanced diet is good also for your health (Fondazione Barilla’s YouTube, 2 minutes).
    • Healthy food choices that make balanced meals are often also Planet-friendly choices. But how to eat healthy and sustainably? Watch the video and discover the five top tips for a tasty, healthy, and sustainable diet. This video is most relevant to individuals and families in industrialised, wealthy nations.
    • Note: This video makes generalisations about plants and animals. While it is true that the balance of plants and animals in our diets contributes to sustainable systems (or not), it is also the source of the food that determines if it is sustainable or not. We need to consider how foods were raised, processed, packaged, transported, and sold. One banana (or egg) can be sustainable, while another banana (or egg) is not sustainable. In the section below you will read about guiding principles for sustainable healthy diets that considers both People & the Planet.
  2. Healthy Diets from Sustainable Food Systems for Children and All (EAT’s YouTube, 3 minutes)
    • This video describes sustainable diets generally, and talks about some global, population-level efforts for more sustainable diets. You can also read more in this Toolkit about the coalition who created this video.

4.2. Read (10 minutes)

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has published a set of guiding principles that are helpful in understanding how to actualize sustainable diets, as described below. These were informed by experts representing nations of diverse income levels and cultural backgrounds. The full, 44-page report is included in the ‘Keep Learning’ section below.

In 2019, the FAO and the World Health Organization (WHO) jointly organized an international expert consultation on sustainable healthy diets. Thirty-three experts representing low, middle, and high-income countries participated in the consultation. The objective of the meeting was to develop guiding principles around what constitutes sustainable healthy diets. The guiding principles are food-based and take into account nutrient recommendations while considering environmental, social/cultural and economic sustainability. 

Guiding principles of sustainable healthy diets.  

Regarding Human Health

  1. Start early in life with early initiation of breastfeeding, exclusive breastfeeding until six months of age, and continued breastfeeding until two years and beyond, combined with appropriate complementary feeding. 
  2. Are based on a great variety of unprocessed or minimally processed foods, balanced across food groups, while restricting highly processed food and drink products. 
  3. Include wholegrains, legumes, nuts and an abundance and variety of fruits and vegetables. 
  4. Can include moderate amounts of eggs, dairy, poultry, and fish; and small amounts of red meat. 
  5. Include safe and clean drinking water as the fluid of choice. 
  6. Are adequate (i.e. reaching but not exceeding needs) in energy and nutrients for growth and development, and to meet the needs for an active and healthy life across the lifecycle. 
  7. Are consistent with WHO guidelines to reduce the risk of diet-related Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs), and ensure health and wellbeing for the general population. 

Regarding Environmental Impact …

  1. Contain minimal levels, or none if possible, of pathogens, toxins and other agents that can cause foodborne disease. 
  2. Maintain Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions, water and land use, nitrogen and phosphorus application, and chemical pollution within set targets. 
  3. Preserve biodiversity, including that of crops, livestock, forest-derived foods and aquatic genetic resources, and avoid overfishing and overhunting. 
  4. Minimize the use of antibiotics and hormones in food production. 
  5. Minimize the use of plastics and derivatives in food packaging. 
  6. Reduce food loss and waste. 

Regarding Socio-Cultural Aspects …

  1. Are built on and respect local culture, culinary practices, knowledge and consumption patterns, and values on how food is sourced, produced and consumed. 
  2. Are accessible and desirable. 
  3. Avoid adverse gender-related impacts, especially with regard to time allocation (e.g. for buying and preparing food, water and fuel acquisition). 

The guiding principles are meant to be further translated into clear, non-technical information and messaging to be used by governments and other actors in policymaking and communications.

The guidelines take a holistic approach to diets; they consider international nutrition recommendations, the environmental cost of food production and consumption, and the adaptability to local social, cultural and economic contexts.

Countries should decide on the trade-offs according to their situations and goals. 

4.3. Reflect (15 minutes)

After reading this chapter, and coming to the end of Learning Module 1, reflect on the following questions.

  1. Describe 2-3 important principles, or qualities, of a healthy and sustainable diet.
  2. Provide some examples of healthy and sustainable dietary patterns that are relevant to your community. Explain using some examples of foods.
  3. Can a healthy diet be a sustainable diet? Provide some examples of food patterns that are beneficial for both.
  4. In what ways do you think a healthy and sustainable diet may differ across various communities and cultures around the world? Can you provide examples?
  5. How do you balance your personal nutritional needs with the environmental and social considerations of a sustainable diet?

4.4. Keep Learning (optional)

If you are keen to keep learning about sustainable diets, we encourage you to:

  • Talk to colleagues about what they think sustainable dietary patterns would look like in your community.
  • Explore more resources on this site.
  • For a more in-depth understanding of the guiding principles of a sustainable and healthy diet, please refer to the WHO and FAO report: Sustainable Healthy Diets: Guiding Principles (who.int) (44 pages).
  • Check out the resources available at Food is Our Medicine — Nourish (nourishleadership.ca): This free course was designed to introduce Canadian healthcare professionals and leaders to new ways of understanding the complex relationships between Indigenous foodways, reconciliation, healing, and healthcare. It includes five learning modules, a recorded webinar series, and a digital resource library. The learning course is organized into seasonal learning modules: introductory, fall, winter, spring, and summer. The course is self-paced and typically takes 15 to 30 hours to complete.
  • Read this document by the Food Climate Research Network (FCRN) Foodsource (now TABLE): What is a Healthy Sustainable Eating Pattern? (30 pages).

Continue to LM1 Part 5: Learning Module 1 summary (20 minutes)

Return to the Learning Modules’ Main Page

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updated 2024 December