Planetary Health Diet

The EAT-Lancet Commission brings together more than 30 world-leading scientists from across the globe to reach a scientific consensus that defines a healthy and sustainable diet. They recently released their first report that outlines what a healthy diet from a sustainable food system looks like. They call it the Planetary Health Diet. And it might look familiar.

WHAT IS THE PLANETARY HEALTH DIET?
The Planetary Health Diet is a flexitarian diet, that is largely plant-based with the option for modest amounts of animal foods. If you were to look at a plate model, like the one in the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, you would see half of the plate filled with fruits and vegetables. The remainder would have whole grains, nuts, seeds, fish, plant oils and limited amounts of dairy foods, animal proteins and added sugars.

WHY A PLANETARY HEALTH DIET?
According to the EAT-Lancet report, “Food is the single strongest lever to optimize human health and environmental sustainability on Earth.” Unfortunately, our current eating style, paired with the trends in our global population do not appear to be sustainable. Changes are needed in the way we produce and consume food to ensure healthy diets and sustainable food systems are available for the estimated global population of 10 billion people by 2050.

HOW TO GET STARTED?
While it is called a diet, it is more of a framework. Two people could be following the Planetary Health Diet and eat very differently. The goal is to follow strategies that support the health of people and planet while incorporating personal, regional or cultural preferences. The first step for most people is to get more fruits and vegetables as they should make up half of the diet. The types you choose should reflect your preferences and what is available locally. Swapping some plant-based proteins like legumes, nuts or seeds for traditional animal proteins is another good step. While vegetarian and vegan diets will fit into the Planetary Health framework, it is not necessary to choose this way of eating. Simply increasing your plant-based foods and reducing animal foods can make a positive impact on your health and the health of the planet.

Read more about the EAT-Lancet Commission at eatforum.org.

Reference: Summary Report of the EAT-Lancet Commission on Food, Planet, Health available at https://eatforum.org/eat-lancet-commission/.

Written by Jennifer M. Roberts, MS, RD and Julia Jordan.
APRIL 2019
balanceittakesyou.com

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Expert Tips For Quick Dinners

When life gets busy, whipping up a delicious, well balanced dinner that the whole family will enjoy can seem like a big task. Follow these tips from some of our Registered Dietitian Nutritionists to make dinner time more manageable.

Plan and Prep Ahead:
Spreading the work of meal prep to less hectic days can be a big time saver. CulinArt’s Director of Wellness, Kimberly Hoban, does just that. “When it comes to throwing together a quick, healthy dinner, I suggest taking a few hours on the weekend or one weeknight to prep and cook healthy ‘components.’ I like to roast a few types of veggies, cook some grains (barley and farro are my favorites) and prep one or two proteins like hardboiled eggs or tempeh. Then during the week, I can mix and match these pieces of a meal, add a dressing or avocado and have a complete healthy dinner in a snap.”

Smart Time Savers:
Weekdays don’t always lend themselves to spending a lot of time in the kitchen, but that doesn’t mean that the healthfulness of your meals has to suffer. Michelle Sadlowski, Eurest’s Eastern Division Wellness Director, keeps low-sodium microwavable bags of whole grains on hand that cook up in 90 seconds and are a perfect portion for two. She also makes a super-fast dinner by microwaving a large sweet potato and topping it with black beans, sautéed veggies, and a sprinkle of cheese. Jill Woodward, Eurest Central Division Wellness Director looks for vegetables that don’t require a lot of prep, like Delicata squash that has tender skin and does not require peeling.

Quick Sustainability Tips:
Being short on time doesn’t mean we forget about sustainability. Eurest’s Senior Director of Wellness and Sustainability, Suzanne Landry, uses the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch® app when shopping to quickly identify seafood that’s fished or farmed in sustainable ways. Michelle Sadlowski cuts down on food waste by using up veggies she has on hand in a stir fry before they can go bad. She also freezes extra fresh herbs in ice cube trays with a little water to add flavor for dishes later.

RESOURCES: Kimberly Hoban, RDN, CDN, CPT, Director of Wellness, CulinArt Group; Michelle Sadlowski MS, RD, Eurest Eastern Division Wellness Director; Jill Woodward, MS, RD, CD, Eurest Central Division Wellness Director and Suzanne Landry, MS, RD, LDN, Eurest Senior Director of Wellness and Sustainability.

Written by Jennifer M. Roberts, MS, RD.
September 2017

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Fish For Your Heart?

Cutting back on red meat is a common recommendation for both health and sustainability. What’s less clear is what we should replace the meat with. A recent study looked at this and the results may surprise you.

If not red meat, what?
Red meat appears on many lists of foods to eat less of due mostly to its saturated fat and cholesterol content, and the fact that we tend to eat too much of it. A recent study looked at what we should consider substituting for red meat when we follow the advice to cut back. Of all of the substitutions the study looked at, one stood out as the best choice – fish high in omega-3s. The fatty fish showed more benefits for heart health than poultry, unprocessed meat and even lean fish.

Is fish safe to eat?
Fish, especially the kind that gives us omega-3s, has long been considered a healthy choice. Warnings related to contamination by mercury and other toxins has left many people wondering if fish is safe to eat. For most people, the benefits of eating fish far outweigh the risks. To keep those risks even lower, it is important to choose a variety of fish. Salmon, anchovies, herring, shad, sardines, Pacific oysters, trout, and Atlantic and Pacific mackerel are examples of fish that offer omega-3s and are lower in mercury making them good options for those meat-skipping meals.

Bottom Line
If you are looking to improve your health and that of our environment, replacing red meat with fatty fish occasionally seems like a step in the right direction. Choosing the fish carefully to avoid high levels of mercury, especially for pregnant women and young children is recommended. The Seafood Watch Guide (seafoodwatch.morg) can help make sure those fish choices are ocean-friendly too.

REFERENCES:
1. Würtz AM1, Hansen MD1, Tjønneland A2, Rimm EB3, Schmidt EB4, Overvad K1, Jakobsen MU1. Substitutions of red meat, poultry and fish and risk of myocardial infarction. Br J Nutr. 2016 Mar 7:1-8. [Epub ahead of print]
2. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and U.S. Department of Agriculture. 2015 – 2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. 8th Edition. December 2015. Available at http://health.gov/dietaryguidelines/2015/guidelines/.

Written by Jennifer M. Roberts, MS, RD
June 2016

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