A Diet That Is Good for Us – and Good for the Planet

New scientific evidence continues to reinforce the benefits of the Planetary Health Diet (PHD). A recent international study found that adhering to this dietary pattern is associated with lower risks of mortality and chronic disease, while also reducing environmental impacts. What exactly did the research reveal, and how closely does the average Hungarian diet align with this ideal?

According to scientific evidence, a diet centred on plant-based foods with moderate consumption of animal-source products benefits not only human health but also places significantly less strain on the environment. This is the principle behind the Planetary Health Diet, which promotes a higher intake of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and legumes, while encouraging lower consumption of red meat and added sugars. The concept is far from new: more than 50 years ago, researchers had already recognised that plant-rich diets offer a more sustainable way of nourishing a growing global population.

What does the latest international research show?

A recent study published in Science Advances, based on two large cohort studies conducted in the United States and the United Kingdom (a research method in which a defined group of people is followed over many years, or even decades), together with a meta-analysis of 37 previous studies, found that individuals who adhered more closely to the Planetary Health Diet experienced:

• a 16–23% lower risk of all-cause mortality,
• a 17–19% lower risk of cardiovascular mortality,
• a 16–17% lower risk of cancer mortality,
• a lower risk of respiratory disease mortality,
• and a 13–32% lower risk of several chronic diseases, including type 2 diabetes, stroke, colorectal cancer, lung cancer, and coronary heart disease.

The study also demonstrated that the closer a person’s diet was to the Planetary Health Diet, the lower its greenhouse gas emissions were. This is primarily because plant-based diets naturally reduce the consumption of red meat and certain dairy products, whose production is among the largest contributors to food-related greenhouse gas emissions.

How does Hungary compare?

A recent Hungarian study conducted jointly by the Centre for Health Technology Assessment and Analysis at Semmelweis University, the Centre for Pharmacology and Drug Research & Development at Semmelweis University, and the Syreon Research Institute compared the Planetary Health Diet, Hungary’s official dietary guideline (Okostányér® – Smart Plate), and actual dietary intake based on data from the 2019 National Diet and Nutritional Status Survey (OTÁP), assessing both health and environmental impacts.

The findings were clear: the Planetary Health Diet proved to be both the healthiest dietary model and the one with the smallest environmental footprint, while the average Hungarian diet performed worst on both measures.

The differences are striking. While the Planetary Health Diet recommends 210 grams of whole grains per day, and even the Hungarian Smart Plate recommends 81 grams, Hungarians consume only 7 grams daily on average. Similarly, intake of vegetables, fruits, and fish remains well below recommended levels, whereas meat, eggs, and dairy products are consumed in substantially higher quantities than advised.

What can we learn from these findings?

Taken together, these studies provide compelling evidence that adapting the principles of the Planetary Health Diet in Hungary—by increasing the consumption of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and reducing the intake of animal-source foods—would benefit both public health and the environment.

In practice, this does not require a radical change or complete elimination of familiar foods. Rather, it means rebalancing the proportions on our plates: more vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes, nuts, and plant oils, alongside considerably smaller amounts of fish, eggs, poultry, dairy products, and red meat.

NÉGYOSZ’s position

The transition towards healthier and more sustainable eating can be greatly supported by products developed by plant-based food manufacturers. These products provide valuable alternatives for people who are only beginning to explore plant-based diets.

Most consumers do not replace their familiar meals overnight with entirely new and unfamiliar dishes. Sensory characteristics remain essential: appearance, flavour, texture, a crispy crust, or the distinctive Hungarian flavour profile created by onions, paprika, garlic, and smoky aromas all play an important role in food acceptance.

For this reason, it is essential that processed plant-based foods have the same opportunities to compete in the marketplace as their conventional counterparts. For many consumers, the similarity of these products to familiar foods makes the transition to a more plant-rich diet significantly easier. They serve as a bridge between established eating habits and new dietary choices, providing reassurance and making dietary change more accessible.

At the same time, it is equally important that manufacturers continue to develop these products in line with modern food science recommendations, including improvements in areas such as salt content and saturated fat levels.