by Nutrilicious | Jun 29, 2023 | Thoughts
By Amy Culliford
It’s been over a decade since the Food and Agriculture Organisation defined the term “sustainable diets”. Since then, many scientific publications and reports by international organisations have stressed the significant environmental and ethical impacts of animal agriculture as well as the negative health impacts of excessive meat and dairy consumption. This includes the ground-breaking Eat-Lancet Commission report, setting out the planetary health diet which has become the “gold standard” in the field of healthy sustainable diets.
Have we agreed what a plant-based diet looks like?
The idea that we need to reduce meat and dairy consumption has been steadily gaining traction internationally. Although it is recognized that one can achieve all the nutrients needed on a diet with no animal foods many are relieved to know that it is not necessary to eliminate all animal-based foods to benefit the health of people and planet. The term plant-based diet encompasses a range of dietary patterns, from vegan diets to flexitarian diets which include modest amounts of animal-based foods.
There is no one-size-fits-all diet but the consistent message is that we need to eat more plants and less animal-sourced foods.
The UK national dietary guidelines, the Eatwell Guide, is one example of a plant-based diet made up mostly of fruits, vegetables, wholegrains and starchy carbohydrates with a balance of dairy or plant-based milk alternatives, pulses, beans, meat, eggs and fish. In May 2023, the WWF published their report Eating for Net Zero setting out a healthy, sustainable and socially acceptable diet for the UK population, recommending further reductions in meat and dairy as well as higher standards of farming with less reliance on chemicals and better animal welfare.
Are we nearly there in achieving recommendations?
The short answer is that no, we still have a long way to go. A 2020 study found that those who meet five of the nine Eatwell Guide recommendations have a 30% lower carbon footprint and a 7% lower mortality rate, yet this is only one third of the UK . Reynolds et al modelled affordable, healthy sustainable diets for different income groups. All were able to achieve nutritional recommendations whilst reducing dietary carbon footprint by almost 60%, however this required substantial change from current diets.
The bottom line is that most of us are still eating too much meat and sugary, fatty processed foods but not enough plants. Still, we are seeing a growing interest in plant-based diets in the UK. According to a recent YouGov survey, 25% of the UK population now identify as either vegan, vegetarian, pescetarian or flexitarian, up from 23% in 2019. In the 2022 Eating Better survey a quarter of Brits reported eating less meat than the previous year and 61% said they would be willing to eat less meat.
What is the role of plant-based alternatives?
The food industry has responded to this plant-based popularity by developing alternatives to nearly every animal-based food we can imagine. New technologies are making plant-based meat, dairy, seafood and eggs more competitive in taste, texture and price than ever before. The European plant-based alternative market boomed in the last few years reaching a massive €5.8 billion. In the UK, the percentage of people consuming plant-based alternatives almost doubled between 2008 and 2019 (from 6.7% to 13.1% of the population).
On one hand this removes barriers to adopting plant-based eating, such as taste preferences and a lack of time and skills for cooking. But do these foods offer the same nutritional and environmental benefits as more traditional plant-based foods such as fruits, vegetables, wholegrains and pulses? Or are we just heading in the same direction of cheap, convenient but nutrient-devoid foods, only this time with a plant-based label?
The answer is, it depends! Plant-based alternatives can be a convenient and nutritious switch for anyone wanting to reduce or eliminate animal-based foods from their diet. However, not all products are created equal. Alongside more traditional alternatives to meat and dairy, we are seeing a boom in plant-based convenience foods such as ice-cream, pizza, and ready meals.
Research into the health and environmental impacts of these novel products is limited as most studies have focused on whole plant-based foods for their analysis. With new products constantly emerging into the market, policy makers, manufacturers and consumers alike need to stay on their toes to avoid spiralling in the wrong direction.
Is there space for plant-based “junk foods”?
As researcher Jennie Macdiarmid emphasised, we can’t assume that a plant-based label automatically makes a food good for us and the planet. Many plant-based convenience foods have a better nutrient profile and lower environmental impact compared with the conventional products they replace. However, there are also plenty of products on the market which are even higher in salt, fat or sugar and are lacking in other key nutrients. Either way, a diet packed with heavily processed plant-based foods is certainly not aligned with sustainable healthy dietary guidelines.
Whether there is any place for HFSS foods in a balanced diet, plant-based or not, is an ongoing debate. The current consensus is that they should be considered an occasional treat but not part of the daily diet, hence placing them outside of the main Eatwell plate. There is space for plant-based “junk foods” but we should continue to promote a diet of mostly whole, unprocessed plant-based staples and educate manufacturers and consumers alike on the importance of producing and choosing healthier plant-based alternatives.
Could fortification of plant-based alternatives be the answer?
Whilst we can certainly meet all of our nutritional needs via a well-balanced plant-based diet regular consumption of fortified foods and/or supplements is recommended for those who chose a fully vegetarian or vegan diet. Fortification of plant-based alternatives with key nutrients can facilitate the much-needed transition to more sustainable and nutritionally adequate diets. However, currently there is huge variability in the nutritional profile of these products.
Going forward, we need to see clearer guidance for manufacturers around fortification. Efforts have been made in the US to propose nutrient standards for plant-based milks, to ensure they are similar to dairy milk in terms of energy and protein content as well as levels of calcium, vitamins A, D, B2, and B12. However, further research is needed to clarify the role of these products in the diet and therefore which nutrients should be added, based on the needs of the population.
We also know that it’s important to move away from focusing on the nutrient content of specific foods and instead focus on the nutritional adequacy of the dietary pattern as a whole. As an example, the majority of UK adults consume well above the RNI for protein (0.75kg per kg body weight) and a modelling study of the “Eatwell diet” recommended a 24% decrease in protein intakes. Therefore, adding by protein to plant-based alternatives we may be missing an opportunity to achieve this recommendation.
We also shouldn’t forget that an omnivorous diet is also not necessarily a healthy diet. Deficiencies can and do occur in both plant-based dieters and meat-eaters alike. Overall diet quality and variety is important, no matter which diet we choose.
Can we really get everything we need from plants?
Researchers have proposed a Planetary Health Diet Index, based on the EAT-Lancet planetary health diet recommendations. A higher score on the index was associated with better dietary quality (in terms of nutrient intake) as well as lower carbon footprint. A clinical study of almost 100,000 French adults also found that greater adherence to the EAT-Lancet planetary health diet improved nutrient intakes.
However, there has been a recent criticism of the planetary health diet, suggesting that strict adherence to the diet may lead to deficiencies in iron, zinc, calcium and vitamin B12, particularly for women of reproductive age. The authors of this critique proposed a modified version of the diet with a higher proportion of animal-based foods (still lower than current consumption) and fewer high-phytate foods such as legumes and wholegrains, due to their potential to affect absorption of these minerals.
Springmann, who was part of the original EAT-Lancet commission, has since rebutted the study, highlighting that the modified diet could lead to an additional 1 million diet-related deaths per year compared with the planetary health diet. He also estimates that, if adopted globally, the diet would result in higher diet-related greenhouse gas emissions and land use than current diets and could double the food budget in low-income countries. The fact remains that global guidelines such as the planetary health diet are a baseline, intended to be adapted to suit national public health needs and local food culture and availability, as with the Danish adapted plant-based diet.
How can we facilitate the shift towards plant-based diets?
The Behavioural Insights Team report, A Menu for Change, offers evidence-based strategies rooted in behavioural science to drive the much-needed shift towards sustainable diets. The report sets out 12 recommendations for government, industry and civil society (including the public) to make sustainable food the easy, appealing, and normal choice. Suggestions include eco-labelling, taxes on high environmental impact foods, increasing availability and promotion of plant-based options in retail and hospitality and marketing them as a delicious, aspirational choice.
One absolutely necessary component of several recommendations is effective communication, which we dived deeper into in our recent scientific publication. As well as clear, consistent guidance on sustainable healthy diets, we need creative engaging campaigns that target and engage different population groups. This must be bolstered by policy to create a supportive food environment and a food system which makes the wellbeing of people, planet and animals a priority, as set out in Henry Dimbleby’s National Food Strategy.
Facilitating the shift towards a more sustainable food system needs collaboration across multiple levels Consistent and collective effort is needed to achieve a plant-based way of living.
References
Guidelines, surveys and key reports
Sustainable Diets and Biodiversity (2010). Food and Agriculture Organisation
Healthy Diets from Sustainable Food Systems (2019). EAT-Lancet commission
The Eatwell Guide (2016). Public Health England
Eating for Net Zero (2023). World Wildlife Federation
Dietary choices of Brits (2023). YouGov Survey
Cost and choice are key to sustainable eating finds 2022 public poll from Eating Better (2022). Eating Better
National Food Strategy Independent Review (2021). Dimbleby et al.
A Menu for Change (2020). Behavioural Insights Team
Research papers
Health Impacts and Environmental Footprints of Diets That Meet the Eatwell Guide Recommendations: Analyses of Multiple UK Studies (2020). Scheelbeek et al. BMJ Open
Healthy and sustainable diets that meet greenhouse gas emission reduction targets and are affordable for different income groups in the UK (2019). Reynolds et al. Public Health Nutrition
The role of plant-based alternative foods in sustainable and healthy food systems: Consumption trends in the UK (2022). Alae-Carew et al. Science of The Total Environment
The food system and climate change: are plant-based diets becoming unhealthy and less environmentally sustainable? (2021). MacDiarmid. Proceedings of the Nutrition Society
Plant-based animal product alternatives are healthier and more environmentally sustainable than animal products (2022). Bryant. Future Foods
The Safe and Effective Use of Plant-Based Diets with Guidelines for Health Professionals (2021). Craig et al. Nutrients
The Potential of Food Fortification as an Enabler of More Environmentally Sustainable, Nutritionally Adequate Diets (2023). Grasso et al. Nutrients
International Analysis of the Nutritional Content and a Review of Health Benefits of Non-Dairy Plant-Based Beverages (2021). Craig & Fresán. Nutrients
Proposed Nutrient Standards for Plant-Based Beverages Intended as Milk Alternatives (2021). Drewnowski et al. Frontiers in Nutrition
Eatwell Guide: modelling the dietary and cost implications of incorporating new sugar and fibre guidelines (2016). Scarborough et al. BMJ Open
Nutrient Intake and Status in Adults Consuming Plant-Based Diets Compared to Meat-Eaters: A Systematic Review (2022). Neufingerl et al. Nutrients
Development and Validation of an Index Based on EAT-Lancet Recommendations: The Planetary Health Diet Index (2021). Cacau et al. Nutrients
Estimated micronutrient shortfalls of the EAT–Lancet planetary health diet (2023). Beal et al. The Lancet
Development of a Danish Adapted Healthy Plant-Based Diet Based on the EAT-Lancet Reference Diet. Lassen et al. Nutrients
Improving Communication of the UK Sustainable Healthy Dietary Guidelines the Eatwell Guide: A Rapid Review (2023). Culliford, Bradbury & Medici. Sustainability
If you’d like to learn more about plant-based diets and nutrition, find out more about the Sustainable Diets & Nutrition course offered by our sister company, MyNutriCourses.
by Nutrilicious | Mar 3, 2020 | Surveys and insights, Changing mindset
Are you working on a nutrition and health strategy for change? Trying to convince your colleagues or board that your wellbeing approach is right? Developing a new food product and want to know how it will be received from a nutrition, health or sustainability point of view?
Over many years of working with people in the same situation, we know that you’re most likely to succeed if your process includes consulting those who will ultimately be influencing your target consumers – their key influencers including health leaders, NGOs, lobbying groups and health media.
Why carry out qualitative research with influencers?
Too often we’ve seen organisations launch a new initiative without consulting this important audience first – making it far more likely that the initiative won’t be the success it could be.
Do you know who is currently influencing your key target audiences on health and/or sustainability? Do you know what they are saying and might say about you and your initiatives?
These influencers will have a deep understanding of this changing landscape, the sector and the way population groups think and act as well as what they themselves want and may be telling them about your initiative. That’s what makes their insights so valuable – whether you’re using it as proof of an approach and a way to secure funding, or to help shape your thinking.
How to go about getting relevant insights
In 2019, we enjoyed many in-depth, eye-opening conversations with key health and nutrition influencers, carrying out qualitative research for clients. We listened, we learned and we helped companies inform their strategy, sell their vision to their colleagues and boards and develop new products.
The interviewing was vital, and it’s not always easy to get right. Here are our Nutrilicious top things to think about when embarking on your insights-gathering mission:
1. Choose your targets wisely. Work out the ideal criteria for mapping who you want to speak to and why. Always include disrupters and future thinkers if you have a longer term goal.
2. Your interviewee is likely to have a busy day job. Allow sufficient time for chasing appointments and contingency for cancellations.
3. Interviews don’t have to take place in a private space, but make sure it won’t be too loud.
4. Conduct the interview in pairs, to help capture everything but not overwhelm the interviewee.
5. You’re there to listen, not inform. You may be an expert in the field but you need to adopt a beginner’s mindset.
6. Try to extract facts, not opinion, and delve deep. The golden question is ‘why?’. Ask it again and again.
7. If you’re not a qualified practised insights interviewer, it’s important to work with a qualitative researcher or research team to help you. That’s why we partner with See Research. With stakeholder qualitative research we find that a combo team of a nutrition/dietetic expert lead and qualitative researcher is ideal.
8. Always ask permission before recording and don’t video the whole interview, just a summary at the end. You don’t need fancy equipment – a phone on a tripod should be enough, just check that you’re actually recording and your mobile is switched off!
9. If you can’t get a face-to-face meeting, video chat works too, using Zoom, Skype or an equivalent.
10. The interview should just be the beginning of the relationship. Use it as a way to build an understanding of what they care about, which opens doors for future conversations, for you helping them and indeed for them helping you at the communication phase.
11. What will you do with your results? Forget the insights report: it won’t be read widely. Better to paint a picture with infographics and edit your summary videos down to a single short film highlighting the key themes you’ve discovered.
We’re here to help
Hopefully, these points are useful. But if you need more support, we’re here to help – from helping identify your golden targets to delivering the learnings to support your objectives. Just get in contact, we’d love to hear from you.
by Nutrilicious | Dec 17, 2019 | Hot Topics in nutrition, Thoughts
The Game Changers is causing a stir. The documentary by Academy Award-winning filmmaker Louie Psihoyos and James Cameron investigates plant-based eating, and features the likes of Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jackie Chan, Lewis Hamilton and Novak Djokovic.
If you haven’t seen it yet, it’s streaming on Netflix now and is essential viewing. Meat and dairy are painted as deadly, with vegan diets the only solution for optimal physical and environmental health. It presents the latest nutrition, health and environmental science in an enticing and motivational way – be it in an all or nothing manner.
So does the film put the final nail in the coffin for the meat and dairy industry?
Even if you are a sceptic about vegan diets and their nutritional quality, The Game Changers cannot be criticised for the scientific credibility of the health benefits of plant-based eating presented.
Some key myths debunked by The Game Changers:
- The label ‘complete protein’ attributed to meat is dated…why do both consumers and many health professionals hold onto this belief? The truth is:
- All plants contain all essential amino acids, be it some at lower levels than meat protein.
- Food combining at mealtimes is not needed. Protein balance is achieved over the course of the day and not dependent on the protein consumed in one sitting.
- As long as individuals meet their energy requirements, a diet based purely on plant foods will achieve protein balance.
- Vegans, like omnivores, exceed their protein requirements.
The Game Changers illustrates this point brilliantly by using elite power and endurance athletes following a vegan diet, whose performance has clearly not been compromised.
- The film demasculinises meat by showing high-profile elite male strength and endurance athletes excelling on a plant-based diet.
- Iron and vitamin B12 deficiency is not a consequence of meat and dairy avoidance but a result of our current poor quality dietary and farming practices.
- Epidemiological studies have consistently demonstrated better health outcomes in individuals following more plant-based diets: heart health, cancer, diabetes, body weight.
- Soya does not feminise men, nor does it reduce testosterone levels. This has been a long-held misconception based on theoretical risk and animal studies using pure isoflavones or exceptionally high loads of soya feed. All human studies using soya foods and drinks have consistently demonstrated no risk to human health and in many cases improved health outcomes.
- And of course, sustainability. The leading scientists from the EAT forum, including Dr Rockstrom, Dr Tim Lang and Prof Walter Willet discuss the overwhelming evidence that animal farming is the leading cause of deforestation, biodiversity loss, water and soil pollution, carbon emissions and the biggest user of fresh water and land.
This is not new scientific thinking. The key facts from The Game Changers have been repeatedly demonstrated by the scientific literature from randomised controlled or epidemiological studies, meta-analyses and systematic reviews. At Nutrilicious, we’ve been championing sustainable plant-based eating amongst health professionals, organisations and brands as a core mission since our foundation.
We’re thrilled to see this reach the mass consumer. The Game Changers have presented the science in such a refreshing, convincing and inspirational way which will have significant influence on consumer perceptions and acceptance of plant-based eating – something the scientific community has been struggling to achieve despite the plethora of scientific research published.each the mass consumer.
What about the criticisms that have ensued since its release?
There will always be criticism when a seemingly radical change to day-to-day food systems is proposed, especially when one of the biggest food industries is the target – meat and dairy. Most of the critics of The Game Changers have unfortunately fallen in the common trap of using dated and poorly designed scientific studies for their counterarguments.
Some have commented that The Game Changers only reports on elite athletes and the benefits of plant-based diets cannot be extrapolated to every-day consumers.
The film’s key aim is to remove the long-held belief that removing meat and dairy from the diet will compromise protein quality and quantity, and be unable to meet other essential nutritional needs. If elite athletes’ performance can excel by switching to a vegan diet for many years, we have proof that the nutritional quality of the diet is not compromised – even in individuals with exceptionally high-quality nutritional demands.
What about other athletic performance factors such as sleep, recovery, training programme etc., not discussed by the documentary?
Firstly, The Game Changers does not set out to claim that if all consumers followed a vegan diet they can become elite athletes. Secondly, the athletes in the documentary have always followed a highly-regimented training programme and have only altered one factor – their diet, with a switch to veganism. This is an excellent group of individuals to demonstrate how changing one factor in their regimented programme does not compromise performance.
However, what The Game Changers does fail to do is bring a practical, balanced approach to how the public can change their dietary habits.
- As Arnold Schwarzenegger comments near the end of the documentary (we too are shocked that we are quoting Arnie!), telling individuals that they have to stop eating meat isn’t going to bring about change. We need to bring the public on board, gradually advising on small realistic achievable goals.
- The film lacks any practical advice on how someone can progress to a more plant-based diet in a balanced and healthy way. Advising consumers to drop key food groups is not the solution. The public needs to be guided on which foods to consume and in the right quantities.
We need to bring to life what the scientific evidence demonstrates to be a healthy ‘plant-based’ diet i.e. more fruit and vegetables, wholegrains, beans, pulses, seeds and nuts. The foods and meals served on the documentary are, in the main, highly-processed plant imitations of meat and dairy, and salads were drenched in high calorie ‘vegan’ dressings. This has to be a big watch out for retailers and food manufacturers developing and launching new plant-based foods.
Additionally, portions sizes are extremely ‘American’ (aka large), which will do little to thwart our obesity epidemic. While that may be fine for elite athletes who burn it off, it’s not so good for the average person.
- It neglects to acknowledge that most national dietary guidelines globally do focus on a more plant-based healthy and environmentally sustainable diet.
- ‘Vegan’ in itself is not the answer – someone consuming processed carbohydrates, fried and highly processed vegan foods, vegan chocolates and biscuits will do little to improve physical or environmental health.
- Finally, The Game Changers doesn’t tackle behaviour change and the importance of changing the food environment consumers live in. As the latest evidence clearly demonstrates, individual responsibility will have little, if any, impact on public health outcomes. A significantly bigger role needs to be played by all food providers.
Would we have done it differently?
In the main, this is an exceptional documentary presenting the latest scientific thinking and debunking the myths associated with plant-based diets in such a consumer inspiring and appealing way.
We need to shift consumers to a more plant-based dietary pattern – though not necessarily vegan, which is neither realistic or practical for the masses. Removing misconceptions and popularising a diet predominantly based on plant foods with just a garnish of meat and dairy is a win-win for both human and environmental health.
Our Nutrilicious tweaks would be:
- Provide more practical, how-to solutions focusing on which foods you can have, rather than which foods to avoid. Step-by-step guide to gradually including more plant foods whilst reducing animal foods.
- Rather than meat and dairy imitations, bring the focus on the versatility of natural plants such as beans, pulses, wholegrains, nuts, seeds and fruit and vegetables.
- Focus more on the food providers and marketeers and the drastic changes they need to make.
- As always in winning comms…lead with the creative ‘inspirational’ yet credible marketing spin!
Check out our related webinars:
NutriWebinar: Plant Food Source of Protein
NutriWebinar: Sustainable Diets 1 – BDA One Blue Dot
NutriWebinar: Sustainable Diets 2 – EAT Lancet
#TheGameChangers
by Nutrilicious | Sep 20, 2019 | Thoughts, The Nation’s Health, Education
When it comes to food choices, what should we be advising those suffering from type 2 diabetes to help them manage weight and glucose?
Do we focus on a low carb diet?
Cutting out fat?
Or just the simple principle of sticking to Eatwell guidelines?
Media headlines continue to offer 101 different – conflicting – solutions. So what’s the truth? How can we piece together this apparent mess to best support those with diabetes?
Next week, in the second in our series of diabetes NutriWebinars, expert Dr Duane Mellor, RD, Senior Teaching Fellow at Aston Medical School, Aston University will be exploring these topics.
Looking at how advice has shifted over the past few decades, he’ll be talking through the latest evidence and explaining what health professionals can do to actually help people living with type 2 diabetes.
The webinar will also cover evidence from the last couple of years that shows that type 2 diabetes is not necessarily always a condition for life: through weight loss and maintenance, we can actually help people go into remission.
Fundamentally, it’s about putting the person with the condition at the centre – rather than trying to force them into eating habits that don’t suit their lifestyle, culture or preferences. Instead of concentrating on specific nutrients at specific times of the day – ‘you must have starchy carbs at breakfast’ – it’s working out what works for them, at the same time as creating an overall balanced diet.
Inviting questions and ideas from participants, the NutriWebinar is set to be an interesting, informative and empowering evening. (Plus, it’s free and counts as CPD.) We hope you’ll join us and encourage colleagues to join in too: register now
by Nutrilicious | Aug 19, 2019 | Hot Topics in nutrition, Surveys and insights, Changing mindset
At long last, the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN) report on saturated fats and health was published this month. The conclusion? Nothing new: saturated fat leads to heart disease and we should limit it to 10% of our calorie intake. So will it finally put an end to the irresponsible advice that abounds suggesting saturated fat isn’t so bad for you?
It’s taken over a year from the draft report to final version because of the number of comments, criticisms and questions as to why certain studies were or weren’t included as part of the overall evidence into sat fats.
The SACN committee has investigated and answered each one, including only the highest quality evidence available. The studies that came to the wrong conclusions about saturated fat were shown to be flawed.
They’re open about certain limitations to the evidence: for example, whether replacing saturated fat intake with carbohydrate can be beneficial. None of the studies look specifically at ‘good’ carbs (for example wholegrain cereals), just at carbs overall. Further research still needs to be done into this.
But the overall conclusion was inescapable: to reduce cardiovascular disease we should lower our intake of saturated fat.
So will high profile influencers like Dr Michael Mosley or Joe Wicks take note and stop promoting ingredients like coconut oil, which is shown to have higher saturated fat than butter and lard?
Sadly, we think it’s unlikely. For one reason or another they seem to have too much invested in it.
But if you’re reading this and feel as strongly as we do about the need to stop the irresponsible advice, join us in canvassing the influencers to open their eyes to the dangers of what they’re suggesting – rather than just thinking about their commercial interests or looking for the next great headline. #saynotosatfat
Go to the British Nutrition Foundation website for a summary of the SACN report findings
