Eating more plant-based food instead of animal products is better for the environment and also healthier for most Dutch people. The Health Council concludes that. A more plant-based diet lowers the risk of disease and can reduce the environmental impact of our food consumption by 25 per cent.
The independent scientific advisory board examined what effect it would have on health and the environment if people ingested more protein through plant products, such as legumes, than from animal products, such as meat.
This would involve a ratio of 60 per cent plant proteins and 40 per cent animal proteins. Today, that ratio is still the other way around: currently, the majority of proteins (57 per cent) that people ingest come from animal foods.
Eating more vegetable products than animal products is healthier for most Dutch people than the current ratio, according to the Health Council. This includes eating more grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts and pulses, for example.
A vegetarian diet, eating fish once a week, is also a healthier option, according to the Health Council. Meat substitutes can also help, but the composition of those products needs to improve: currently, they often still contain too much salt or sugar.
People who would adjust their diet to the recommended ratio still get enough protein. At the same time, the risk of chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes and cancer decreases. Eating less red meat and processed meat also provides health benefits, the Council concludes. Furthermore, when eating more vegetable products, people consume less saturated fat and possibly less salt, which is also better for their health.
The Health Council's advice follows a request from the Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality and the State Secretary for Health, Welfare and Sport. These wanted to know the consequences of eating more vegetable proteins. This is because the production of animal proteins like meat has a greater impact on the environment.
Globally, food production is responsible for about 30 per cent of total greenhouse gas emissions, 60 per cent of total land-based biodiversity loss and more than 50 per cent of nitrogen emissions, writes the Health Council. To meet climate targets, the system needs to change, according to the Health Council, studies cited in the report show. This is also necessary to have enough food for all the world's people in the future.
In the Netherlands, animal foods such as meat and cheese account for a significant part of the environmental impact of the Dutch diet, according to the Health Council. With a shift to more plant-based food, that environmental impact is estimated to decrease by a quarter, the advisory states.
That impact could increase, according to the opinion, if more steps are taken in other areas as well. For example, we currently eat more protein than we actually need, food waste can be better prevented and food production can also be more environmentally friendly.
Partly because of these points, the Health Council recommends that healthy and sustainable food should be the standard. Now, the main emphasis is on the responsibility of the consumer, who makes the choice in the supermarket. The council writes that it is important that all parties playing a role in the food chain take responsibility. For example, supermarkets could make plant-based products more visible, and packets of meat could become smaller.
Source: NOS
