Eating a combination of grain dishes, fish and meat dishes, and vegetable dishes: The basic principle of sustainable healthy diets

Abstract

According to the guiding principles of the FAO/WHO, sustainable healthy diets are dietary patterns that promote all dimensions of individuals’ health and wellbeing; have low environmental pressure and impact; are accessible, affordable, safe, and equitable; and are culturally acceptable. The goal of a sustainable healthy diet is to prevent all forms of malnutrition (undernutrition, micronutrient deficiencies, overweight, and obesity) and to reduce the risk of diet-related non-communicable diseases, while protecting biodiversity and global environmental health. In this paper, we propose a diet based on "grain dishes, fish and meat dishes, and vegetable dishes" as the basic composition of a dietary pattern that is easily adaptable to people's lifestyles, provides the nutrients necessary to maintain proper health and nutrition, has a low environmental impact, and is sustainable even during the COVID-19 pandemic.