The Planetary Health Diet (PHD) is more than just a nutritional guideline — it’s a vision for a food system that supports both human and planetary well-being. By combining principles of public health and environmental sustainability, the PHD encourages eating patterns that are good for people and the planet alike.

Understanding the Study

To measure adherence to the PHD, the team applied three dietary quality indices:

• EAT-Lancet index

• WISH (World Index for Sustainable Healthy Diets)

• WISH 2.0, a newly developed version that adds two important food groups — processed meat and alcoholic beverages — reflecting their public health and environmental impact.

The study analysed data from the EFSA Comprehensive European Food Consumption Database, allowing researchers to compare dietary habits across countries and between genders. Statistical analyses and clustering methods helped uncover patterns and trends within Europe’s food landscape.

What did we find?

The overall picture? Low adherence to the Planetary Health Diet across Europe. However, there’s good news: Southern European countries — notably Italy, Greece, and Spain — showed comparatively higher alignment, especially among women. These findings highlight how cultural food traditions may naturally support more sustainable and healthful eating patterns. Interestingly, while the EAT-Lancet index produced higher average scores, the WISH 2.0 index proved better at distinguishing between dietary patterns. By including processed meat and alcohol, WISH 2.0 offered a more realistic and detailed snapshot of what Europeans actually eat, making it a powerful tool for policy and research.

Want to find out more about it, contact our lead researchers on the topic !