Assessing alignment of Swiss diets with the EAT-Lancet Planetary Health Diet recommendations

In 2019, the global EAT-Lancet Planetary Health Diet (PHD) introduced specific recommendations to promote sustainable, health-focused dietary changes in response to the increasing prevalence of diet-related diseases and escalating environmental challenges. We assessed the alignment of Swiss dietary habits with these recommendations.

We analysed data from 2057 adults (18-75 years) from the 2014-2015 national nutrition survey menuCH. We matched different food categories with the PHD classification and calculated mean intakes (g and kcal) per food category, standardised to 2500 kcal, expressed as a percentage of the PHD recommendations (PHD = 100%). We also calculated the Planetary Health Diet Index (PHDI), with higher scores indicating higher adherence.

Of the 14 food categories, adherence was highest for fish and seafood (menuCH vs. PHD; mean intake in kcal/day: 41 vs. 40; 103% of the PHD recommendations), followed by grains (775 vs. 811; 96%). The highest level of overconsumption was observed for meat (all types excluding poultry; 255 vs. 30; 850%) and dairy foods (556 vs. 153; 363%). The largest underconsumption was found for legumes (11 vs. 284; 4%) and unsaturated oils (138 vs. 354; 39%). Males consumed significantly more meat than females (298 vs. 214). The overall PHDI was 82.2 out of 140 points, with women showing higher scores than men (84.7 vs. 79.3).

Swiss dietary intakes exceeded PHD recommendations, particularly for meat and dairy foods, while legumes remain underconsumed. A shift towards more plant-based foods could improve alignment with health and environmental sustainability goals.