The Planetary Health Diet: A Review of the Highlights of the EAT-Lancet Commission 2019 and 2025 Reports

The Planetary Health Diet (PHD) as defined by the EAT-Lancet Commission in 2019, has garnered the interest of health professionals, and especially dietitians. The purpose of this review was to compare the PHD as assessed in the 2025 compared to the 2019 report of the EAT-Lancet Commission. Contrary to the common misinterpretation that the PHD is solely an “environment-first” diet, the PHD was defined as the result of modeling a nutritionally adequate pattern that was constrained to stay within predefined planetary boundaries. This is particularly important in our current era, due to the food system being a major driver of environmental damage, while also being highly vulnerable to the climate effects it creates. Moreover, the PHD is associated with decreased all-cause mortality, cardiovascular disease risk and type two diabetes risk. However, this diet has received criticism for being nutritionally inadequate, not affordable and not culturally inclusive. Based on the 2025 report, the PHD was (re)defined as a flexitarian diet that does not eliminate, but drastically reduces animal source foods to 2 servings/day (1 dairy and 1 non-dairy food product). Furthermore, emphasis was given to implementation and justice, highlighting that this pattern should be culturally adaptable, accessible, and affordable. However, some implementation barriers and policy gaps still exist. In conclusion, the PHD is a prime tool that can be used as a starting point to advocate for more sustainable choices for the general population, while for individualized guidance more research is warranted.