Food Guide revamp encouraging plant-based, low-meat diet is good for people and the planet

As representatives of organizations dedicated to human health, we believe that Health Canada's recommendation that we eat more plants and less meat positions Canada as a leader in both the health of people and of the planet. Strong support for these principles was one of the main recommendations of the jointly-produced Lancet Countdown-Canadian Public Health Association policy brief. 

Plant-rich, low-meat diets have been shown to have modest benefits in terms of all-cause mortality, to decrease our risk of colorectal cancer and cardiovascular disease, and to improve glycemic control in people with diabetes.

Low-meat diets also reduce greenhouse gases, land use and water consumption by a median of 20-30 per cent across studies, which is critical to maintaining planetary health and sustaining our ability to feed ourselves as we move through the 21st century.