The Planetary Health Diet

[Ben]

I've been seeing a lot of articles on this over the last week. The "Save the Earth" diet. The way things are going these days, I wouldn't be surprised if in 20 years the One World government makes it mandatory.

"One egg a week". Go to hell. The chicken farmer will be the new drug dealer.

https://www.bbc.com/news/health-46865204

[brimic]

This will push me into a mass murdering spree.
That looks like it might be 1500 calories/day, tops- which is going to be a starvation diet for anyone who does more work than sit at a desk all day.

[Jamisjockey]

This will push me into a mass murdering spree.
That looks like it might be 1500 calories/day, tops- which is going to be a starvation diet for anyone who does more work than sit at a desk all day.

It's even a starvation diet then.  Most people need to be close to their body weight in calories to maintain weight.  Obviously that has to be quality calories. 

[HankB]

And in 20 years, Speaker of the House Ocasio-Cortez will inform Americans that the mandatory Earth Diet is required so we'll have enough food surplus to feed the teeming populations of Bangaladesh, Somalia, Venezuela, and numerous other wretched places as reparations for, well, everything.

Quotas for contributions from your backyard gardens will be established so you can all do your part - or else.

[DittoHead]

That looks like it might be 1500 calories/day, tops- which is going to be a starvation diet for anyone who does more work than sit at a desk all day.

The calories are fine:

The planetary health diet is largely plant-based and allows an average of 2,500 calories a day.

It really does look pretty healthy. Not appealing for most Americans, but we'd probably live longer and healthier if we did eat more like this.

[charby]

There is a lot of scientific studies out there how grazing animals for human consumption is better for the environment for tilling up the land for non perennial plant based foods for human consumption.

Grazing means pasture and hay fodder, not corn/soy/oats for fatting up. So basically ungulates only, cows, sheep, goats, horse, etc.

[French G.]

Yes we would benefit from eating more plants and insects. No, a planetary diet won't work. When has a centrally planned diet ever worked? Well, worked great in China to starve a few million. Or Ukraine...

I think a lot of these planning type people say farmland and think like it is a grid square in a sim game. Farmland! Interchangeable! My county probably produces a few tons of crop a year, mostly farners market or small scale commercial produce. The land is wholly unsuitable to plow. But sheep and cows outnumber people by a factor of ten. There is enough land to put commercial turkey houses on.

[Perd Hapley]

And in 20 years, Speaker of the House Ocasio-Cortez will inform Americans that the mandatory Earth Diet is required so we'll have enough food surplus to feed the teeming populations of Bangaladesh, Somalia, Venezuela, and numerous other wretched places as reparations for, well, everything.

Quotas for contributions from your backyard gardens will be established so you can all do your part - or else.

By then they'll have moved on to eating the Deplorables.

[Ben]

Some quick estimates from the allowed foods in the article also show it's woefully inadequate on the protein for guys over 50. Recent studies recommend double the WHO recommendation, just to maintain, not build muscle for old people. For a 225 pounder like me, that's around 150 grams of protein. This diet looks to give maybe 40, which doesn't even cut it for the WHO standard (0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight) for all but the smallest people.

[Angel Eyes]

Some quick estimates from the allowed foods in the article also show it's woefully inadequate on the protein for guys over 50.

I think they expect us to just curl up and die.

[HankB]

By then they'll have moved on to eating the Deplorables.

"And today" said Speaker Ocasio-Cortez "I would like to put a modest proposal on the table . . . "

[brimic]

Some quick estimates from the allowed foods in the article also show it's woefully inadequate on the protein for guys over 50. Recent studies recommend double the WHO recommendation, just to maintain, not build muscle for old people. For a 225 pounder like me, that's around 150 grams of protein. This diet looks to give maybe 40, which doesn't even cut it for the WHO standard (0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight) for all but the smallest people.

As I was alluding to, the diet is made in through the vision of guys who push buttons all day. The guy who is putting on his roof, fixing his plumbing, delivering his mail, manufacturing the car he rides in, and fathering his children have very different dietary needs.

[BlueStarLizzard]

hahaha

No.

Why do these idiots have to come up with so much stupid that the few valid points they make are completely overshadowed?

I would say that Americans probably should be cutting back on the meat and the carbs, while increasing the vegetables. Not because of saving the earth, but because we really don't eat enough veggies (and this is coming from a chick who never met an animal she didn't like when served grilled or roasted) There is some validity too a "flexitarian" style diet, but the whole point is that it *is* flexible. Eat a lot of veggies and beans, but chow down on a steak or chicken or pork chop when it's available. I can get that and it is healthy (much more so than the whole vegetarian/vegan thing)

But your not going to apply that specific diet to all the world and expect it to even remotely work. That's just stupid.

[Perd Hapley]

How many Westerners even understand what a luxury it is than we can choose our diet, instead of eating the same mush everyone else is eating, which is the only mush our mush-fields produce? If we even had a good harvest this year.

[Devonai]

...and fathering his children...

I recommend lots of Gatorade.

[brimic]

How many Westerners even understand what a luxury it is than we can choose our diet, instead of eating the same mush everyone else is eating, which is the only mush our mush-fields produce? If we even had a good harvest this year.

Yeah, trucking ingredients over thousands of miles from dozens of locations to make the perfect vegan salad is the height of hypocrisy and privilege. Don’t even get me started in the wastefulness of ‘organic’ farming.