From vegconomist.com
Image by B Y G on Unsplash
Most health and nutrition professionals consult their national dietary guidelines in daily practice, yet fewer than half find them useful for steering people toward healthier and more sustainable diets, according to research published in the peer-reviewed journal Current Developments in Nutrition.
“Dietary guidelines have enormous potential to shape healthier and more sustainable food systems”
The study, led by researchers at ProVeg International and the University of Göttingen, surveyed practitioners on the obstacles they face when applying food-based dietary guidelines (FBDGs). While 80.5% of respondents reported using their national guidelines in practice, 57.6% rated them as only “somewhat” or “slightly” helpful for promoting healthy and sustainable food choices. More than 100 countries have published FBDGs, which together cover roughly 90% of the global population and feed into public health messaging, education, and food assistance programmes.
Pulses and plant milks named as missing
Asked where the recommendations fall short, respondents pointed to the under-representation of pulses (62.7%), plant-based milk alternatives (47.5%), and nuts and seeds (42.4%). Transparency around how guidelines are developed was rated important for their acceptance by 99.1% of those surveyed, and affordability surfaced as a further concern, with practitioners asking for clearer guidance on eating healthily on a limited budget.
“Dietary guidelines have enormous potential to shape healthier and more sustainable food systems, but they need to work in the real world. Our findings show that the professionals responsible for putting these recommendations into practice are calling for guidelines that better reflect plant-based foods, affordability, cultural diversity, and the realities of people’s everyday lives,” said Anna-Lena Klapp, Head of Research at ProVeg International and lead author.
Retailers and caterers named alongside policymakers
Respondents also placed responsibility for dietary change beyond the individual consumer. Almost two in three (65.3%) backed measures such as tax relief or subsidies to bring down the cost of healthy and sustainable food, while identifying retailers, restaurants, caterers, and food manufacturers as parties able to make those choices easier at the point of purchase.
The results follow earlier work by Klapp analysing national guidelines across 100 countries, which found that most give little attention to plant-based sources of protein, calcium, and iron. National positions continue to diverge: the Dutch Health Council now recommends that 60% of dietary protein come from plant sources, while the 2025-2030 Dietary Guidelines for Americans omitted sustainability considerations altogether, drawing criticism from ProVeg and other health organisations.
Klapp added, “They also need supportive food environments to put these guidelines into action. If we want dietary guidelines to drive meaningful change, we need coordinated action across the food system to make healthy and sustainable choices easier for everyone.”
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