Advancing Healthy and Sustainable Diets for All

Lesson Plan #1 – What Should I Eat?

Duration: 1 hour.

Background and Importance: Now is a critical time to embrace health and sustainability. Many Americans experience health issues that in part result from the current food supply, including the high availability, convenience, and promotions of highly processed foods that are high in saturated fats, added sugars, and sodium (Dietary Guidelines for Americans [DGA], 2015). These food system realities are burdensome to critical planetary resources that are needed to support future generations. We can make choices that benefit our health and our planet through the foods and beverages that we consume. One Health recognizes that health outcomes are connected with people, communities, animals, plants, and environments (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2018). Choosing sustainable diets supports One Health objectives through emphasizing personal and planetary health and includes whole/fresh, seasonal, and local plant-based sources of nutrition (fruits, vegetables, beans, nuts, seeds) while limits animal-based and highly processed products (Herforth et. al., 2017).