legumes

nuts

Justification not yet generated — showing supporting facts

• The Mediterranean diet, which is associated with beneficial effects on cardiovascular health, comprises fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, and healthy fats such as olive oil and nuts, contrasting with the highly processed foods found in the Western diet.
• The Paleolithic diet typically includes vegetables, fruits, nuts, roots, and meat, while excluding dairy products, grains, sugar, legumes, processed oils, salt, alcohol, and coffee.
• In low-income countries in South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa, consumption of healthy components such as fruit, non-starchy vegetables, legumes/nuts, seafood omega-3 fat, and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) remained far from optimal in 2018.
• There are large global shortfalls in the availability of fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, and seeds, as well as large disparities among regions regarding the use of animal source foods.
• Globally, between 1990 and 2018, AHEI scores increased for non-starchy vegetables (+1.1), legumes/nuts (+1.1), and fruit (+0.1); decreased for red/processed meat (−1.4), sugar-sweetened beverages (−0.6), and sodium (−0.4); and remained stable for whole grains (+0.1), PUFAs (0), and seafood omega-3 (0).
• Globally, more educated individuals had lower AHEI scores (less favorable consumption levels) for red/processed meat (-0.6), sugar-sweetened beverages (-0.6), and nuts and legumes (-0.1).
• Diets globally continue to lack sufficient amounts of fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, and whole grains, while including excessive and sometimes rising amounts of red meat, processed meat, and sugary drinks.
• The Healthy Diet Indicator (HDI) scores dietary intake based on eleven components: fruits and vegetables (≥ 400g), beans and other legumes (> 0g), nuts and seeds (> 0g), whole grains (> 0g), dietary fiber (> 25g), total fat (< 30% total energy), saturated fat (< 10% total energy), dietary sodium (< 2g), free sugars (< 10% total energy), processed meat (0g), and unprocessed red meat (≤ 71g).
• Ancient diets were composed of phytonutrients found in grains, native plants, mushrooms, fruits, legumes, nuts, honey, and seeds.
• Suboptimal diets are characterized by low intake of fibers, fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains, nuts, seeds, milk, seafood, calcium, and healthy fats (omega-3 fatty acids, polyunsaturated fatty acids) and high intake of trans-fatty acids, sodium, red or processed meat, and sugar-sweetened beverages, according to Afshin et al. (2019).
• In high-income countries, Central/Eastern Europe, Central Asia, the Middle East, and Northern Africa, improvements in dietary quality driven by increased intake of fruit, non-starchy vegetables, legumes/nuts, and whole grains have been offset by stable or only minor reductions in red/processed meats, sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs), and sodium.
• A study on global food systems found substantial but inconsistent progress toward alignment with dietary guidelines, characterized by large global shortfalls in fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, and seeds, alongside large regional disparities in the use of animal source foods.
• The 'paleo diet' recommends consuming meat, fish, fruits, vegetables, eggs, and nuts, while excluding cereal grains, dairy products, legumes, refined sugar, and processed foods.
• The Paleolithic diet includes vegetables (including root vegetables), fruit (including fruit oils like olive, coconut, and palm oil), nuts, fish, meat, and eggs, while excluding dairy, grain-based foods, legumes, extra sugar, and industrial nutritional products like refined fats and carbohydrates.
• Latin America and the Caribbean display lower diet diversity and higher sodium consumption, despite higher intakes of legumes and nuts.
• A healthy diet consists of plenty of fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, seeds, whole grains, and oils high in unsaturated fats, while containing little to no red and processed meat, sugar-sweetened beverages, refined grains, and oils high in saturated fats.
• Average dietary intake across the studied regions was lower than minimum recommendations for whole-grain cereal products, dairy, legumes, fish, cheese, and nuts.
• The planetary health diet prioritizes the consumption of vegetables, fruits, legumes, whole grains, nuts, and fish, while limiting the intake of red meat and tubers, and promoting moderate consumption of eggs, poultry, and dairy products.
• Imbalanced diets low in fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, seeds, and whole grains, and high in red and processed meat are responsible for one of the greatest health burdens globally and in most regions.
• Globally, urban residents had higher AHEI scores for fruit (+0.2) and whole grains (+0.2), but lower scores for sugar-sweetened beverages (-0.5), red/processed meat (-0.4), and legumes/nuts (-0.1).
• The EAT-Lancet Commission on Healthy Diets from Sustainable Food Systems established specific dietary recommendations for minimum intake of health-promoting foods (fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, whole grains) and maximum intake of foods with detrimental health or environmental impacts (red meat, processed meat, dairy, fish).
• Replacing high-fat and sugar products in the Western diet with fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, and whole grains may reduce low-grade inflammation and prevent the development of cardiovascular disease (CVD).
• The Mediterranean-Style Dietary Pattern Score (MSDPS) assigns points based on daily or weekly servings of specific food groups, including whole grains (8 servings/day), fruits (3 servings/day), vegetables (6 servings/day), dairy (2 servings/day), wine (1.5 servings/day for women, 3 servings/day for men), fish/seafood (6 servings/week), poultry (4 servings/week), olives/legumes/nuts (4 servings/week), potatoes/starchy roots (3 servings/week), eggs (3 servings/week), sweets (3 servings/week), and meat (1 serving/week).
• Neanderthals across Eurasia consumed a range of plant foods and fungi, including fruits, nuts, wild grass seeds, legumes, underground storage organs (USOs), and mushrooms, as evidenced by microfossils and eukaryotic aDNA preserved in dental calculus.
• The applicability of the Mediterranean Diet Score (MDS) is not established in regions where distinctive components like olive oil, red wine, nuts, legumes, or fish are unavailable or not part of cultural dietary patterns.
• Plant-based diets are characterized by a high intake of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes, and nuts, while minimizing or excluding animal products like red meat, fish, and dairy. This dietary pattern is high in fiber and nutrients and may support heart health, blood sugar management, and overall well-being.
• The Mediterranean Diet Score (MDS) ranges from 0 (minimal adherence) to 9 (maximal adherence) and is calculated based on nine components: vegetables, legumes, fruits and nuts, cereal, fish, the ratio of monounsaturated to saturated lipids, meat, dairy products, and alcohol.
• In 2018, the highest global AHEI component scores for healthier items were for legumes/nuts (5.0), followed by whole grains (4.7), seafood omega-3 fat (4.2), and non-starchy vegetables (3.9).
• Fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, and seeds have received minimal agricultural research and development funding over the last 50 years.
• The Global Nutrition Report 2021 analysis includes diet-disease associations for low intake of fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts/seeds, and whole grains, as well as for high intake of red meat, processed meat, and sugary drinks.

fruits

Fruits and legumes are frequently categorized together as essential components of healthy, plant-based, and sustainable dietary patterns, as evidenced by their consistent inclusion in dietary guidelines [1], [2], [3], and [4]. They are often studied together in the context of global health burdens [5], [6], [7], and dietary indices [8], [9], while also being contrasted with unhealthy food groups in various nutritional frameworks [10], [11], [12]. — 30 supporting facts

vegetables

Vegetables and legumes are frequently grouped together as essential components of healthy, plant-based, and sustainable dietary patterns, as evidenced by their consistent inclusion in dietary guidelines [1], [2], [3], and [4]. They are often cited together in studies regarding global health burdens [5], [6], [7], and dietary indices [8], [9], while also being contrasted with excluded food groups in specific diets like the Paleolithic diet [10], [11], [12]. — 29 supporting facts

whole grains

Justification not yet generated — showing supporting facts

• The Mediterranean diet, which is associated with beneficial effects on cardiovascular health, comprises fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, and healthy fats such as olive oil and nuts, contrasting with the highly processed foods found in the Western diet.
• Standardizing the quantification method for food components like whole grains and legumes (e.g., specifying grams of cooked vs. dry weight) is necessary to improve comparisons and prevent discrepancies arising from user interpretation.
• To improve population health, policy measures should support increased intake of health-promoting foods such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, and nuts/seeds, while reducing the intake of unhealthy foods such as red meat, processed meat, and sugary beverages.
• Globally, between 1990 and 2018, AHEI scores increased for non-starchy vegetables (+1.1), legumes/nuts (+1.1), and fruit (+0.1); decreased for red/processed meat (−1.4), sugar-sweetened beverages (−0.6), and sodium (−0.4); and remained stable for whole grains (+0.1), PUFAs (0), and seafood omega-3 (0).
• Diets globally continue to lack sufficient amounts of fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, and whole grains, while including excessive and sometimes rising amounts of red meat, processed meat, and sugary drinks.
• Risks related to dietary composition in the 2021 Global Nutrition Report analysis included low intake of fruits (2.8 million deaths), whole grains (2.3 million), vegetables (1.7 million), legumes (1.5 million), nuts and seeds (1.0 million), and high intake of red meat (980,000), processed meat (880,000), and sugar-sweetened beverages (290,000).
• The Healthy Diet Indicator (HDI) scores dietary intake based on eleven components: fruits and vegetables (≥ 400g), beans and other legumes (> 0g), nuts and seeds (> 0g), whole grains (> 0g), dietary fiber (> 25g), total fat (< 30% total energy), saturated fat (< 10% total energy), dietary sodium (< 2g), free sugars (< 10% total energy), processed meat (0g), and unprocessed red meat (≤ 71g).
• Suboptimal diets are characterized by low intake of fibers, fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains, nuts, seeds, milk, seafood, calcium, and healthy fats (omega-3 fatty acids, polyunsaturated fatty acids) and high intake of trans-fatty acids, sodium, red or processed meat, and sugar-sweetened beverages, according to Afshin et al. (2019).
• In high-income countries, Central/Eastern Europe, Central Asia, the Middle East, and Northern Africa, improvements in dietary quality driven by increased intake of fruit, non-starchy vegetables, legumes/nuts, and whole grains have been offset by stable or only minor reductions in red/processed meats, sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs), and sodium.
• A healthy diet consists of plenty of fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, seeds, whole grains, and oils high in unsaturated fats, while containing little to no red and processed meat, sugar-sweetened beverages, refined grains, and oils high in saturated fats.
• The planetary health diet prioritizes the consumption of vegetables, fruits, legumes, whole grains, nuts, and fish, while limiting the intake of red meat and tubers, and promoting moderate consumption of eggs, poultry, and dairy products.
• Imbalanced diets low in fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, seeds, and whole grains, and high in red and processed meat are responsible for one of the greatest health burdens globally and in most regions.
• Globally, urban residents had higher AHEI scores for fruit (+0.2) and whole grains (+0.2), but lower scores for sugar-sweetened beverages (-0.5), red/processed meat (-0.4), and legumes/nuts (-0.1).
• The EAT-Lancet Commission on Healthy Diets from Sustainable Food Systems established specific dietary recommendations for minimum intake of health-promoting foods (fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, whole grains) and maximum intake of foods with detrimental health or environmental impacts (red meat, processed meat, dairy, fish).
• Replacing high-fat and sugar products in the Western diet with fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, and whole grains may reduce low-grade inflammation and prevent the development of cardiovascular disease (CVD).
• The Mediterranean-Style Dietary Pattern Score (MSDPS) assigns points based on daily or weekly servings of specific food groups, including whole grains (8 servings/day), fruits (3 servings/day), vegetables (6 servings/day), dairy (2 servings/day), wine (1.5 servings/day for women, 3 servings/day for men), fish/seafood (6 servings/week), poultry (4 servings/week), olives/legumes/nuts (4 servings/week), potatoes/starchy roots (3 servings/week), eggs (3 servings/week), sweets (3 servings/week), and meat (1 serving/week).
• The GDR Score categorizes diet quality by assigning positive scores to the consumption of dark-green leafy vegetables, vitamin A-rich orange-colored vegetables, roots, tubers, other vegetables, vitamin A-rich fruits, citrus fruits, other fruits (including red/purple/blue fruits), legumes, nuts/seeds, and whole grains.
• Plant-based diets are characterized by a high intake of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes, and nuts, while minimizing or excluding animal products like red meat, fish, and dairy. This dietary pattern is high in fiber and nutrients and may support heart health, blood sugar management, and overall well-being.
• The Western pattern diet is rich in red meat, dairy products, processed and artificially sweetened foods, and salt, with minimal intake of fruits, vegetables, fish, legumes, and whole grains.
• In dietary indices, fruits and vegetables demonstrate robust correlations with total scores, underscoring their importance in evaluating both health and sustainability, whereas whole grains and legumes exhibit weaker correlations.
• In 2018, the highest global AHEI component scores for healthier items were for legumes/nuts (5.0), followed by whole grains (4.7), seafood omega-3 fat (4.2), and non-starchy vegetables (3.9).
• Increased consumption of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, and lean protein sources is associated with a reduced risk of metabolic diseases, type 2 diabetes, and mortality.
• The Global Nutrition Report 2021 analysis includes diet-disease associations for low intake of fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts/seeds, and whole grains, as well as for high intake of red meat, processed meat, and sugary drinks.

red meat

Justification not yet generated — showing supporting facts

• The Planetary Health Diet (PHD) recommends a daily intake of 150 g of legumes and a maximum of 14 g of red meat.
• To improve population health, policy measures should support increased intake of health-promoting foods such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, and nuts/seeds, while reducing the intake of unhealthy foods such as red meat, processed meat, and sugary beverages.
• Globally, between 1990 and 2018, AHEI scores increased for non-starchy vegetables (+1.1), legumes/nuts (+1.1), and fruit (+0.1); decreased for red/processed meat (−1.4), sugar-sweetened beverages (−0.6), and sodium (−0.4); and remained stable for whole grains (+0.1), PUFAs (0), and seafood omega-3 (0).
• Globally, more educated individuals had lower AHEI scores (less favorable consumption levels) for red/processed meat (-0.6), sugar-sweetened beverages (-0.6), and nuts and legumes (-0.1).
• Diets globally continue to lack sufficient amounts of fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, and whole grains, while including excessive and sometimes rising amounts of red meat, processed meat, and sugary drinks.
• Risks related to dietary composition in the 2021 Global Nutrition Report analysis included low intake of fruits (2.8 million deaths), whole grains (2.3 million), vegetables (1.7 million), legumes (1.5 million), nuts and seeds (1.0 million), and high intake of red meat (980,000), processed meat (880,000), and sugar-sweetened beverages (290,000).
• Suboptimal diets are characterized by low intake of fibers, fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains, nuts, seeds, milk, seafood, calcium, and healthy fats (omega-3 fatty acids, polyunsaturated fatty acids) and high intake of trans-fatty acids, sodium, red or processed meat, and sugar-sweetened beverages, according to Afshin et al. (2019).
• In high-income countries, Central/Eastern Europe, Central Asia, the Middle East, and Northern Africa, improvements in dietary quality driven by increased intake of fruit, non-starchy vegetables, legumes/nuts, and whole grains have been offset by stable or only minor reductions in red/processed meats, sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs), and sodium.
• A healthy diet consists of plenty of fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, seeds, whole grains, and oils high in unsaturated fats, while containing little to no red and processed meat, sugar-sweetened beverages, refined grains, and oils high in saturated fats.
• The planetary health diet prioritizes the consumption of vegetables, fruits, legumes, whole grains, nuts, and fish, while limiting the intake of red meat and tubers, and promoting moderate consumption of eggs, poultry, and dairy products.
• Imbalanced diets low in fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, seeds, and whole grains, and high in red and processed meat are responsible for one of the greatest health burdens globally and in most regions.
• Globally, urban residents had higher AHEI scores for fruit (+0.2) and whole grains (+0.2), but lower scores for sugar-sweetened beverages (-0.5), red/processed meat (-0.4), and legumes/nuts (-0.1).
• The EAT-Lancet Commission on Healthy Diets from Sustainable Food Systems established specific dietary recommendations for minimum intake of health-promoting foods (fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, whole grains) and maximum intake of foods with detrimental health or environmental impacts (red meat, processed meat, dairy, fish).
• Six months after the training programme, the percentage of health professionals consuming no cured meats changed from 24% to 35%, no red meats changed from 19% to 25%, and no legumes changed from 6% to 3%.
• Plant-based diets are characterized by a high intake of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes, and nuts, while minimizing or excluding animal products like red meat, fish, and dairy. This dietary pattern is high in fiber and nutrients and may support heart health, blood sugar management, and overall well-being.
• The Western pattern diet is rich in red meat, dairy products, processed and artificially sweetened foods, and salt, with minimal intake of fruits, vegetables, fish, legumes, and whole grains.
• The Global Nutrition Report 2021 analysis includes diet-disease associations for low intake of fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts/seeds, and whole grains, as well as for high intake of red meat, processed meat, and sugary drinks.

processed meat

Justification not yet generated — showing supporting facts

• To improve population health, policy measures should support increased intake of health-promoting foods such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, and nuts/seeds, while reducing the intake of unhealthy foods such as red meat, processed meat, and sugary beverages.
• Globally, between 1990 and 2018, AHEI scores increased for non-starchy vegetables (+1.1), legumes/nuts (+1.1), and fruit (+0.1); decreased for red/processed meat (−1.4), sugar-sweetened beverages (−0.6), and sodium (−0.4); and remained stable for whole grains (+0.1), PUFAs (0), and seafood omega-3 (0).
• Globally, more educated individuals had lower AHEI scores (less favorable consumption levels) for red/processed meat (-0.6), sugar-sweetened beverages (-0.6), and nuts and legumes (-0.1).
• Diets globally continue to lack sufficient amounts of fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, and whole grains, while including excessive and sometimes rising amounts of red meat, processed meat, and sugary drinks.
• Risks related to dietary composition in the 2021 Global Nutrition Report analysis included low intake of fruits (2.8 million deaths), whole grains (2.3 million), vegetables (1.7 million), legumes (1.5 million), nuts and seeds (1.0 million), and high intake of red meat (980,000), processed meat (880,000), and sugar-sweetened beverages (290,000).
• The Healthy Diet Indicator (HDI) scores dietary intake based on eleven components: fruits and vegetables (≥ 400g), beans and other legumes (> 0g), nuts and seeds (> 0g), whole grains (> 0g), dietary fiber (> 25g), total fat (< 30% total energy), saturated fat (< 10% total energy), dietary sodium (< 2g), free sugars (< 10% total energy), processed meat (0g), and unprocessed red meat (≤ 71g).
• Suboptimal diets are characterized by low intake of fibers, fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains, nuts, seeds, milk, seafood, calcium, and healthy fats (omega-3 fatty acids, polyunsaturated fatty acids) and high intake of trans-fatty acids, sodium, red or processed meat, and sugar-sweetened beverages, according to Afshin et al. (2019).
• In high-income countries, Central/Eastern Europe, Central Asia, the Middle East, and Northern Africa, improvements in dietary quality driven by increased intake of fruit, non-starchy vegetables, legumes/nuts, and whole grains have been offset by stable or only minor reductions in red/processed meats, sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs), and sodium.
• A healthy diet consists of plenty of fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, seeds, whole grains, and oils high in unsaturated fats, while containing little to no red and processed meat, sugar-sweetened beverages, refined grains, and oils high in saturated fats.
• Imbalanced diets low in fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, seeds, and whole grains, and high in red and processed meat are responsible for one of the greatest health burdens globally and in most regions.
• Globally, urban residents had higher AHEI scores for fruit (+0.2) and whole grains (+0.2), but lower scores for sugar-sweetened beverages (-0.5), red/processed meat (-0.4), and legumes/nuts (-0.1).
• The EAT-Lancet Commission on Healthy Diets from Sustainable Food Systems established specific dietary recommendations for minimum intake of health-promoting foods (fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, whole grains) and maximum intake of foods with detrimental health or environmental impacts (red meat, processed meat, dairy, fish).
• The Global Nutrition Report 2021 analysis includes diet-disease associations for low intake of fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts/seeds, and whole grains, as well as for high intake of red meat, processed meat, and sugary drinks.

sugar-sweetened beverages

Justification not yet generated — showing supporting facts

• To improve population health, policy measures should support increased intake of health-promoting foods such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, and nuts/seeds, while reducing the intake of unhealthy foods such as red meat, processed meat, and sugary beverages.
• Globally, between 1990 and 2018, AHEI scores increased for non-starchy vegetables (+1.1), legumes/nuts (+1.1), and fruit (+0.1); decreased for red/processed meat (−1.4), sugar-sweetened beverages (−0.6), and sodium (−0.4); and remained stable for whole grains (+0.1), PUFAs (0), and seafood omega-3 (0).
• Globally, more educated individuals had lower AHEI scores (less favorable consumption levels) for red/processed meat (-0.6), sugar-sweetened beverages (-0.6), and nuts and legumes (-0.1).
• Diets globally continue to lack sufficient amounts of fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, and whole grains, while including excessive and sometimes rising amounts of red meat, processed meat, and sugary drinks.
• Risks related to dietary composition in the 2021 Global Nutrition Report analysis included low intake of fruits (2.8 million deaths), whole grains (2.3 million), vegetables (1.7 million), legumes (1.5 million), nuts and seeds (1.0 million), and high intake of red meat (980,000), processed meat (880,000), and sugar-sweetened beverages (290,000).
• Suboptimal diets are characterized by low intake of fibers, fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains, nuts, seeds, milk, seafood, calcium, and healthy fats (omega-3 fatty acids, polyunsaturated fatty acids) and high intake of trans-fatty acids, sodium, red or processed meat, and sugar-sweetened beverages, according to Afshin et al. (2019).
• In high-income countries, Central/Eastern Europe, Central Asia, the Middle East, and Northern Africa, improvements in dietary quality driven by increased intake of fruit, non-starchy vegetables, legumes/nuts, and whole grains have been offset by stable or only minor reductions in red/processed meats, sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs), and sodium.
• A healthy diet consists of plenty of fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, seeds, whole grains, and oils high in unsaturated fats, while containing little to no red and processed meat, sugar-sweetened beverages, refined grains, and oils high in saturated fats.
• Globally, urban residents had higher AHEI scores for fruit (+0.2) and whole grains (+0.2), but lower scores for sugar-sweetened beverages (-0.5), red/processed meat (-0.4), and legumes/nuts (-0.1).
• The Global Nutrition Report 2021 analysis includes diet-disease associations for low intake of fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts/seeds, and whole grains, as well as for high intake of red meat, processed meat, and sugary drinks.

fish

Justification not yet generated — showing supporting facts

• The 'paleo diet' recommends consuming meat, fish, fruits, vegetables, eggs, and nuts, while excluding cereal grains, dairy products, legumes, refined sugar, and processed foods.
• Average dietary intake across the studied regions was lower than minimum recommendations for whole-grain cereal products, dairy, legumes, fish, cheese, and nuts.
• The planetary health diet prioritizes the consumption of vegetables, fruits, legumes, whole grains, nuts, and fish, while limiting the intake of red meat and tubers, and promoting moderate consumption of eggs, poultry, and dairy products.
• The EAT-Lancet Commission on Healthy Diets from Sustainable Food Systems established specific dietary recommendations for minimum intake of health-promoting foods (fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, whole grains) and maximum intake of foods with detrimental health or environmental impacts (red meat, processed meat, dairy, fish).
• The Mediterranean-Style Dietary Pattern Score (MSDPS) assigns points based on daily or weekly servings of specific food groups, including whole grains (8 servings/day), fruits (3 servings/day), vegetables (6 servings/day), dairy (2 servings/day), wine (1.5 servings/day for women, 3 servings/day for men), fish/seafood (6 servings/week), poultry (4 servings/week), olives/legumes/nuts (4 servings/week), potatoes/starchy roots (3 servings/week), eggs (3 servings/week), sweets (3 servings/week), and meat (1 serving/week).
• The applicability of the Mediterranean Diet Score (MDS) is not established in regions where distinctive components like olive oil, red wine, nuts, legumes, or fish are unavailable or not part of cultural dietary patterns.
• Plant-based diets are characterized by a high intake of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes, and nuts, while minimizing or excluding animal products like red meat, fish, and dairy. This dietary pattern is high in fiber and nutrients and may support heart health, blood sugar management, and overall well-being.
• The Western pattern diet is rich in red meat, dairy products, processed and artificially sweetened foods, and salt, with minimal intake of fruits, vegetables, fish, legumes, and whole grains.
• The Mediterranean Diet Score (MDS) ranges from 0 (minimal adherence) to 9 (maximal adherence) and is calculated based on nine components: vegetables, legumes, fruits and nuts, cereal, fish, the ratio of monounsaturated to saturated lipids, meat, dairy products, and alcohol.

seeds

Justification not yet generated — showing supporting facts

• There are large global shortfalls in the availability of fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, and seeds, as well as large disparities among regions regarding the use of animal source foods.
• The Healthy Diet Indicator (HDI) scores dietary intake based on eleven components: fruits and vegetables (≥ 400g), beans and other legumes (> 0g), nuts and seeds (> 0g), whole grains (> 0g), dietary fiber (> 25g), total fat (< 30% total energy), saturated fat (< 10% total energy), dietary sodium (< 2g), free sugars (< 10% total energy), processed meat (0g), and unprocessed red meat (≤ 71g).
• Ancient diets were composed of phytonutrients found in grains, native plants, mushrooms, fruits, legumes, nuts, honey, and seeds.
• Suboptimal diets are characterized by low intake of fibers, fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains, nuts, seeds, milk, seafood, calcium, and healthy fats (omega-3 fatty acids, polyunsaturated fatty acids) and high intake of trans-fatty acids, sodium, red or processed meat, and sugar-sweetened beverages, according to Afshin et al. (2019).
• A study on global food systems found substantial but inconsistent progress toward alignment with dietary guidelines, characterized by large global shortfalls in fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, and seeds, alongside large regional disparities in the use of animal source foods.
• A healthy diet consists of plenty of fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, seeds, whole grains, and oils high in unsaturated fats, while containing little to no red and processed meat, sugar-sweetened beverages, refined grains, and oils high in saturated fats.
• Imbalanced diets low in fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, seeds, and whole grains, and high in red and processed meat are responsible for one of the greatest health burdens globally and in most regions.
• Fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, and seeds have received minimal agricultural research and development funding over the last 50 years.
• The Global Nutrition Report 2021 analysis includes diet-disease associations for low intake of fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts/seeds, and whole grains, as well as for high intake of red meat, processed meat, and sugary drinks.

grain

Justification not yet generated — showing supporting facts

• Modern paleo diets often emphasize avoiding grains, dairy, and legumes based on the assumption that early humans did not consume these foods and relied heavily on meat.
• The process of domestication favored the selection of plants with larger caloric yields, making starch-rich foods like grains and legumes the staple diet of ancestral human populations during the agricultural revolution.
• Ancient diets were composed of phytonutrients found in grains, native plants, mushrooms, fruits, legumes, nuts, honey, and seeds.
• Beef and lamb have approximately ten times the greenhouse gas emissions per serving compared to pork, poultry, and dairy products, which in turn have about ten times the emissions of plant-based foods like grains, fruits, vegetables, and legumes.
• The Ruler tribal community prioritizes the consumption of leafy greens, grains, and legumes in their diet.
• Ruminant livestock are among the highest contributors to methane emissions, whereas crops such as legumes and grains emit significantly less CO₂-equivalents per kilogram produced.
• The paleodiet excludes dietary items introduced during the agricultural revolution, such as legumes, grains, and dairy products, as well as modern processed foods.

dairy products

Justification not yet generated — showing supporting facts

• The 'paleo diet' recommends consuming meat, fish, fruits, vegetables, eggs, and nuts, while excluding cereal grains, dairy products, legumes, refined sugar, and processed foods.
• Beef and lamb have approximately ten times the greenhouse gas emissions per serving compared to pork, poultry, and dairy products, which in turn have about ten times the emissions of plant-based foods like grains, fruits, vegetables, and legumes.
• The planetary health diet prioritizes the consumption of vegetables, fruits, legumes, whole grains, nuts, and fish, while limiting the intake of red meat and tubers, and promoting moderate consumption of eggs, poultry, and dairy products.
• The Western pattern diet is rich in red meat, dairy products, processed and artificially sweetened foods, and salt, with minimal intake of fruits, vegetables, fish, legumes, and whole grains.
• The Mediterranean Diet Score (MDS) ranges from 0 (minimal adherence) to 9 (maximal adherence) and is calculated based on nine components: vegetables, legumes, fruits and nuts, cereal, fish, the ratio of monounsaturated to saturated lipids, meat, dairy products, and alcohol.
• The paleodiet excludes dietary items introduced during the agricultural revolution, such as legumes, grains, and dairy products, as well as modern processed foods.

processed foods

Justification not yet generated — showing supporting facts

• The Mediterranean diet, which is associated with beneficial effects on cardiovascular health, comprises fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, and healthy fats such as olive oil and nuts, contrasting with the highly processed foods found in the Western diet.
• The 'paleo diet' recommends consuming meat, fish, fruits, vegetables, eggs, and nuts, while excluding cereal grains, dairy products, legumes, refined sugar, and processed foods.
• The Western pattern diet is rich in red meat, dairy products, processed and artificially sweetened foods, and salt, with minimal intake of fruits, vegetables, fish, legumes, and whole grains.
• The paleodiet excludes dietary items introduced during the agricultural revolution, such as legumes, grains, and dairy products, as well as modern processed foods.

Alternative Healthy Eating Index

Justification not yet generated — showing supporting facts

• Globally, between 1990 and 2018, AHEI scores increased for non-starchy vegetables (+1.1), legumes/nuts (+1.1), and fruit (+0.1); decreased for red/processed meat (−1.4), sugar-sweetened beverages (−0.6), and sodium (−0.4); and remained stable for whole grains (+0.1), PUFAs (0), and seafood omega-3 (0).
• Globally, more educated individuals had lower AHEI scores (less favorable consumption levels) for red/processed meat (-0.6), sugar-sweetened beverages (-0.6), and nuts and legumes (-0.1).
• Globally, urban residents had higher AHEI scores for fruit (+0.2) and whole grains (+0.2), but lower scores for sugar-sweetened beverages (-0.5), red/processed meat (-0.4), and legumes/nuts (-0.1).
• In 2018, the highest global AHEI component scores for healthier items were for legumes/nuts (5.0), followed by whole grains (4.7), seafood omega-3 fat (4.2), and non-starchy vegetables (3.9).

fruit

Justification not yet generated — showing supporting facts

• In low-income countries in South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa, consumption of healthy components such as fruit, non-starchy vegetables, legumes/nuts, seafood omega-3 fat, and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) remained far from optimal in 2018.
• Globally, between 1990 and 2018, AHEI scores increased for non-starchy vegetables (+1.1), legumes/nuts (+1.1), and fruit (+0.1); decreased for red/processed meat (−1.4), sugar-sweetened beverages (−0.6), and sodium (−0.4); and remained stable for whole grains (+0.1), PUFAs (0), and seafood omega-3 (0).
• In high-income countries, Central/Eastern Europe, Central Asia, the Middle East, and Northern Africa, improvements in dietary quality driven by increased intake of fruit, non-starchy vegetables, legumes/nuts, and whole grains have been offset by stable or only minor reductions in red/processed meats, sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs), and sodium.
• Globally, urban residents had higher AHEI scores for fruit (+0.2) and whole grains (+0.2), but lower scores for sugar-sweetened beverages (-0.5), red/processed meat (-0.4), and legumes/nuts (-0.1).

meat

Justification not yet generated — showing supporting facts

• Modern paleo diets often emphasize avoiding grains, dairy, and legumes based on the assumption that early humans did not consume these foods and relied heavily on meat.
• The 'paleo diet' recommends consuming meat, fish, fruits, vegetables, eggs, and nuts, while excluding cereal grains, dairy products, legumes, refined sugar, and processed foods.
• The Mediterranean-Style Dietary Pattern Score (MSDPS) assigns points based on daily or weekly servings of specific food groups, including whole grains (8 servings/day), fruits (3 servings/day), vegetables (6 servings/day), dairy (2 servings/day), wine (1.5 servings/day for women, 3 servings/day for men), fish/seafood (6 servings/week), poultry (4 servings/week), olives/legumes/nuts (4 servings/week), potatoes/starchy roots (3 servings/week), eggs (3 servings/week), sweets (3 servings/week), and meat (1 serving/week).
• The Mediterranean Diet Score (MDS) ranges from 0 (minimal adherence) to 9 (maximal adherence) and is calculated based on nine components: vegetables, legumes, fruits and nuts, cereal, fish, the ratio of monounsaturated to saturated lipids, meat, dairy products, and alcohol.

western diet

The Western diet is defined by its contrast to the Mediterranean diet, which includes legumes as a core component [1], and it is recommended that legumes replace processed items within the Western diet to improve health outcomes [2]. — 2 supporting facts

dietary diversity

Legumes are identified as a specific food group whose intake is measured alongside dietary diversity in Latin America and the Caribbean, as noted in [1]. — 1 supporting fact

hemp

Hemp and legumes are related because hemp is most effectively cultivated when integrated into a crop rotation system that includes legumes, as noted in [1]. — 1 supporting fact

sustainable healthy diets

Legumes are a key component of nutritious food sources that can be promoted through the modification of food environments to support sustainable healthy diets as described in [1]. — 1 supporting fact

inflammation

Inflammation is related to legumes because [1] states that consuming foods rich in soluble and insoluble fiber, such as legumes, may help fight inflammation. — 1 supporting fact

India

Legumes are identified as a primary food source consumed by rural youth in India, as documented in the Pune Maternal Nutrition Study [1]. — 1 supporting fact