Vegetarian U.S. Dietary Guidelines Have Half the Carbon Footprint of the Main Guidelines

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans’ Healthy Vegetarian Dietary Pattern has half the carbon footprint of the Guidelines’ main recommendations, according to a study in Nutrition Journal.

The authors say that the difference, which shapes what the dietary guidelines mean for the planet, is due to the higher quantities of protein and types of protein in the main recommendations. The Healthy Vegetarian Dietary Pattern’s protein group replaces meat, poultry and seafood with legumes, soy, nuts and seeds, resulting in half the carbon footprint.

The researchers also say that the recommendations for soy milk in the Guidelines are not well publicized and that suggesting a specific recommendation for plant-based alternatives to dairy could lower greenhouse gas emissions substantially. The study cites research that found greenhouse gas emissions from the production of cow’s milk were more than five times that of soy milk.

The Guidelines’ main recommendations also had a bigger carbon footprint than the national dietary guidelines of six other countries the study reviewed. 

The Physicians Committee recently petitioned the White House to recommend policy changes, including to the Dietary Guidelines, that could help alleviate the climate crisis by cutting animal agriculture and promoting a plant-based diet.

The Guidelines Most Americans Never See

There’s one thing you’re probably not aware of. In addition to its general recommendations, the Dietary Guidelines for Americans include a Healthy Vegetarian Dietary Pattern, a complete federal eating plan that replaces the meat, poultry and seafood in the standard dietary guidelines with legumes, soy, nuts and seeds. This diet has only half the carbon footprint of the other recommended diets, but you’ve never heard about it.

The Carbon Footprint Hidden in Your Plate

The items on your dietary guidelines plate carry hidden environmental costs. One Nutrition Journal article reported that switching from animal to plant proteins reduced the carbon footprint of the vegetarian pattern about 50 percent. In fact, cow's milk produced more than five times the greenhouse gases of soy milk, according to the researchers.

The study also found the Guidelines' main recommendations carried a bigger carbon footprint than the national dietary guidelines of six other countries reviewed. That gap, the authors say, traces largely to the higher quantities and types of protein in the U.S. main plan.

In 2023, a study published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics randomly assigned African American adults to follow either the Healthy US, Mediterranean or vegetarian versions of the Dietary Guidelines for 12 weeks. They were all based on the same federal plan, so even the vegetarian version isn’t some weird offshoot. It’s literally one of the federal eating plans, and it’s just the one nobody mentions.

From 1980 to the New Guidelines

The original Dietary Guidelines for Americans was released in 1980. The guidelines have been updated every five years since then. Reviewing the dietary guidelines of 2021 vs. earlier versions reveals a gradual move towards a more plant-based diet. This has been a multi-decade process. The lower carbon footprint of a vegetarian diet is only part of the story.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are dietary guidelines for america?

To define the Dietary Guidelines for Americans simply, they are the federal government's official nutrition recommendations. Published by the U.S. Departments of Agriculture and Health and Human Services, the guidelines outline eating patterns that promote health throughout the life cycle and inform things such as school meals and nutrition programs. The Healthy Vegetarian Dietary Pattern, for example, replaces meat, poultry and seafood with legumes, soy, nuts and seeds.

How often are dietary guidelines for Americans updated?

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans are revised once every 5 years. An advisory committee reviews the science currently available at each revision cycle, produces a report that informs the next guidelines update, and recommends changes if appropriate. Therefore, there may be changes to the recommendations over time, including those made regarding the vegetarian pattern.

When will the new dietary guidelines be released?

Every five years, a new edition comes out. In other words, the next edition will be five years after the last one. First, the advisory committee reviews the guidelines, and then the two federal departments issue them. We monitor every set of guidelines because they influence what people are told about how to eat.

How the US Dietary Guidelines Are Built?

The US dietary guidelines don't appear out of nowhere. The Advisory Committee looks at the current science and the U.S. Departments of Agriculture and Health and Human Services publish the final recommendations. The dietary guidelines for adults flow from that process every five years, start to finish.

What are the american dietary guidelines?

The U.S. Dietary Guidelines are the federal government’s authoritative nutrition recommendations. Issued by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, they describe healthy eating patterns intended to be applied throughout the life span. Another such pattern is the “Healthy Vegetarian Dietary Pattern” that substitutes meat, poultry, and seafood with legumes, soy products, nuts, and seeds. The “Healthy Vegetarian Dietary Pattern” reduces the climate impact by approximately half compared with the core dietary guidance.

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.