We conducted this study, led by Katherine Curi-Quinto, to assess how closely the diets of Peruvian adults align with the global EAT-Lancet Healthy Reference Diet (EAT-HRD) and to identify the sociodemographic factors associated with adherence to it. This research is important because current food systems are primary drivers of environmental degradation—accounting for approximately 30% of global greenhouse gas emissions and 70% of freshwater use—while failing to provide healthy, affordable diets for a large portion of the population. In Peru, where agriculture accounts for 80% of freshwater use and dietary patterns are linked to a double burden of nutritional deficiencies and obesity, understanding these disparities is essential for developing sustainable, locally adapted food policies.
To carry out this assessment, we performed a secondary analysis of cross-sectional data from the 2017-2018 National Survey of Food and Nutrition Surveillance by Life Stages (VIANEV). Our study involved a sample of 875 adults aged 18 to 59 years from the Coast, Highlands, and Jungle regions, using 24-hour dietary recall data to analyze their food and beverage intake. We used the Planetary Health Diet Index (PHDI) to quantify adherence; it evaluates 15 dietary components on a scale of 0 to 140 to determine how closely an individual's diet aligns with healthy and sustainable standards.
Our results showed that the mean PHDI score for Peruvian adults was 68.8 out of 140, reflecting generally low adherence to sustainable dietary guidelines. We found a significant imbalance in food consumption: while fruit intake was high, consumption of other plant-based foods, such as nuts and whole grains, was extremely low, and animal-source foods, such as poultry and eggs, reached 250% of recommended levels. Furthermore, our analysis identified that female sex and living in poverty were significantly associated with higher PHDI scores. Finally, we observed marked regional disparities, including excessive tuber consumption in the Highlands (780% of the recommendation) and high meat intake on the Coast.