Sustainable diets are a pivotal tool to promote human and planetary health. Yet defining what constitutes a sustainable diet and how to balance animal- and plant-sourced foods, as well as whole and processed foods, still lacks clarity. This session will present practical, evidence-based strategies to support nutritional adequacy while advancing climate and environmental priorities. Sustainable dietary patterns span environmental, social, health, and economic dimensions and must be nutritious, accessible, culturally relevant and scalable, while addressing food insecurity and minimizing ecological harm. At a time of weakened climate targets and rising environmental pressures, health professionals need clear, actionable guidance that aligns nutrition with planetary health. This session examines evidence for health outcomes when shifting protein intake from animal to plant-derived sources, with a focus on protein quality, source and clinical application. Data from randomized trials and large prospective cohorts will be presented, alongside current dietary guidance and recent position statements on vegetarian and vegan diets, including substitution evidence for long-term outcomes. Dietary guidance will be translated into meal-level strategies by building plates that meet protein targets and support key nutrients. Plant-based meat alternatives will be evaluated using an ingredient lens, not just a processed label, and positioned as useful transitional tools within a continuum that prioritizes whole, minimally processed plant foods.
Faculty of Agriculture, Business and Social Sciences
Dalhousie University
Dr. Kathleen Kevany is a social psychologist and specializes in systems analysis for individual and shared well-being. She is a leading authority on food systems to support human, animal, and planetary health. She has co-edited the world’s definitive guide on policies and practices for sustainable diets. As a certified Psychotherapist, for over a decade she ran her own counselling and consulting firm, the Decentralization Intelligence Agency. As a Professor at Dalhousie University's Faculty of Agriculture, Kathleen advances the global Sustainable Development Goals and Canada’s calls to action of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. She is working to help shift practices for greater sustainability for current and future generations. Kathleen is a geek for science – for data driven decision making informed by sensibility and humanity.