Introducing the Nourishment Table: A New Dietary Framework
Empowering Consumers and Grounding Food Policy in Science
Brussels, Belgium: In response to rising health challenges and conflicting dietary advice, a group of leading scientists led by Professor Frederic Leroy of Vrije Universiteit Brussels, has today launched the Nourishment Table - a pioneering framework designed to empower individuals to make informed, personalized food choices while helping to guide developing food policies. Grounded in rigorous evidence and focused on two essential indicators - nutrient density and food processing levels - the Nourishment Table is a flexible, science-driven tool that goes beyond today’s one-size-fits-all dietary guidelines.
A Shift from ‘Healthy Diet’ to ‘Adequate Nourishment’
Conventional advice on “healthy eating” has often fallen short in guiding global populations toward better diets. While consumers in wealthier nations are overwhelmed by food choices, they increasingly rely on ultra-processed foods (UPFs), which are linked to higher risks of health issues such as obesity and metabolic disorders. Despite the prevalence of food choice in high-income areas, the United Nations reports that one in three people globally cannot afford a nutritionally adequate diet, a critical reminder that “healthy diet” guidelines are not achievable for all.
According to recent studies, UPFs, often marketed as health-conscious options, contain high levels of artificial additives, fats and sugars, and, which in combination contribute to overconsumption and adverse health outcomes. Ironically, these foods are sometimes promoted under sustainability or dietary labels, adding to consumer confusion. The Nourishment Table challenges this by promoting a richer concept: “adequate nourishment,” which offers greater flexibility across cultures and economic conditions, while focusing on nutrient quality over mere dietary labels.
The Need for a Common-Sense Framework
As global entities and governments push the “Great Food Transformation” toward plant-based diets, the Nourishment Table advocates for a balanced approach rooted in individual choice, local cultural values, and economic realities. For many populations, for instance in countries like Pakistan, Egypt, and Mexico, diets low in animal-sourced foods lead to high rates of nutrient deficiencies and appear associated with diseases like Type 2 diabetes, which strengthens the need for dietary guidance that prioritizes health and nutrient density.
“Adequate nourishment is more than just a ‘healthy diet’—it’s a practical, scientifically-backed approach to understanding the foods that meet our physiological needs,” said Frederic Leroy of Vrije Universiteit Brussels, the main author of the Nourishment Table. “We aim to provide a framework that respects individual choice, making it easier for consumers to make nourishing food selections in their daily lives.”
Nourishment Table: Practical, Evidence-Based Guidance
The Nourishment Table uses two simple but powerful indicators: nutrient density (the ratio of essential nutrients like protein and micronutrients to energy content) and the level of food processing. Evidence supports that diets with a minimum of 25-30% of calories from animal-sourced foods—like meats, dairy, fish and eggs—can support optimal health outcomes. Moderate processing methods, such as fermenting or drying, are also encouraged as they enhance nutrient availability while preserving food appeal and shelf-life.
The Nourishment Table’s recommendations aim to create a “sweet spot” for nutrition, advocating for a core diet based on medium- to high-nutrient-density foods with low or moderate processing levels. This approach is versatile enough to cater to various needs, from traditional diets to specialized populations such as young children, pregnant women, and older adults, and can be adapted for cultural and geographical contexts.
Two Complementary Forms
The Nourishment Table is presented in two complementary forms: the “principle-based version,” as well as the “illustrative version.”
- Principle-Based Version is a high-level framework which introduces the core principles of nourishment, focusing on the balance between nutrient density and processing. It does not delve into specific dietary patterns, but instead offers a conceptual foundation to explore what constitutes optimal nourishment.
- Illustrative Version: Complementing the principle-based framework, the illustrative version provides real-world examples by highlighting historical and contemporary dietary patterns. These examples, positioned on the table according to their nutrient density and processing levels, provide practical insight without prescribing specific diets. They illustrate how different approaches to food can support or undermine nourishment, helping audiences relate theory to familiar eating habits.
Empowering Consumers and Informing Policy
The Nourishment Table is more than a dietary guide: it is a call for action to policymakers to follow grounded, science-backed food policies that align with sustainability goals without sacrificing nutritional quality. By prioritizing nutrient density and food processing levels, the framework empowers consumers worldwide to make better-informed decisions, cutting through the noise of polarized food debates.
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*GLOSSARY OF DIETS ‘Rich’ = High Income Population / ‘Poor’ = Low Income Population
‘Rich’ = High Income Population / ‘Poor’ = Low Income Population
Large Diversity of ancestral & traditional Diets:
Large number of variations of diets that are found on every continent. These diets prioritize nutrient dense foods from animals and/ or vegetables in a main dish, with starch additions from either grains, tubers or beans for energy. Little or no sugar or processed seed oil utilization. Fruits and nuts may also be common, depending on the region. Wide variety of traditional processing methods, but no food transformation towards ultra-processing.
Grains, sugars & seed oils-based, min animal:
Slightly more expensive diet than the minimum cost diet of only grains-based. Geared for more eating pleasure generated by sugars and oils. Leads not only to stunting but also to metabolic diseases such as diabetes, CVD, depression, certains cancers.
Vegan orthorexic:
A starvation diet that reduces body functions and is used as weight loss and psychological self-control method. It may serve as a smokescreen for orthorexia nervosa or anorexia nervosa. Can have severe long-term negative health consequences, and can be highly dangerous during pregnancy.
Grains-based, min animal:
Typical minimum cost diets for supplying enough calories but not enough nutrients in low-income populations. This diet compromises cognitive and physical development, especially in the young. Besides being deficient in important micronutrients and essential fatty acids, the low protein quality is a major concern (for instance for healthy aging).
Early neolithic:
The agricultural neolithic revolution 12000 years ago led to a relatively secure supply of grains-based calories. But the lost skills of hunting and gathering led to severe nutrient deficiency.
Raw vegan:
Based on raw vegetables and fruits, and for that reason suffering from low nutrient bioavailabilty and potential issues with antinutritional factors and plant toxins. Also tends to be energetically deficient. Very risky for vulnerable groups with elevated needs.
Western with UPF/convenience foods:
Hyper palatable, quasi- addictive overriding satiety foods leading to overeating, and paralleling an increased risk of chronic diseases. Plus, there is concern about the excessive use of additives (emulsifiers, colorants, preservatives, sweeteners, …) which may potentially have long term negative health effects.
Wholefoods plant-based:
Usually avoidance of any animal products. Requires culinary skill to extract nutrients from a variety of vegetables through advanced processing skills. Not suitable for women (iron deficiency), or mentally stressful life situations (students, modern work life).
Vegetarian:
Same as ancestral, but without certain groups of animal foods, usually excluding (red) meat. Requires more culinary skill, may need more financial resources and less suitable for some people with elevated needs (ill, old, young, pregnant, lactating, genetically vulnerable).
Late neolithic & Bronze Age:
When sophisticated breeding techniques were applied to animals and crops around 6000 years ago, this brought back required nutrients to the neolithic and subsequent diets. Especially decisive was the introduction of secondary animal products (milk, eggs, wool). Only on that basis was it possible that urban culture civilization could unfold.
Vegantech & supplements:
Largely based on ultraprocessed foods with ample supplementation but unclear nutrient bioavailability profile and unknown long-term effects on metabolic health.
Keto or low-carb:
Usually based on nutrient-dense foods from both animal and plant origin, but minimizing carbohydrates and avoiding starchy staples and sugary foods. Often used therapeutically in the case of chronic diseases. In most cases based on minimally or moderately processed foods, but some keto version of UPFs exist.
Paleo:
The Paleo diet emphasizes eating whole, unprocessed foods similar to those available to our Palaeolithic ancestors, such as meats, fish, vegetables, fruits, nuts, and seeds. It minimizes modern agricultural products like grains, legumes, and refined sugars, and, usually, dairy. Although Paleo meals are narrow, modern interpretations of human evolutionary diets, they may promote better metabolic health, including improved blood sugar control and reduced inflammation. Variations, such as Paleo-Keto or Carnivore, are more restrictive but may offer tailored approaches for individual needs.
For more information on the Nourishment Table, please visit: www.nourish-yourchoice.org/
Contact: info[at]nourish-yourchoice.org