The Netherlands has updated its national dietary guidelines, calling for lower consumption of meat and cheese and a higher intake of legumes.
On Thursday (9 April), the Netherlands Nutrition Centre presented the revised “wheel of five”, insisting the changes were based on “recent scientific insights” and translated into “optimal eating patterns based on age, gender, and food preferences”.
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The core structure remains the same, with an emphasis on plenty of vegetables, fruit, legumes and whole-grain products, as well as limited salt, saturated fat, and sugar.
The main changes concern recommended quantities, with legumes moving to the forefront.
For adults aged 18-50 who consume both meat and fish, the agency recommends increasing weekly legume intake from 120-180 grams to 250 grams.
Meat intake should fall from a maximum of 500 grams to 300 grams per week, with no more than 100 grams of that being red meat.
The advised amount of cheese has been halved from 40 grams to 20 grams per day, and consumers are urged to alternate between dairy and fortified dairy alternatives.
Dutch food-industry trade organisation FNLI welcomed the overhaul.
“This can help consumers make choices that take into account a balance between animal- and plant-based options. FNLI is happy to continue the dialogue with all relevant stakeholders on what this means for the food supply and its practical applicability.”
Meanwhile, in a LinkedIn post, Anna-Lena Klapp, the head of research at the NGO ProVeg International, said: “These changes reflect a broader European trend: a clear move towards more plant-rich dietary recommendations that align health and sustainability goals.”
The Netherlands Nutrition Centre developed the new recommendations in cooperation with the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM).
Their calculations considered nutritional needs, energy requirements and disease risk, as well as greenhouse gas emissions, water use and exposure to harmful substances such as PFAS and heavy metals.
Petra Verhoef, the director at the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, said: “Health, sustainability, and food safety are inextricably linked. We demonstrate this with the updated food pyramid.
“All calculated dietary patterns are as healthy as possible, have a low environmental impact, and take safe limits into account. In this way, we take good care not only of ourselves, but also of the world around us and of future generations.”
