Support and Call for the Healthy Diet Basket Version 2.0

To survive, some populations depend on "animal-sourced foods" and "oils and fats," yet humans thrive on low-fat, whole-food, vegan nutrition-that is, they are healthier, more disease resistant, and have longer life and health spans. Vegan nutrition is little reflected in national food-based dietary guidelines (FBDGs), which are increasingly informed by politico-corporate interests, and variable interests of national food guide advisors. A composite of FBDGs informs the 6 food groups of the United Nations/Food and Agriculture Organization, World Health Organization-endorsed Healthy Diet Basket (HDB). The HDB is used as a healthy diet standard and food security index and reported to be a valid global standard consistent with all aspects of a healthy diet and pillars of sustainability and low environmental impact. Yet, when compared with whole-food vegan nutrition, these claims are unsupported. Thus, the HDB version 2.0 warrants being aligned only with science with elimination of 2 of its 6 food groups-namely, "animal-sourced foods" and "oils and fats"-and shoring up the other 4 groups-namely, starchy foods; vegetables; fruits; and legumes, nuts and seeds. This commentary serves as an urgent call to action by unbiased, global food policymakers, nutrition science communities, and health professionals to translate only evidence-based research when constructing unbiased FBDGs.