Swiss meat and dairy intake exceeds recommendations by up to 850%
A study published in BMC Global and Public Health assessed how closely Swiss diets matched the EAT-Lancet Planetary Health Diet. The researchers used data from the 2014–2015 national menuCH nutrition survey, covering 2,057 adults aged between 16 and 75.
Meat other than poultry showed the greatest excess. Participants consumed, on average, the equivalent of 850% of the Planetary Health Diet’s recommended daily amount. Dairy intake was 363% of the guideline.
Several plant-based food groups were consumed well below the diet’s reference levels. Legumes accounted for 4% of the recommended amount, while unsaturated oils reached 39%. Consumption was closest to the recommendations for grains, at 96%, and fish and seafood, at 103%.
The analysis found that women followed the plant-rich dietary pattern more closely than men. The researchers wrote that Swiss consumption exceeded the diet’s benchmarks, especially for meat and dairy, while legumes were eaten in insufficient quantities. They said that eating more plant-based food would bring diets closer to the health and environmental objectives of the Planetary Health Diet.
The authors cautioned that the underlying survey was conducted before the substantial expansion of plant-based diets during the past decade, particularly among younger people. They said the findings might therefore not describe Swiss lifestyles in 2026.
Other recent research has examined the possible effects of greater legume consumption. A May study reported a “probable causal relationship” between eating legumes and a lower risk of hypertension. Another report said that doubling European fava-bean consumption by 2040 could reduce annual healthcare costs by about €42m, as well as lowering pesticide use and carbon-dioxide emissions.
Switzerland also introduced labelling rules for foods made from animals when their production involves painful procedures. The requirements, covering products including meat, eggs and milk, took effect on July 1st 2025 and have a two-year transition period.
