The Sustainable Livestock Intergroup encourages moving beyond the idea of food as merely a source of calories, instead focusing on nutritional quality and real human needs.

In recent decades, the debate on nutrition has become both more intense and more confusing. Amid diets and conflicting recommendations, there is a growing need to move beyond viewing food as a simple source of energy and adopt a more comprehensive approach that considers its role in health and quality of life. This is the message of the guide “Guide for Professionals to Complete Human Nourishment” by the Sustainable Livestock Intergroup, which proposes a shift in perspective: food is not just fuel, but the foundation of human health and social development. Adequate nutrition, therefore, cannot be assessed solely in terms of calories or sustainability, but must also include nutritional quality, bioavailability, and the ability to meet real physiological needs.

Beyond calories: the concept of nourishment

For a long time, nutrition has been interpreted mainly in terms of the energy provided by food. While this approach made sense in times of scarcity, it is no longer sufficient to explain the rise in obesity, metabolic disorders, and chronic diseases. From a caloric perspective, meeting human energy needs is relatively simple: even foods rich in refined carbohydrates can provide enough energy. A diet can therefore be adequate in terms of calories, yet still lacking in essential nutrients.

This makes it crucial to distinguish between energy and nourishment. Not all calories have the same value: foods with identical energy content can have very different effects on health. What truly matters is the presence of high-quality proteins, vitamins, minerals, essential fatty acids, and bioactive compounds. For this reason, the concept of “nutrient density” becomes important, meaning the amount of essential nutrients relative to calories. An effective diet should be built first on nutritional needs and only afterwards completed in terms of energy intake.

The three pillars of the “Nourishment Table”

To navigate an increasingly complex food landscape, the guide introduces the “Nourishment Table”, a model based on three dimensions: nutrient density, the level of food processing, and alignment with human evolutionary needs. It does not propose a single diet, but rather a flexible framework: the most effective dietary patterns combine nutrient-rich foods, minimally or moderately processed, and compatible with human biology. Many traditional diets naturally fall within this “green zone,” showing that it is possible to eat in a balanced way without rigid rules.

Within this framework, proteins play a central role. They are not just macronutrients but also essential components of tissue renewal, satiety, and metabolic regulation. Quality is crucial: animal proteins are generally more bioavailable (i.e., more easily absorbed by the body), while plant proteins require greater attention to combinations and quantities. In addition, foods rich in animal proteins often also provide essential micronutrients.

The role of animal-source foods

One of the most debated topics in modern nutrition concerns animal-source foods. The guide offers an evidence-based perspective: meat, fish, eggs, and dairy are among the most nutrient-dense foods, providing high-quality proteins and highly bioavailable micronutrients. They also supply nutrients that are difficult to obtain exclusively from plant sources, such as vitamin B12, heme iron, zinc, iodine, choline, and long-chain omega-3 fatty acids.

In Europe, around 80% of bioavailable protein comes from animal sources, a figure that reflects not only cultural habits but also a biological alignment with human nutritional needs. The guide also notes that the evidence linking unprocessed red meat to chronic diseases is generally weak, while its nutritional benefits are well documented. Complete exclusion of animal foods therefore requires careful planning, particularly for children, the elderly, and pregnant women.

The real issue: the over-industrialisation of food

Food processing is not inherently negative: techniques such as cooking, fermentation, and drying have made food safer and more digestible, contributing to human development. The problem arises when foods are broken down and industrially reassembled into ultra-processed products, rich in additives, flavourings, and added sugars.

Highly palatable snacks and packaged foods tend to disrupt appetite regulation and metabolic responses, increasing the risk of overeating and chronic disorders. The main issue in modern nutrition is therefore not a single food item, but the overall structure of the diet. The widespread consumption of ultra-processed foods, low in nutrients and high in “empty” calories, has contributed to rising obesity and chronic diseases, often replacing more nutrient-dense traditional foods.

Evolution and “food wisdom”

Understanding nutrition also requires an evolutionary perspective. For millions of years, the human diet has been based on minimally processed animal and plant foods rich in nutrients, which have contributed to brain development and shaped human metabolism. Traditional diets, although diverse, share a common feature: the integration of both animal and plant food sources.

From this perspective emerges the value of “food wisdom”: a practical knowledge developed over time that has enabled populations to combine foods in nutritionally effective ways even without scientific understanding. This is reflected in the use of whole foods, seasonality, the consumption of all parts of the animal, and techniques such as fermentation and slow cooking. Rather than replacing these traditions with rigid rules, modern nutrition should integrate their principles with scientific knowledge.

Towards conscious nutrition

In an increasingly complex food environment, there is a need to return to a simpler yet scientifically grounded approach. This does not mean following ideological diets, but rather developing a more conscious relationship with food grounded in knowledge, culture, and common sense. Prioritising real, minimally processed foods, ensuring an adequate intake of protein and essential nutrients, and including a balanced mix of plant and animal foods are key principles for effective nutrition. In this way, it is possible to avoid a more subtle form of malnutrition: one hidden within diets that may appear abundant but are actually poor in essential nutrients.