A group of international nutrition scientists led by Brigham Young University professor Karen Della Corte has developed a new International Food Guide Pyramid aimed at bridging dietary advice across different cultures. The guide, which emphasizes plant-based foods and carbohydrate quality, was published in the journal Advances in Nutrition on Sept. 23, 2026.
Global Scientific Collaboration
The development of the new guide, which was first reported by BYU News on Oct. 22, 2026, involved 22 prominent nutrition scientists from around the world. Della Corte, a nutritional science professor at BYU, led the group in synthesizing evidence from more than 250 scientific publications and drawing upon the EAT-Lancet Planetary Health Diet to identify shared principles of healthy eating.
Cross-Cultural Comparison
To create the guide, Della Corte worked with the International Carbohydrate Quality Consortium to compare national and regional dietary guidelines from several regions, including Canada, Germany, Australia, China, the Netherlands, the United States, and the Nordic countries. This effort sought to find common ground in a landscape where dietary guidance typically varies by country.
Core Dietary Guidelines
The research highlights three primary guidelines for a healthy diet: making plant foods the foundation, choosing healthier sources of fat and protein, and prioritizing carbohydrate quality. The pyramid places vegetables, fruits, and whole, low-glycemic-index grains at its base while emphasizing plant-based proteins and oils.
Nutrient Quality and Health
The pyramid specifically recommends limiting refined grains, processed meats, and sugary drinks. It also makes a distinction between saturated fats—found in foods like butter, cream, and fatty meats—and unsaturated fats. According to Della Corte, replacing saturated fats with unsaturated fats, particularly those from plant oils, can improve long-term cardiovascular health.
Adaptability and Tradition
The research emphasizes that the pyramid is designed to be adaptable to various diets, including vegetarian and vegan options, and does not exclude animal foods. The guide also highlights that healthy eating can align with traditional dietary patterns such as Mediterranean and Nordic diets, as well as vegetarian diets.
Focus on Carbohydrate Quality
Della Corte noted that the pyramid focuses on the quality of carbohydrates rather than just the quantity consumed. Because quality depends on factors like fiber content, processing, food structure, and the glycemic index—which measures how foods affect blood glucose—the guide prioritizes high-quality carbohydrate sources. Della Corte suggested that people should choose the best-quality carbohydrates available in their local environments, noting that staples like durum pasta, basmati rice, tortillas, rice noodles, and bulgur can all fit into a healthy diet due to their low to moderate glycemic index.
Planetary Health Impacts: Environmental and Mortality Risks: 15 million deaths annually, reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from livestock farming, and alignment with the EAT-Lancet Planetary Health Diet goals.
The environmental impact of dietary choices was also a central theme. David Jenkins of the University of Toronto, the creator of the glycemic index, stated that diets must consider both human health and the health of the planet. The EAT-Lancet Commission suggests that adopting a healthy, plant-forward diet could prevent approximately 15 million premature deaths each year and could reduce greenhouse gas emissions and other environmental impacts associated with livestock farming.
