Food is the strongest lever to heal both people and the planet.
Plants Earth Life (PEL) is accelerating a global shift toward the Planetary Health Diet—rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds, and low in animal products and processed foods. We translate this science-based pattern into the modern, practical, and powerful PEL Diet, defined simply as a predominantly whole-food, plant-based way of eating.
Within this framework, PEL-85 refers to diets that are mostly whole-food, plant-based (about 85%), realistic and sustainable for daily life, while PEL-100 represents a fully whole-food, plant-based diet that maximizes health and environmental benefits.
This way of eating has been shown to extend human life, protect cognitive function, and reduce the risk of heart disease, cancer, and dementia—while also cutting greenhouse gas emissions by roughly half or more and helping preserve the ecosystems that sustain us.
PEL helps people, organizations, and communities move from knowledge to change—translating decades of nutrition, medical, and environmental research into practical steps individuals, health systems, and communities can take. We make the science actionable.
1. We educate and advocate
We make the evidence clear and accessible — through our Science Hub and Education & Advocacy work — in classrooms, communities, and global health conferences. We show how food is medicine for people and for the Earth.
Longevity and the Evidence
Longevity: Stacking the Odds for a Long, Healthy Life
Environment
The Environment: The PEL Diet Heals the Planet
2. We Catalyze Change Through Activator Projects
We fund and co-design pioneering projects that bring the Planetary Health Diet to life — right now.
From hospital gardens in Liberia, to child nutrition programs in Cambodia, to fruit-and-vegetable prescription programs on the Navajo Nation, our Activator Projects prove that what heals our bodies can also heal our planet. Food is medicine. Food is justice. Empowering people to grow, access, and share the foods that sustain life itself.
3. Guide Personal Transformation
Through the 90-Day PEL Challenge, individuals can experience how powerful a plant-rich diet can be.
We advocate for the PEL Diet — our modern evolution of the Planetary Health Diet.
PEL-100: 100% whole-food, plant-based — the most powerful step for vitality and impact.
PEL-85: At least 85% whole-food, plant-based — allowing limited, high-quality animal foods.
PEL-50: At least 50% whole-food, plant-based — not as strong benefits for the PEL-85/PEL-100, but a significant improvement over the average american diet.
Each bite shapes our future — nourishing our bodies, restoring the Earth, and reclaiming a vibrant life. We partner with Diet ID to help guide personal transition.
Learn more about the 90-Day PEL Challenge and Diet ID →
Transform Your Health in Minutes — On Us
Ready to take a simple, science-based look at your eating habits?
Through our partnership with Diet ID, you can get your personalized “diet vital sign” in under two minutes. Skip the PEL 90-Day Challenge and get Diet ID through signing up for our newsletter, no subscriptions and no fees.
4 Join the Movement
PEL is growing a coalition of health professionals, researchers, environmentalists, and community leaders united by one mission: to make the Planetary Health Diet the new global norm.
Be part of the movement. Add your name to a growing global community that believes in the power of plants. Sign up for updates, newsletters, resources, and ways to take action.”
Every forkful is a vote—for biodiversity, for climate stability, and for lives lived longer and free of disease. Join us in the great food revolution
Why It Matters
The production of animal-based and ultra-processed foods is destroying ecosystems and driving climate change, while fueling an epidemic of chronic disease.
Yet the solution is within reach — shifting toward plant-forward diets can prevent millions of deaths each year and secure a livable, prosperous future for all.
By promoting plant-rich, whole-food dietary patterns early — alongside active living and prevention-focused policies — communities can leapfrog the NCD crisis and build a healthier, more sustainable future.
Our team of doctors, nurses, researchers, and global health leaders is committed to scaling this transition — starting in communities where it can have the greatest impact.