Brand story · 2025
"What shall we eat today?" With our food choices, we decide on our health and the future of the planet
English translation of the original Estonian article. Original headline: „Mida me täna sööme?“ Toiduvalikuga otsustame oma tervise ja planeedi tuleviku üle
Every day we are accompanied by one and the same question: "What shall we eat today?" But this simple sentence hides much more than the everyday worry of a full stomach. It is the knot that ties together our personal wellbeing, the health of our loved ones and the future of our planet. At Lidl, we are clearly aware of this issue and understand that food choices are not merely personal preferences, and that as one of Europe's largest retail chains, we have a major role to play. These are important decisions with which each of us can contribute to a better tomorrow.
What are the basic truths of healthy eating?
Promoting conscious eating should be the basis of every company responsibly handling food, combining tasty and healthy choices with the sustainable use of resources. It is important to pay attention to a balanced diet that includes:
- whole grains, which give long-lasting energy,
- rich plant-based protein sources, which nourish the body and are environmentally friendly,
- fresh fruit and vegetables – nature's gifts bursting with sunshine,
- products with reduced sugar and salt content.
More and more nutritionists and advocates of sustainable consumption emphasise the importance of a plant-based diet. Feeding and watering animals has a large environmental footprint; no one can deny that. A study published by PLOS (Public Library of Science) at the end of May found that more than 60% of the world's vegetarians and vegans were under 35, and their reasons are increasingly linked to the wish to contribute to protecting animals and the climate and to environmental conservation. These numbers show that this trend is here to stay, and that is why Lidl is also placing ever more emphasis on developing vegan products under its Vemondo brand.
Healthy choices can be made with a very simple system.
When choosing food with your body's wellbeing in mind, the biggest challenge is finding the necessary information about a product's composition and making decisions accordingly. To make more informed choices easier, the Nutri-Score label helps – it can be found, for example, on the packaging of many products sold at Lidl. All you have to do is look at the coloured symbols of the five-step scale on the product's packaging, which convey nutritional information in a simplified way and are especially useful when choosing a healthier alternative among products in the same group.
To form the grade shown on the Nutri-Score label, a product's sugar, salt and saturated fat are taken into account as negative factors, and its fibre, protein and share of fruit and vegetables, legumes and nuts as positive factors. Green A and B labels on packaging send a clear signal towards the healthier choice, while an E on a red background marks the least healthy options.
Since it has been scientifically proven that packaging design greatly influences purchase decisions, retail chains can support their customers in making better choices. Children are especially open to all kinds of influence, which is why Lidl has set itself the goal of gradually ending the advertising of unhealthy products to the younger age group (with the exception of major holidays). The packaging of sweet products has also been made less tempting for the youngest consumers.
"What shall we eat today?" is a more important question than it first seems.
When it comes to looking after your health, the goal is simple: eat more healthily. Lidl takes this a step further and calls on people to eat more consciously. This means that, in addition to healthiness, the environmental impact is also taken into account when choosing products, to reduce the footprint associated with food production. With its Conscious Eating strategy, Lidl wants to involve different target groups and age groups, because creating a better tomorrow needs everyone's contribution.
As food production is the main cause of the decline of many ecosystems, a guide to planet-friendly eating was developed together with WWF. Livestock farming is known to be one of the largest sources of greenhouse gases globally and covers vast areas of farmland.
For example, producing one kilogram of beef takes considerably more land and water than growing the same amount of plant protein (lentils, beans and the like). Huge land use, plus the methane produced by ruminants and the pollution of intensive agriculture, leaves a deep and painful mark on the planet. Considering that, according to the National Institute for Health Development, Estonians consume almost three times more meat than would actually be good for our health, we should reduce meat consumption for the sake of our health too.
The PHD (Planetary Health Diet), created by the world's leading independent scientists, recommends a predominantly plant-based diet so that the growing world population can continue to be fed healthily and sustainably.
"Increasing attractive plant-based options helps reduce meat consumption, which in turn eases the environmental impact of food production," said Liis Kiviloo, responsible business specialist at Lidl Estonia.
Every age group has its own principles when choosing food.
A healthy and sustainable lifestyle can be learned, and it must be promoted at every age. At Lidl, we support various initiatives and movements so that knowledge of healthy and conscious consumption reaches every age group.
Our new cooperation with Tallinn Mustamäe State Gymnasium is an excellent example: we offer the school community free fruit on Fridays, support youth sports events with healthy snacks and sponsor a series of lectures on nutrition, sleep and exercise. We believe habits are formed at an early age.
We also care very much about the older age group. That is why we took part in the Seniors' Festival, where nutrition consultant Teele Tiidt shared her knowledge of wholesome and sustainable eating for older people. "With age, our body's needs change – metabolism changes, muscle mass decreases and in some cases the absorption of nutrients also deteriorates. That is why a wholesome diet is especially important for older people: it helps maintain vitality, strengthen health and preserve mental wellbeing," Tiidt points out the importance of age-specific nutrition.
We also inspire healthy food choices in cooperation with athletes. Last year Lidl supported the Estonian calisthenics championships and cup competitions. These impressive athletes set an example of an active lifestyle and conscious eating, inspiring people to move and practise healthy eating habits, which in turn supports Lidl's goals in promoting Estonians' health.
What is sustainable eating?
Sustainable eating means choices that are good for health and the environment: favour seasonal and local produce, reduce meat consumption and choose plant-based protein sources more often, such as beans, lentils and chickpeas. By preferring wholegrain foods to refined grain products, you can contribute to your health and to protecting the environment, because eating wholegrain products not only supports health but also helps reduce greenhouse gases. To reduce food waste, plan your meals and use all edible parts of food: for example, put both the broccoli florets and the stalks in your soup.
At Lidl, we are glad of our commitment to creating positive change. The products on our shelves and the projects we take part in are part of our broader mission: to help create a better and more sustainable future. We understand our important role in shaping consumers' food preferences.
By caring about what we eat today – by making healthy and environmentally friendly choices – we are actually caring about the future and the generations to come. This is close to our hearts, and we invite everyone to think this way with us.