What could the healthiest meal in the world look like? A tailor-made menu developed by researchers, or an ultra-colorful vegetable bowl seen in online videos? The question is intriguing because it promises a shortcut: a single dish to nourish both the body and longevity.
American dietitian Nisha Melvani, a Columbia graduate and vegan chef, seems to have found the recipe. In her YouTube video, she introduces it as “the healthiest meal on the planet“.
Guacamole and purple sweet potato: a seductive vegetable duo
Her plate is relatively simple at first glance: a roasted purple sweet potato, covered with guacamole prepared in five minutes with avocado, tahini, garlic and especially edamame, these young soy beans rich in protein and fiber. Nisha Melvani explains her approach: “Maybe it’s the approaching middle age…or just the scientist in me. As a vegan dietitian, I’m on a mission to create meals that are both delicious and beneficial, which support longevity and extend healthy lifespans. And this edamame guacamole is the perfect example: it’s full of good things“, she confides in a YouTube video, taken up by the journal Plant Based News.
A mixture accompanied by purple sweet potato, particularly rich in antioxidants and anthocyanins, pigments known for their protective effects on the brain, the heart and for their role in reducing inflammation. The whole thing offers an excellent supply of vegetable proteins, fiber and antioxidants, while remaining moderate in calories.
“It’s not just a health issue.” summarizes Nisha Melvani. “Food should also bring pleasure — and I really like this dish.”
A major rival: the “scientific” menu from Leatherhead Food Research
Long before this vegan recipe, the British Institute Leatherhead Food Research had already imagined another “healthiest meal in the world”. Under the direction of researcher Paul Berryman, more than 4,000 health claims were analyzed, of which 222 were selected to compose a complete menu: a smoked salmon terrine accompanied by green salad and olive oil, multigrain bread, a chicken stew with lentils and vegetables, then a dessert made from yogurt, nuts and sugar-free caramel.
This menu relies on omega-3 from salmon, lean protein from chicken, fiber from lentils and whole grains, probiotics from yogurt, as well as unsaturated fats from nuts. Many nutritionists see it as a theoretical model, to be adapted according to age, activity level and food preferences. Conversely, the meal proposed by Nisha Melvani offers a 100% plant-based alternative, particularly rich in fiber and antioxidants, but devoid of fermented products.
What these candidates for the healthiest meal on the planet really have in common
Behind these two “healthiest meal in the world“, we find the same basis: lots of plants, proteins, starchy foods rich in fiber, unsaturated fats and few ultra-processed foods.
A plate inspired by Nisha Melvani can come close: roasted sweet potato, edamame mixed with avocado, garlic, tahini and lemon, accompanied by a green salad, then, for dessert, a natural — or vegetable — yogurt garnished with a few nuts.