INTRODUCTION:
A search for academic articles, grey literature, and policy papers on ‘healthy eating’ results in documents that almost exclusively focus on individual dietary intake – i.e., the types of foods or nutrients people should ingest for optimal nutrition. But ‘healthy eating’ is about much more than a healthy diet. It also involves positive behaviors and attitudes towards eating and food1–3. Moreover, eating takes place within a broader food environment that influences individual intake, behaviours, and attitudes4–6. The aim of this study was to examine the evidence regarding the concept of ‘healthy eating’ to produce a more holistic conceptual framework.

METHODS:
This study involved reviewing the academic literature relevant to this broader conceptualization of healthy eating. It also brought together a nine-member expert working group with backgrounds across nutrition, obesity, body image, and eating disorders that provided three rounds of discussion and feedback.

RESULTS:
We found that a strong case can be made to reconceptualize ‘healthy eating’ as comprizing three components: intake (what we eat), behaviors (how we eat), and attitudes (how we think about food and eating), all of which sit within a broader ‘food environment’ that includes social, cultural, and economic factors. This new conceptual framework is presented in Figure 1. [conceptual model here] Figure 1: Healthy eating conceptual framework

CONCLUSIONS:
We argue that any policy or public health campaigns advocating healthy eating should incorporate this broader and more holistic conceptualisation in order to improve population health.