Previous research, including several meta-analyses, have reported on associations of red meat and vegetable consumption with health, but questions remain regarding the strength of the evidence. In this issue of Nature Medicine, Lescinsky et al.1 and Stanaway et al.2 applied a new meta-analysis approach to evaluate the evidence on the respective associations of red meat and vegetable consumption and the risks for several major health outcomes. For unprocessed red meat, they concluded that there is weak evidence for higher risks of ischemic heart disease (IHD), type 2 diabetes, and colorectal and breast cancer with higher consumption.1 For vegetable intake, moderate evidence for protection was reported for ischemic stroke, and weak evidence of a protective effect was reported for IHD, hemorrhagic stroke and esophageal cancer2. The findings are broadly in support of national dietary guidelines, such as the Eatwell guide3 in the UK, to limit red meat and increase vegetable intake.