Summary One of the most widely discussed reports addressing sustainable food production and healthy diets is Food in the Anthropocene: the EAT‐Lancet Commission on Healthy Diets from Sustainable Food Systems (EAT‐Lancet) launched in January 2019. The report is stated to be based on best available science but unfortunately the methodology applied is not transparent or in alignment with certain scientific standards. The diet prescribed by EAT‐Lancet is based on health considerations alone, before looking at certain environmental aspects, but no description is given as to how the very specific intake levels for each food were set. The diet is especially restrictive for animal sourced foods, even though evidence‐based dietary guidelines in many countries have concluded that these foods can be part of a health‐promoting diet. Furthermore, an independent review has found several flaws and weaknesses in the report. EAT‐Lancet also fails to account for national differences in natural opportunities for food production. Implementation of their recommendations will make many countries more reliant on imports which contrast with the recommendations by the FAO and the IPCC. Taking these issues into account warrants caution before taking on trust the recommendations by EAT‐Lancet into business and policy.