AbstractIn the discussion about food and the environment, most focus is on climate and nutrients. Food in relation to human health is an issue that gets much less attention. But what is healthy food and how can we couple food, health, and the environment more strongly to reach a more integral approach from a system perspective? Here I will discuss the potential of a nature-based food system in relation to health and wellbeing. It is hypothesized that for a healthy diet, both nutritious food and nature-based foods are essential. Nature-based foods contribute to maintaining a healthy human microbiome and are therefore an essential part of diets containing landless and ultra-processed foods. Furthermore, maintaining the essential microbiology has consequences for how and where we produce our foods. Therefore, a conceptual framework is proposed for nature-based food production.