Image © Dejan Dundjerski/ Shutterstock
Tips and inspiration
- Dropping meat from your diet altogether can be a daunting and unrealistic change. Why not start by saving meat for weekends and eating plant-rich meals during the week? You don’t have to give up your favourites, just have them less often.
- During the week, cook your favourite recipes but swap out the meat and dairy for plant-based substitutes. Swap minced meat for lentils, pulled pork for jackfruit and chicken for tofu.
- This is a great opportunity to try new recipes. Ask your vegan and vegetarian friends to share their favourite recipes and recommend plant-based chefs to follow on social media.
- Give 10-minute dhal, mushroom and lentil lasagne and crispy black bean tacos a go.
- Still craving that meaty taste? Experiment with umami-rich ingredients. Umami provides savoury depth and is one of the five basic tastes along with salty, sweet, sour and bitter. Plant-based sources of umami include dried mushrooms, seaweed, sun-dried tomatoes, soy sauce, miso paste and nutritional yeast.
The big picture
For the same amount of protein, beef produces 25 times more greenhouse gas emissions than tofu and 50 times more than beans.
You won’t be alone in opting for plant-based options. Meat consumption in the UK dropped by 17% between 2008 and 2019.
Sources:
The carbon footprint of foods: Are differences explained by the impacts of methane? Our World in Data
Trends in UK meat consumption, The Lancet, Planetary Health
Image © Creative Nature Media/ Shutterstock
Why is this action beneficial?
Reduce emissions
Plant-based foods produce fewer carbon emissions than meat and dairy. Reducing the amount of meat you eat, even just on weekdays, reduces the environmental impact of your food.
Improve health
Eating more plant-based meals can reduce the risk of heart disease, improve digestion and boost your overall immunity.
Protect nature
Reducing meat consumption helps combat deforestation and habitat destruction caused by industrial farming.
Learn a new skill
Discovering new plant-based recipes teaches you how to prepare new ingredients and gives you the skills swap out meat from more of your everyday meals.
Save money
Plant-based proteins such as beans and lentils are often much cheaper than meat. By adopting a flexitarian diet with low amounts of meat and dairy, you could reduce food costs by 14%.
Beta
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