These Simple Foods Can Significantly Reduce Your Environmental Impact

A few years ago, on a long drive from San Diego to Davis, I decided to switch to vegan cold turkey. I was on my way to my alma mater where I was going to study environmental science; the closer I got, the harder it was to shake off the feeling that I would be hypocritical if I did anything else, given the staggering environmental impact of a meat diet . Indeed, according to the University of California, vegan diets have a much smaller carbon footprint than the average American diet. But you don’t need to make such drastic changes if you want to limit the environmental impact of what you eat: A new UCLA study published in the journal Nutrients suggests that adopting a so-called “Mediterranean diet” may reduce carbon emissions. emissions are significant, if not on the same level as a vegan diet, but it may be even more efficient than a “climatarian” lifestyle (i.e., someone who shops locally, seasonally, and buys products). In other words, you can make changes for the good of the planet without rethinking your entire lifestyle. Here’s how to do it.

How much does what you put on your plate affect climate change?

According to a study by the University of California at Los Angeles, 26% of the total greenhouse gas emissions in the United States come from the production and consumption of food. By comparison, according to the EPA , all cars in the US account for only about 22% of our emissions.

So the choices we make when deciding what to eat can really make a difference – if all 80% of Americans on the Standard American Diet change their habits and eat less animal products, even if just a few times a week, the difference may be significant. All of these people switched to a more climate-friendly diet — an admittedly difficult task — the climate impact would be about the same as if they drove 1.34 trillion fewer miles a day , according to the study. Comparing the standard daily American diet with the Mediterranean diet, the study found that the carbon costs of the former are equivalent to walking 6.5 to 20 miles a day, compared to 5.4 miles for the latter—a reduction of 17 to 73 percent.

How can I reduce my carbon footprint by choosing food?

To reduce your carbon footprint with minimal effort, simply eat less beef and lamb. You don’t have to cut them out of your diet entirely – any reduction in your daily intake of beef or lamb will greatly reduce the climate cost of what you eat, as the “carbon cost” of that product is 50% higher.

Red meat has a large carbon footprint due to the sheer amount of land and water required to raise animals, not to mention the methane they release when they burp and fart. According to a study by a UC Davis team , a serving of beef releases about 330 grams of carbon, which is comparable to driving a car three miles away.

Here’s how a serving of other foods performed in the study:

• A serving of chicken contains 52 grams of carbon, which is the equivalent of a car ride of about half a mile.
• The fish weighs 40 grams, or about 0.36 driving miles.
• Vegetables 14 grams or about 0.13 miles.
• A lentil is equal to 2 grams or about 0.02 miles (about 100 feet).

As you can see , red meat has a huge impact on emissions compared to other foods. According to the report of the Environmental Working Group (p. 19), even eating pork will cut emissions by more than three times compared to beef and more than four times compared to lamb.

How to switch to a climate-friendly diet

If you think that following a specific diet will make eating easier for the climate, consider the Mediterranean diet. Already popular for its health benefits, this diet can offer a lot of variety without the inclusion of red meat. Here’s a brief overview of what sticking to the Mediterranean diet looks like , from Lifehacker Senior Editor Beth Skwarecki. And, according to Healthline, here’s the variety of food included :

• Vegetables: Tomatoes, broccoli, cabbage, spinach, onions, cauliflower, carrots, Brussels sprouts, cucumbers, potatoes, sweet potatoes, turnips.
• Fruits: apples, bananas, oranges, pears, strawberries, grapes, dates, figs, melons, peaches.
• Nuts, seeds and nut butters: Almonds, walnuts, macadamia nuts, hazelnuts, cashews, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, almond butter, peanut butter.
• Legumes: beans, peas, lentils, legumes, peanuts, chickpeas.
• Whole grains: oats, brown rice, rye, barley, corn, buckwheat, whole grain bread and pasta.
• Fish and seafood: salmon, sardines, trout, tuna, mackerel, shrimp, oysters, clams, crabs, mussels.
• Bird: chicken, duck, turkey.
• Eggs: chicken, quail and duck.
• Dairy products: cheese, yogurt, milk.
• Herbs and spices: garlic, basil, mint, rosemary, sage, nutmeg, cinnamon, pepper.
• Healthy fats: Extra virgin olive oil, olives, avocados, and avocado oil.

This diet is perfect if you’re looking to reduce emissions without changing your entire lifestyle, and while local and seasonal food is great, the best part is that if it’s stressing you out, you can still eat more environmentally consciously with the Mediterranean diet. .