Eating Plants for the Planet
When we hear about Earth Day, we often see headlines related to awareness of fossil fuels, corporate pollution, walking rather than driving, and recycling instead of tossing. However, many earth-related discussions often miss one very important factor: our food. We hear about transportation such as air travel but not about the transport of animals, big oil companies rather than big agriculture, and packaging rather than product. And while there are many industries and lifestyle factors that affect our planet, multiple times a day, we have the potential to positively impact the Earth and its inhabitants when we sit down to eat.
Top view products for healthy nutrition by Marco Verch under CC BY-ND 2.0.
Most animals today are raised in animal feeding operations, known as AFOs or CAFOs (also frequently referred to as ‘Factory Farms’), where animals are confined in small spaces, fed unnatural diets, forced to reproduce far more than they would in the wild, and are slaughtered at a fraction of their natural lifespan. This type of production is a far cry from the traditional image of a farm, and with this system comes a multitude of environmental concerns. In fact:
Meat production requires a tremendous amount of water and contributes to water pollution.
Raising livestock and growing their feed uses three-fourths of the world's agricultural land despite providing less than a fifth of global calories.
Almost 90% of global deforestation is for agriculture, with cattle grazing and soybeans primarily used to feed livestock being the top causes of tropical deforestation, such as in the Amazon rainforest.
36% of all global crop calories are fed to livestock rather than humans. Animals that are raised for food return only a fraction of these calories as consumable meat, increasing the need for more deforestation.
A third of all human-caused greenhouse gas emissions come from food. Animal-based foods are the primary reason for this, as these foods emit far more greenhouse gasses, including carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide, than do plant-based foods.
More than 120 billion land animals and at least one trillion sea animals are slaughtered for food globally each year.
Industrial farms pollute local communities with animal manure, odors, and other contaminants, threatening the environmental and personal health of residents and exasperating environmental justice concerns of predominantly low-income and BIPOC communities.
A third of fish stocks are overfished, a number which has drastically increased in recent decades. Aquaculture (fish farming) practices vary around the world and can pose substantial environmental threats. The U.S. is one of the world’s largest importers of fish.
Plant-based meat alternatives also use around 90% less land, water, and greenhouse gasses.
Eating a plant-based diet is the “single biggest way to reduce your impact on earth!”
And if you are concerned about protein, plant foods are loaded with it! For example, a salad loaded with veggies usually contains at least 7 grams of protein, and often much more. Include quinoa, beans, tofu, or chickpeas, and you can reach over 20 grams of protein in a single salad, making these plant-based powerhouses easily hold their own next to animal sources. Considering that only 10-35% of a person’s daily calories should come from protein (check your personal recommendations with this tool), and overconsumption of protein can be taxing on the body, plant-based sources have plenty of protein to fuel an active lifestyle. In fact, protein deficiency is extremely rare no matter what diet someone consumes.
Incorporating Earth-friendly foods into our diet has also become easier than ever! For those looking for familiar foods, meat, dairy, and egg alternatives are often an ideal place to start. Luckily, these types of options are widely-available and continue to come down in price. Some examples include:
Walmart’s extensive selection of plant-based meat and dairy, including Great Value store brand plant-based chick’n, cheese shreds, and non-dairy milks.
Aldi’s wide array of plant-based meats, frozen meals, snacks, dairy alternatives, and more.
Endless options at Grocery Outlet (check out this instagram page for ideas).
Real dairy products made from animal-free dairy in many major supermarkets (learn more about that process here).
Fast food such as the Impossible Whopper at Burger King, swapping a Beyond Burger in any burger meal at Carl’s Jr., Beyond Meat tacos or burritos at Del Taco, subbing plant-based milk at your favorite coffee shop, and so much more! (Some items listed are fully plant-based as is, for others, some modifications are needed.)
Options continue to pop up everywhere. Don’t be afraid to ask the next time you are at your favorite grocery store or place to grab a bite!
*R2R is not affiliated with any of these stores, brands, or social media accounts. They are provided for example only and R2R does not benefit from their purchase or promotion in any way.
Even with the widespread availability of these foods, many may wonder about the price or healthfulness of these processed alternatives. These foods have come down in price over the years and often serve as ideal transition foods or options for those who want to eat plant-based with tastes they know. However, for others, eating whole plant foods offers an array of health benefits and can be even friendlier to our wallets than animal foods.
The United States spends $38 billion yearly on subsidies for food production. However, over 99% of that goes to the meat and dairy industries. This creates a pricing structure that does not adequately reflect their true cost of production, while also using taxpayer funds to increase industry profits. Even though plant-based foods do not widely benefit from subsidies, many can still help to reduce your grocery bill. These can include:
Lower-priced fresh produce such as apples, bananas, and potatoes.
Stocking up on staple foods like rice, lentils, beans, and whole-grain pasta.
Utilizing frozen fruits and vegetables.
Many food banks often have these types of foods, and WIC allows for some options, too!
If you are wondering where to start, R2R has a collection of recipes to help get you started, many of which are allergy-friendly! You can also make the transition easier with meal planning, buying in bulk, planning your grocery store visit in advance, and utilizing the abundance of plant-based alternatives.
Change can be hard, but remember, any shift towards more plant-based eating helps to heal and protect our planet. There is no right or wrong way to do it, either! Maybe you love Taco Tuesday, and you want to switch it up with beans and plant-based cheese instead of beef and dairy. Or, maybe you really love that one brand of sour cream and aren’t quite ready to say goodbye. That’s okay! It doesn’t have to be everything at all once, change what you are ready to change and take it from there. Perhaps you are feeling like you want to do it right now, and in that case, go for it! There is an entire community here at R2R and across the internet ready to help you on your journey! So this Earth Day, why not try eating more plants for the planet? You got this!
~ By Alisa Marvel