Plant-Based Diets 🌱

"Making the transition to a plant-based diet may well be the most effective way an individual can stop climate change."

Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh

This month, we're diving into the world of plant-based diets and their incredible benefits for both health and the environment (spoiler: they're fantastic for both).

We share advice on transitioning to a more plant-based lifestyle, whether you're going all-in or just incorporating it once a week.

What is a Plant-based Diet?

A plant-based diet is exactly what it sounds like. The diet focuses on eating foods derived from plants: vegetables, fruits, legumes (includes beans, chickpeas, lentils, peas and more), berries, nuts, seeds and whole grains.

A plant-based diet is not necessarily a vegetarian or vegan diet and choosing to begin eating a plant- based diet could be as simple as switching out meat and dairy one meal or one day a week.

More and more people are shifting towards plant-based diets for reasons relating to health, as well as to ethical considerations about climate change and animal welfare.

Why eat Plant-based Meals?

Plant-based diets are beneficial for health as they are rich in essential nutrients, fiber, and antioxidants, which can lower the risk of chronic diseases and improve overall well-being.

Environmentally, they reduce the demand for resource-intensive animal farming, leading to lower greenhouse gas emissions, less deforestation, and reduced water usage.

10 Health Benefits of a Plant-based Diet

1. Heart Health: Plant-based diets improve heart health by lowering the risk of heart diseases and maintaining healthy blood pressure, supported by a European Heart Journal study. (Source: Fortune.com)
2. Weight Management: High fibre and nutrients in plant-based foods can aid in weight management.
3. Immune Support: Essential nutrients in plants boost the immune system by keeping cells healthy. (Source: MD Anderson Cancer Center at Cooper )
4. Chronic Disease Risk: A plant-based diet reduces the risk of chronic diseases like type 2 diabetes and certain cancers, as highlighted by a comprehensive analysis of 37 studies. (Source: The Guardian )
5. Inflammation: Plant nutrients combat body inflammation, reducing the risk of cancer and inflammatory diseases. (Source: MD Anderson)
6. Digestion: A plant-based diet enhances gut health, aiding nutrient absorption and reducing inflammation. (Source: MD Anderson)
7. Energy Levels: Complex carbohydrates and nutrients in plants provide sustained energy.
8. Skin Health: Antioxidants in plant-based diets promote clearer, healthier skin.
9. Longevity: Plant-based eating is associated with lower mortality. (Source: Science Direct)
10. Mental Health: Diets rich in plants, like the Mediterranean diet, are linked to lower depression risks. (Source: TIME )

Environmental Benefits of a Plant-based Diet

‘If cattle were their own nation, they would be the world’s third largest-emitter of green-house gases.’

(Source: Project Drawdown )

‘Meat and dairy significantly contribute to climate change, with the top five producers emitting more greenhouse gases than Exxon Mobil, Shell, or BP.’ (Source: SigEarth.com). Ruminant livestock such as cattle and sheep emit methane during digestion. Methane is a potent short-term climate warmer - 80 times more warming for the climate than carbon dioxide over a 20 year time frame.

Plant-based diets can reduce livestock demand, cutting greenhouse gas emissions and decreasing the need for animal feed crops, thus mitigating climate impact.

How Thirsty is our Food?

It takes about 15,000 litres of water to produce a kg of beef. and about 1,000 gallons of water are required to obtain a litre of cow’s milk. (Source: World Economic Forum ).

Overall livestock farming consumes a significant amount of water to produce meat compared to growing plants. Plants typically need much less water and a wider adoption of plant rich diets can reduce the pressure on the world’s scarce fresh water supplies.

More Environmental Benefits of Plant-Based Diets

• Water Pollution: In the UK, over 70% of farmed animals are in factory farms, contributing to eutrophication (too much nitrogen and phosphorous and other nutrients) in rivers, lakes and ultimately the ocean due to untreated manure as well as fertilizers from farms (Source: Open Access Government ). These can impact waterways and water quality even leading to dead zones in rivers, lakes or the ocean. A plant-based diet offers a path to improve water quality.
• Land Use & Deforestation: Farming occupies half of Earth's habitable land, and most farmed land is used to raise livestock for meat or dairy. Crops such as soyabeans, which are grown mostly to feed livestock, covered over 120 million hectares of land in 2019 (Source: Statista Consumer Insights ). Reducing meat and dairy intake can protect forests and reduce habitat loss.
• Air Pollution: Livestock farming emits pollutants like ammonia and methane, contributing to air pollution and climate change. A plant-based diet can lead to cleaner air by reducing these emissions (Source: The Guardian 2021).

• Ocean Health: Plant-based diets reduce demand for fish: addressing overfishing and it’s threats to marine ecosystems. Less fish and seafood consumption helps preserve marine biodiversity and supports ocean recovery.
• Sustainable Food System: Plant-based diets use fewer resources - water, land, energy - and emit less greenhouse gases, fostering a sustainable food system for future generations.

Tips to get started on a plant-based diet

Getting started on a plant-based diet may seem overwhelming, but we have some top tips to help you start your journey to healthier living.

• Start slowly: Cook a meatless meal once or twice a week. Build these meals around legumes (includes beans, chickpeas, lentils, peas and more), whole grains and vegetables.
• Variety is Key: Eat a wide variety of vegetables and whole fruits. Make sure you include plenty of colors and avoid juices!
• Use Soya based products: Soya based foods can help you transition to plant-based eating.
• Less Meat is Best: Change the way you think about meat. Have smaller amounts, less often.
• Choose Good Fats: Fats in olive oil, olives, nuts and nut butters, seeds, and avocados are particularly healthy choices.
• Eat plant-based proteins: Such as quinoa, beans and legumes like lentils and chickpeas (Source: Mayo Clinic ).
• Go for greens: Try a variety of green leafy vegetables such as kale, collards, Swiss chard, spinach, and other greens each day.
• Eat whole grains for breakfast: Start with oatmeal, quinoa, buckwheat, or barley. Then add some nuts or seeds along with fresh fruits or berries.
• Eat fruit for dessert: Soya or coconut yogurt make delicious toppings.

Find lots of recipes at GreenFridays4Future.com/recipes

Steps to reduce Meat Consumption

In 2020, the Climate Change Committee (CCC) in the UK set a target for a 35% reduction in meat consumption per person by 2050 (Source: The Guardian). This goal aligns with the broader objective of keeping global temperature rise below 1.5 degrees of warming compared to pre-industrial times.

• Initiatives like 'Meat-free Mondays' can be a good starting point.
• Sharing knowledge and experiences about reducing meat and dairy consumption can give others inspiration.

Worth a Watch

• You are What you Eat: A Twin Experiment, available on Netflix .
• The Game Changers, available on Netflix.

Worth a Read

How Not to Die, by Michael Greger

Thanks for reading and have a great weekend!

The GreenFridays4Future Team

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