Eat less meat and dairy

1. Review the list of climate impact of various foods from the Environmental Working Group or other similar charts.
2. Reduce or eliminate beef first and try to move on down the list of those foods with the highest impacts. Lamb, cheese, and pork also rank high on impact.
3. Commit to going vegetarian one or more times a week and stick with it. Make meatless Mondays a tradition.
4. Keep your pantry stocked with ‘go to’ vegetarian ingredients and favorite recipes handy.
5. Once your family has routinely incorporated vegetarian meals, introduce some vegan recipes that have no dairy or eggs.
6. Spread the word and get support from others who are reducing their meat consumption.  Cook vegetarian at your next dinner party. Very few people understand the climate impact of their food choices.

What’s the difference between vegetarian and vegan?   Vegetarian is a broader term for excluding animal products from your diet. A vegetarian diet will exclude meat but may include eggs and dairy (lacto-ovo vegetarian). A vegan diet strictly avoids any food that contains animal products, including dairy and eggs. Once you become familiar with meatless recipes, try adding vegan recipes into your repertoire as well. Dairy is another food category with a big environmental footprint.

What are good plant-based protein sources?   As you increase the number of vegan meals you eat, it’s a good idea to include recipes with plant-based protein sources. Lentils, beans, chickpeas,  peas, nuts, seeds, tofu, tempeh and edamame, and seitan (made from wheat) are all good sources of protein. Don’t limit these ingredients to main dishes. You can get your protein in salad, soups, snacks, and even in desserts!

According to a 2016 study , business-as-usual emissions could be reduced by as much as 70% through adopting a vegan diet and 63 percent for a vegetarian diet, which includes cheese, milk, and eggs. These changes woudl save $1 trillion in annual health-care costs and lost productivity.