Easy & Tasty
Eco-nutrition Challenge!
Go meat free today - it’s easier than it sounds!
Swap your meat for tofu or soya alternatives. You could also put lots of beans and pulses into your meals to add a healthy portion of protein.
Why?
Take a minute to think about the benefits of a shift towards plantbased eating. Many experts have drawn a link between our overreliance on animals for food and environmental problems, and lowering our demand for meat could have significant positive benefits for food production and the world around us.
A meaty issue
Lowering your meat intake is the single most effective thing you can do to reduce the impact your lifestyle has on the planet. We’re not suggesting you never eat meat again - but reducing the portions you eat each week could have a huge impact on the environment. Cutting back on meat helps to tackle carbon emissions, deforestation, water usage and obesity.
Alternative solutions
Little by little, consumers need to start thinking about the alternatives to meat and dairy that are out there and giving them a try. We’re not talking about a major food culture overhaul - just a gentle shift towards a natural, wholefood approach to eating that is becoming increasingly popular among consumers across Europe. Many eco-aware people are now taking a considered approach to their diets and are eating with ethics in mind, adding more variety to their meals.
What’s out there?
The great news is that plenty of other options are widely available - soya, nuts, cereals, pulses and beans are valuable sources of protein and easy to find when you’re shopping in your local supermarket. Chances are that once you have started to incorporate more plant products into your meals – for example, meat substitutes such as tofu – your diet will become more plant-based without you even noticing. Remember, there are plenty of sustainably sourced alternatives out there.
Healthy you, Healthy Planet Facts
- Meat consumption is expected to double between 2000 and 2050, predicts the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation, while milk consumption will rise by 80 per cent in the same time period.
- Food production from livestock generates 18 per cent of our greenhouse gas emissions, according to the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation.
- Chicken, pork and beef all need more water per kilo than growing soya - in fact, beef needs up to 20 times more water vs soy (Professor Hoekstra).
- Beef production generates 10 times more CO2 per kilo than tofu, which is a soya meat replacement (Prof. Hoekstra).
- Global warming is not the only environmental consequence of livestock rearing, since water and land use also need to be taken into consideration. It is estimated that 75% of agricultural land is used for cattle, be it for pastures or for growing crops to feed the cattle.
- If all Europeans switched to a plant-based diet for one day a week, it would be equivalent to taking 13.7 million cars off the road in the EU.
Healthy you, Healthy Planet Tips
- Get your kids involved by encouraging them to set up their own Eco-Nutrition diaries.
- Check out our list of inspirational recipes at www.weekofsoya.eu.
- Try replacing your beefburger with a tofu burger or add soya mince to your bolognaise sauce. You’ll be surprised at how great it tastes and your family probably won’t even notice!
- Try serving edamame beans with your dinner - they make a delicious protein replacement and are tasty vegetables in their own right.
- Record what you eat and note the changes from your usual fare.