The kind of foods we consume also affects the environment in many ways. Animal farming contributes to 14.5% of total global emissions and beef and lamb are the most carbon-intensive foods. Cutting down on your meat consumption by adopting a more plant-based diet significantly helps in bringing down your carbon emissions. Here are some tips for adopting a environment friendly diet:

Meatless Mondays: A Low-Carb Diet for the Week

If making a complete switch to vegetarianism is not possible, begin with the ‘Meatless Monday’ campaign which entails avoiding meat for one day in a week and experimenting with vegetarian recipes.

Replace Beef and Lamb with Chicken and Fish

Beef and lamb production produces significantly more greenhouse gas than chicken or fish production. If you cannot quit red meat yet, it is better to consume less of it and shift towards poultry and seafood.

Get into the habit of consuming legumes and vegetables.

Legumes such as beans, lentils, peas, and soy products are rich in protein and other nutrients. Also, the carbon footprint of legumes is one-third of that of meat. Try swapping one meal per week for a legume dish such as dal, chili or veggie burgers.

Choose More Foods That Are Fresh and Grown Nearby

Transportation of fresh food over long distances is costly in terms of carbon emissions. Buy locally available vegetables and fruits and sign up for a CSA to provide fresh local produce on a regular basis.

Waste Less Food

It is estimated that about one third of all the food produced in the world is wasted. Ensure that fruits and vegetables are stored correctly as well as leftovers so that they are not wasted. Another way of implementing this principle is to find ways of using the leftovers in different creative ways that can reduce wastage.

As seen above, there is much that can be done to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and fight global warming through a change in our diet. This planet feeds us adequately – it is only right that we feed it back by making environmentally-sustainable food choices. Which of the following sustainable swaps will you make for Climate-Friendly diet tips?