Category: Plant-Based Eating
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Thursday, February 9, 2023
Eat Well, Heal the Planet 2023 Edition!
For years I make new year’s resolutions that linked the food we eat and/or how we cook to making positive environmental changes. And then I started working for “the man,” which has been great (I love a good 9-to-5 existence, actually…go figure) but has also put the blog (and sometimes cooking) on the back burner. But that focus on the environment had an impact on my kids (yay!) and now they are calling me out on my slacker-ness. My girls and I talked this weekend and decided we need to get back on track.
We took a minute to look back at our past resolutions and decided to focus on the following for 2023:
1. Eat less meat
For several years our focused on eating less meat and more plant-based foods. It went pretty well! And then I just didn’t make it a priority any more. But this graphic is constantly popping up in my mind:
This so clearly shows the impact that food products derived from pigs and cows on carbon emissions, it’s pretty mind boggling. The girls and I have decided to start focusing on those three middle columns again, which should be hard since we’ve done it before!
2. Reduce (or eliminate!) one-time use items like plastic and paper towels
This one is tough. I will say that our previous efforts have not been for nothing…we definitely use less paper towels and plastic products than we did before and I think we’re still pretty good about it. But I’ll admit I’ve gotten lazy over the last few years. It’s time to be more disciplined once again! Like remembering reusable bags in the back of the car for grocery shopping (thanks, COVID-19, for breaking that good habit). Only using paper towels for grease clean ups. Eating out less. Resisting the urge to pull out the plastic wrap.
So here we go! Back on the wagon again!
If you have made similar resolutions, please share! If you want to join along in the journey with us, please do! If you have any tips or favorite products that have helped with either of the above, please put them down in the comments! Here’s to one small change at a time making a difference.
Posted by Jane Maynard at 3:00 pm 8 Comments
Categories: Eat Well. Heal the Planet., Kitchen Tips, Plant-Based Eating Tags: eat less meat, eat well. heal the planet., food and the environment, use less plastic |
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Thursday, April 25, 2019
Chocolate Cashew Energy Bites, a.k.a. Jane’s Addiction (Plant Based, Gluten Free)
Before I get to today’s recipe, how have I never used the phrase “Jane’s Addiction” on the blog before?!?! Speaking of Jane’s Addiction, I have a new one. (How’s that for a segue?) Okay, so now that I am not eating wheat and peanuts and almonds and dairy and shellfish and apples and cucumbers and basically have become one of those annoying people with too many dietary needs, I am exploring all kinds of great cookbooks for new inspiration. Nate’s cousin Amanda, who is on a low-FODMAP diet, recommended a book called The Low-FODMAP Diet for Beginners. I have already tried a few recipes and flagged about 20 more to try, and so far every recipe is a winner. Today I’m sharing one of them with you, the peanut-butter energy balls. Except I can’t eat peanuts. So I changed it to cashew butter. And made some other changes to the recipe. So actually I’m sharing a recipe for cashew energy bites and not peanut-butter energy balls.
These cashew energy bites are not just Jane’s Addiction but Anna’s Addiction and Nate’s Addiction, too. (You’re welcome for the cool band name ideas.) They are super easy to make, pretty darn wholesome, completely plant based, gluten free, and only have 2-3 grams of sugar per bite. Seriously, these little cashew energy bites are the best. Enjoy!
Chocolate Cashew Energy BitesPrep timeTotal timeAdapted from a recipe for Peanut-Butter Energy Balls in the book "The Low-FODMAP Diet for Beginners" by Mollie TunitskyAuthor: Jane MaynardServes: 20 bitesIngredients- 1½ cup rolled oats
- 2 generous tablespoons chocolate chips
- 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
- ¼ teaspoon coarse sea salt (if you use kosher, use a little less than ¼ tsp)
- ⅔ cup cashew butter
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions- In a blender or food processor, add the oats, chocolate chips, cocoa powder and sea salt. Pulse until the oats and chocolate chips have been broken down. If you like your bites chunkier, pulse less! If you want things finer, pulse more! I go for a coarsely ground mixture.
- Combine the dry ingredients with the cashew butter, syrup and vanilla in a mixing bowl, stirring to combine thoroughly.
- Form bites into 1 tablespoon sized balls, place on a cookie sheet, and flatten them out with wet fingers so you have nice thick discs. Refrigerate until firm and store in the refrigerator.
Posted by Jane Maynard at 12:45 pm 4 Comments
Categories: clean eating adventure, featured recipes, Gluten-Free Recipes, Plant-Based Eating, Recipes, sweet things Tags: cashew butter, chocolate, energy bites, gluten free, plant-based eating, recipe, vegan |
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Friday, March 22, 2019
Plant-Based Eating Hack #2: Finding Milk Alternatives…with a little help from your friends!
Time for another plant-based eating hack, don’t you think? Okay, so, you want to start replacing dairy with more plant-based options. And starting with milk seems like a good idea. But then you go to the store and THERE ARE SO MANY MILK ALTERNATIVES that your head starts spinning, you grab your usual gallon of milk, and walk away in a cold sweat. Here’s the thing, finding milk alternatives is kind of hard for a few reasons. First, there are just so many to choose from. Second, if you do buy one and then hate it, suddenly you have a whole carton of “milk” that either you suffer through or end up wasting. Today I have a suggestion for finding milk alternatives that is not only helpful but fun. Gather your friends and do a milk tasting together!
Last week I hosted an evening with a group of friends and coordinated a milk tasting. I created a sign-up list with around 10 different types of milk alternatives. We all pitched in, brought one to share, then held a tasting. My friend Laura kept notes on people’s reactions to each product and we discussed our thoughts at the end of the night. We other delicious foods, too, much of it vegan and all of it vegetarian. Plant-based goodness galore!
I wish that I could tell you there was consensus and that XX milk is the best one, but there wasn’t! Everyone’s tastes were very different and every single type of milk we tried had people who loved it and hated it. Which is why the milk tasting party became even more genius once we were actually doing it – since we do all have different tastes, it was really awesome to get together and try out so many different milks at once. We could figure out what works for our own tastes then go home and just buy that type of “milk” from now on. Plus, people could take home the carton of milk that was their favorite, leading to less waste!
Even though we didn’t have strong consensus on the products we tried, I do think it’s worth sharing Laura’s notes. We tested the unsweetened versions of each “milk” since we were looking for a cow’s milk alternative for multiple uses. I neglected to put pea protein milk on the list, which I’m regretting because that one is supposed to be great. I’ll have to try it on my own (wah-waaaah). Take all these comments with a grain of salt because, as you’ll notice, many of them contradict one another. That might be the most surprising outcome of the night was how different we all taste things! Please note that where it says “my” or “I” in the comments below, those are quotes from my friends. Only the comments italicized and in orange are my personal opinion.
- Hemp: favorite, I drink it every day; neutral flavor; can taste plant base; chalky; bland; watery; grainy
- Flax: silkier; creamier; good texture; watery; neutral flavor; my new favorite
- Oat: smooth; sweet; closest to milk; thicker; best so far (Jane note: oat is my personal favorite and what I use daily – I think oat milk had the highest approval rating of the night! Note: Most oat “milks” taste great, but the brand Pacific Organic is awful, do not buy that one! And Oatly is my favorite brand!)
- Coconut: watery; dirty water; bad after taste (Jane note: I don’t love coconut milk that comes in a carton, and some canned coconut milks have a weird flavor to me. That said, Thai Kitchen’s canned coconut milk is FANTASTIC and that is what I use in oatmeal, coffee and for cooking.)
- Macadamia: texture is good; bland; watery, like skim milk; really good
- Almond: tastes like almonds; refreshing; fresh; good; fabulous (Jane note: my friend Chelsea made her almond milk from scratch, which is why it was so freaking awesome, but if you find a good brand I think the comments would still apply!)
- Cashew: tastes cashew-y; good texture; sour; good but not great; my favorite that I use in coffee every day
- Soy: taste like edamame; simple and easy; after taste; actually, better than I was expecting
- Rice: too sweet; can’t believe it’s unsweetened
A note on sugar content. Oat and rice milk both have naturally occurring sugars, although rice is higher than oat, and both rice and oat have less sugar than regular cow’s milk. Most of the other milk alternatives had 0 grams of sugar.
Voila! Finding milk alternatives isn’t as bad as you think, as long as you get a little help from your friends. Have fun!
Posted by Jane Maynard at 12:21 pm No Comments
Categories: Eat Well. Heal the Planet., Plant-Based Eating Tags: eat well. heal the planet., milk alternatives, milk tasting party, plant-based eating, plant-based eating hacks |
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Thursday, March 14, 2019
A Quick Guide to Mindful Food Shopping Choices + Thoughts on Organic Farming
For quite some time now I have purchased mostly organic food, my reasoning being that it was better for the environment and biodiversity. As I’ve started doing more reading about different diets and their impact on the environment, questions around organic food keep coming to mind. I turned to our resident expert, Virginia Tech sustainable agriculture professor Megan O’Rourke, and asked her what she thought about organic. That simple question led to several conversations, a podcast interview, and Megan writing her thoughts on organic for us, which I am sharing below in this post. The bottom line? Yes, organic has benefits, sometimes environmental. No, it’s not clear cut and as easy as saying that buying organic is the best choice. As with pretty much anything related to food and the environment, it’s complicated!
As Megan and I talked, I asked her if it would be possible to make a quick reference guide for people who want to be mindful about what impact their food is having. Megan agreed and gave me an excellent list of things to think about. I turned it into an “If…Then…” list, which highlights a few values around food and some of the choices you can make to support those values.
Since there are no easy answers, for our family I’ve decided to concentrate on reducing our consumption of cow products (both meat and dairy), focus on more plant-based eating and buying our food as locally and seasonally as possible. Megan, as you will learn in her article below as well as in our podcast interview that will publish tomorrow, really likes to focus on buying food locally and growing foods that make sense for where she lives, thereby reducing the need for chemical interventions. As you look at the “If..Then…” list I encourage you to identify those values and choices that make the most sense for you and your family. If we are all making efforts where we can, we will make a difference!
Why organic? What is the real impact? Is there a real impact?
By Megan O’Rourke, Assistant Professor at Virginia Tech
There is a lot of confusion about organic agriculture, so Seufert et al. published a review paper in 2017 describing what science does and does not know about the real impacts of organic agriculture. They broke down the impacts into three broad categories: environmental, productivity, effects on farmers, and effects on consumers. They then subdivided these broad categories into 26 specific metrics of public interest and compared the relative impacts of an acre of organic land to an acre of conventional land. Interestingly, the authors assert that we basically don’t know anything about 10 of the metrics of interest. These include effects on soil erosion, water use, pesticide leaching, and farm wages. In fact, we only have high certainty about a few things. Fortunately for consumers, most of our certainty revolves around organic produce quality, such as lower pesticide residues and higher phytonutrient, mineral, and vitamin content than conventional agriculture. Scientists are also pretty certain that organic land produces lower yields but higher profitability than conventional production, while improving the soil and providing habitat for wildlife.
But, here’s the spoiler. While I am a sustainable agriculture researcher with lots of facts and figures at hand, I almost never buy organic myself. Why? I have both rational reasons and emotional reactions to the current state of organic agriculture that guide what I do. Let’s start with the rational reasons.
With grocery store organic, I don’t really know what I’m getting. Grocery store organic is often far from the bucolic small farm dream we imagine. Organic produce is much more likely to come from a megafarm in California than from your local family farm, and these megafarms simply practice chemical substitutions. Any poisonous chemical derived naturally and approved by the National Organic Program can be used in organic production. For example, some heavy metals like copper, which accumulate in the environment, are used extensively in organic production. Other pesticides, such as pyrethrums extracted from chrysanthemums, are allowed in organic production while their synthetic cousins, pyrethroids, are not. Synthetic fertilizers are not allowed in organic production but organic fertilizer companies mine bat guano from Chile and ship it up to California. Bat guano has essentially the same chemical properties as synthetic nitrogen fertilizers. When it comes to organic meat, I find the rules about organic meat production unethical. Organic farmers cannot use antibiotics on sick animals without the animals being deemed nonorganic. This can cause animals to suffer and be culled early instead of being treated humanely (which, by the way, is allowed in European organic practices).
Now on to my more emotional responses to the current state of organic. Perhaps one of my least rational reactions to buying organic produce is that I find it bourgeois. While I am solidly privileged middle class in reality, my gut feels like buying organic is spending money excessively. Furthermore, the scientific benefits of organic produce are not significant enough for me. For example, while organic on average has a higher nutrient content in side-by-side comparisons with conventional food, this health benefit pales in comparison to simply eating more vegetables and a greater variety of produce. Also, as a scientist, on the whole I trust the capacity of science to make life better for us. For example, there was a time when I was skeptical about genetically modified crops, but now after talking with countless farmers, I appreciate how GMOs (which are banned in organic foods) can improve farmer health and reduce their exposure to insecticides. I also think that pesticides used responsibly can be like tiny miracles. When we are sick, we go to the doctor and get medicine. When plants get sick, they need some medicine too. While pesticides can be overused, I don’t prescribe banning them. We use chemicals all the time to make our life better and easier, so why shouldn’t farmers be allowed synthetic products in their toolbox?
Another issue I have with organic is the bureaucracy. Organic farmers need to pay money, keep extensive records, and allow regulators onto their farms to inspect every aspect of their operation. As a natural rebel, the idea of allowing a stranger to nitpick about my choices of production would drive me crazy. I’ve talked to farmers who can’t pass inspections because they used landscape cloth around their blueberry bushes as that was not considered organic enough. When my husband and I had a CSA farm years ago, we did not certify organic because of the cost and bureaucracy. If you have $5000 in gross sales or less you can claim organic; otherwise you cannot market with that label. We took the Northeast Organic Farmers Association “Farmers Pledge” to market under. We pledged to grow organically and to respect workers’ rights. The national organic standards say nothing about worker conditions, pay, or labor rights.
For me, organic was great for learning about pests, which I love doing, but I will no longer farm organically at home starting this year. You can either stick to just growing what grows well in your area without spraying and watch your crops lose 50 percent plus yields, use organic chemical substitution, or use lots of physical barriers that create loads of trash (which only works for certain plants anyway). I now see no hope in growing an orchard on the east coast without spraying something. I saw total losses year after year. That’s my new challenge this year – to manage my new orchard well by picking a crop with as little pesticide as I think I can get away with.
These are some of the reasons why I personally don’t buy (or farm) organic. For me, I would be most inclined to support organic if I perceived a substantial environmental impact, but I’m not convinced of this with the modern industrialization of the organic industry. If I were to prioritize my organic purchases to avoid pesticide residues, I would focus on organic versions of the Environmental Working Group’s dirty dozen list: strawberries, spinach, nectarines, apples, grapes, peaches, cherries, pears, tomatoes, celery, potatoes, sweet peppers, and hot peppers. (Click here for the Environmental Working Group’s 2018 Dirty Dozen and Clean Fifteen lists.) For me eating as locally as possible and eating less meat makes a bigger difference, so that is what I focus on. We all have different reasons that are important to us when considering what food to buy and give to our families – having information can help us make the best choices to support our values and also make a positive difference in the world.
Quick Guide to Mindful Food Shopping Choices
For Your Health and the Earth’s
- If you do not want GMOs in your food, then buy organic.
- If you want to reduce your personal exposure to pesticide residues, then buy organic or at least buy “The Dirty Dozen” organically.
- If you want the most nutritions versions of produce, then buy locally and seasonally.
- If you want the highest quality, most delicious produce, then buy locally and seasonally.
- If you worry about the working conditions of migrant farm laborers, buy locally.
- If you want to help conserve biodiversity, cut out or cut back on dairy and meat (shift from beef to pork to poultry).
- If you want to reduce your carbon footprint, cut out or cut back on dairy and meat (shift from beef to pork to poultry).
- If you want to reduce your carbon footprint, cut out or cut back on dairy and meat (shift from beef to pork to poultry).
- If you want generally nutritious food at the best price, buy conventional produce and cook (this is better than eating processed organic food).
- If you want off-season produce, buy conventional produce (there are many fraudulent organic imports).
Posted by Jane Maynard at 5:10 pm No Comments
Categories: Eat Well. Heal the Planet., Plant-Based Eating Tags: dr. megan o'rourke, eat well. heal the planet., plant-based eating |
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Friday, February 22, 2019
Plant-Based Eating Goals and the Carbon Costs of Different Diets (Ep. 48)
Welcome back to the podcast! Yep, the podcast is back and today I’m launching Season 3. It’s been two years since my last episode (where does the time go?) and I’m excited to get this show back on the road. Going forward the podcast will be a mix of quick episodes with helpful tips, tricks and more as well as interviews like I’ve done in the past. We’ve got some great interviews lined up that I can’t wait to share with you! Today for the podcast I’m introducing this year’s “Eat Well, Heal the Planet” new year’s resolution to focus more on plant-based eating.
Shownotes:
- Eat Well, Heal the Planet landing page
- This year’s kick off post for our plant-based eating resolution
It’s easy to listen to the show!
- Via the web: Just click play below!
- Via an app: Just search “This Week for Dinner Podcast” on your favorite podcast app.
Other Stuff!
- If you enjoy the podcast, please leave a rating and/or review on iTunes! It helps a lot!
- Big thank you to d&m for providing the music for the podcast!
Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed
Posted by Jane Maynard at 5:40 pm No Comments
Categories: Eat Well. Heal the Planet., Plant-Based Eating, Podcast Episodes Tags: plant-based eating, podcast, this week for dinner podcast |
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Friday, February 15, 2019
Friday Show & Tell: ‘This Week for Dinner’ is finally on Instagram, plus some great podcasts about plant-based foods
It’s Friday Show and Tell time!
This Week for Dinner is on Instagram!
So, my blog turned 12 last week. I totally forgot about the blog’s birthday, so, you know, Happy Birthday, Blog! Good job on 12 years and all that. Anyway, I’ve been on Instagram forever but have never focused exclusively on food content because, well, Instagram was sort of my happy place where I did whatever I wanted. It still is, but I have finally pulled the trigger and got This Week for Dinner going on Instagram. I would love love love it if you want to follow me over there. I’ll share content from the blog as well as the podcast (which will be starting up again soon!), the weekly menu and great food! The handle is simply @thisweekfordinner.
Recent Podcast Recommendations
Two of my favorite podcasts had some great episodes lately talking about plant-based food. They’re really well done and super interesting, so I definitely want to share them with you!
Science Vs
I love Science Vs, it’s a delightful science podcast by Gimlet media and the host Wendy Zukerman is one of my favorites. Anyway, they recently did an episode about vegan diets, looking at different vegan and anti-vegan claims (like vegans are better for the environment and you need cow’s milk to be healthy) to figure out what was true. You can listen to the episode here: Vegans: Are They Right?
But what I really want to share is the follow up episode about milk alternatives, or shmilks as Wendy calls them. It’s a super short episode that looks at the environmental impact of soy, almond, oat and cow’s milks. At the end of the episode, my 11-year-old Anna said, “Well, it looks like probably our whole family should start using your oat milk, huh, Mom?” You can listen to the episode here: Soy, Almond, Oat Milks: Are They Udder Bull?
Freakonomics
Freakonomics is another of my favorite podcasts. Their recent episode The Future of Meat is fascinating and great food for thought. Pat Brown, CEO of Impossible Foods, is interviewed extensively and he has really thoughtful ways of looking at the future of food and meat production. (Fun fact: my husband Nate’s company synthesized DNA for Impossible when they were developing their ground beef product. Cool, huh?)
That’s all for today! And, as always, show and tell is for the whole class! Feel free to share whatever you want in the comments below!
Posted by Jane Maynard at 10:20 am No Comments
Categories: Eat Well. Heal the Planet., fab faves, Plant-Based Eating, show and tell Tags: freakonomics, instagram, plant-based eating, podcast recommendations, science vs, show and tell |
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Thursday, February 14, 2019
Plant-Based Eating Hack #1: Non-Dairy Plant-Based Ice Cream
As part of my new year’s resolution to focus more on plant-based eating, I promised you I would share all kinds of tips and ideas throughout the year. Today is the first of these posts, which I will call “Plant-Based Eating Hacks.” A bigger focus on plant-based eating doesn’t mean you have to go vegan, but those of us who aren’t vegan or vegetarian are often unfamiliar with the great options out there for plant-based eating. Let’s explore those options together! Today we’re going to start with a classic dessert we all know and love: ice cream. Yep, we’re talking about non-dairy, plant-based ice cream with nary a drop of cream in sight!
Three years ago I had the chance to travel to Vermont to visit the Ben & Jerry’s headquarters. It was ridiculously cold, I had a 5-hour flight delay in Chicago and I discovered on this trip that I have sacroiliac dysfunction (which basically just means excruciating pain). Despite all the cards stacked against me and the fact that I hobbled about like a 150-year-old woman addicted to ibuprofen, it was hands down one of the most fun trips I’ve ever been on. We toured the factory (including the production floor!), ate ice cream straight from the production line, and even got to create our own new ice cream flavors in the test kitchens. The experience was unforgettable. Ben & Jerry’s hosted this media trip as part of their non-dairy frozen dessert product launch. I was the only writer on the trip who was not vegan. At the time I was a full-fledged dairy consumer and knew very little about veganism, quite frankly. But I walked away from the trip with two things. First, really wonderful vegan friends who were open and ready to teach me in the least-judgy way imaginable. Second, a love for non-dairy, plant-based ice cream.
Why Non-Dairy, Plant-Based Ice Cream?
Here’s the thing: you totally do not need cream to make good ice cream. I know, it sounds like crazy talk. But since I cut dairy a year ago, I can attest to the fact that my non-dairy, plant-based ice cream options have left me completely happy and not missing “real” ice cream at all. And, as we learned in my plant-based eating kick-off post, cows are a huge drain on the environment. Eating red meat and dairy makes for a reeeeeealllllllyyyyyy big carbon footprint. If you can sub out that dairy with something equally delicious, why wouldn’t you?
I’m going to share two great non-dairy, plant-based ice cream options that I love with you today. And then I’m going to ask you all to share your own favorites in the comments! Let’s make this the best collection of plant-based ice cream recommendations around!
Ben & Jerry’s Non-Dairy Frozen Desserts
As I mentioned, about three years ago Ben & Jerry’s launched their non-dairy frozen desserts line. At the time I believe there were 4 flavors, but today the line has expanded to 11 flavors (and I’m sure it will keep growing). All of Ben & Jerry’s non-dairy frozen desserts are made with an almond milk base (which is delicious, btw) and are certified vegan.
And since I have yet to write about that trip from many moons ago, I have to share some pictures with you.
Pictured: Top – Shots of the Ben & Jerry’s factory floor in Burlington, VT; Middle – Ice cream straight off the line; Bottom – Product testing for quality control
Pictured: The Ben & Jerry’s test kitchen where they develop new flavor – we had the chance to create our own non-dairy frozen dessert flavors. My partner Becky from Glue & Glitter (bottom left) and I decided our ice cream should be called “Beck & Janey’s.” Aren’t we clever?Salt & Straw Vegan Ice Creams
Salt & Straw is a Portland, Oregon-based ice cream shop that that serves unique and quirky ice creams that taste amazing. They have started to expand to other states and the kids and I recently visited their Anaheim location. Salt & Straw has made a commitment to make 20% of their product line plant-based by the first of of this year. From what I recall on my last visit, their non-dairy ice creams are all made with a coconut milk base.
My 7-year-old meat eater son Owen is very resistant to my plant-based food changes, so when he happened to pick one of the vegan flavors at Salt & Straw, I just kept my mouth shut. I only let him know his ice cream was vegan after he was done eating. He looked shocked and then just laughed. If you can fool Owen, you can fool anyone.
I know not everyone has access to Salt & Straw, but when you visit your favorite ice cream shops, keep an eye out for non-dairy options! Last summer the kids and I visited Honeycomb Creamery in Cambridge, MA. They had a few vegan options, including an ice cream made with a cashew milk base, which was divine. I’m telling you, now is the time be alive if you’re wanting to eat more plant-based foods. The trend will only continue and these ice cream companies are proving that plant-based ice cream can be done in a truly delicious way.
Tell Us Your Favorite Non-Dairy, Plant-Based Ice Cream Brands!
Now that I’ve shared a couple favorites, it’s time for you to fess up! Tell us your most favorite non-dairy, plant-based ice cream brands and flavors in the comments below!
Vegan Bloggers I Met at Ben & Jerry’s. These blogs are fantastic resources for plant-based eating!
- Becky from Glue & Glitter
- Cadry from Cadry’s Kitchen
- Jenné from Sweet Potato Soul
- Melissa from My Whole Food Life
- Hannah from My Sweet Vegan
- Carmella & Carlo from The Food Duo
- Madeline from The Collegiate Vegan
- Rika & Doni from Vegan Miam
Posted by Jane Maynard at 4:23 pm 7 Comments
Categories: Eat Well. Heal the Planet., Plant-Based Eating, the goods Tags: ben & jerry's, honeycomb creamery, non-dairy ice cream, plant-based eating, plant-based eating hacks, plant-based ice cream, salt & straw |
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Tuesday, January 29, 2019
2019 New Year’s Resolution: More Plant-Based Eating
Each year I pick a New Year’s resolution that ties what I do in the kitchen with some sort of positive environmental impact. (Click here to see past years’ resolutions and related posts.) My 2019 resolution is no different: more plant-based eating. This goes beyond just eating less meat and I have lots of ideas for making this year’s resolution a success!*
Over the past year, due to some health reasons, I’ve really changed how I eat (there’s another post about that experience coming soon!). One of the changes has involved finding dairy substitutes. I haven’t given up meat completely, but I have started looking at more plant-based options. Looking for milk alternatives kicked that process off for me and really got me thinking about more plant-based eating overall.
So why should we care about plant-based eating? Bottom line: animal-based food takes more of a toll on the environment (especially food coming from cows). When you talk about vegetarianism or veganism, many omnivores get nervous and feel like it’s just too hard to make that kind of switch. But focusing on more plant-based eating doesn’t necessarily mean you have to go vegetarian or vegan. There are lots of ways to incorporate plant-based foods and ease yourself into a new way of eating. In addition, looking at where the highest environmental impacts are in the food system and then adjusting from there can have a really big impact, beyond just plant-based foods.
For example, take a look at the chart below (data taken from an article published in Nature assessing land use changes and climate change). It is both surprising and unsurprising. First, a vegan diet clearly has the smallest negative impact on the environment. But what pops out at me is the impact foods sourced from cows have. A vegetarian that eats dairy has a larger carbon cost than a person who eats poultry and eggs but skips dairy and beef. That is excellent food for thought.
As I was getting ready for my resolution, I came across a journal article published in Nature. I turned to my friend Dr. Megan O’Rourke, Assistant Professor of Sustainable Food Production Systems at Virginia Tech, with some questions I had. Megan and I have known each other since middle school (in fact I introduced her to her husband of 20+ years!). As Assistant Professor at Virginia Tech, Megan examines the value of biodiversity in agriculture and the environmental impacts of different food systems. Megan’s interest areas include sustainable agriculture, organic production, international development, land use change, and agroecology. She has extensive international and policy experience working with the Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service as the organization’s climate change advisor. In addition, Megan studied farming systems and deforestation in Cambodia where she worked for the United States Agency for International Development as their senior climate change advisor.
That’s Megan on the right! This is a photo from when she was in Cambodia. Image Source: Virginia TechAs Megan and I got to talking about food issues, I felt like I just couldn’t keep her to myself and, lucky for us, I convinced Megan to contribute to the blog. Now I get to share Megan and all the awesome stuff in her head with you. Welcome, Megan!
Over the next year (and hopefully longer) I will share tips and tricks for more plant-based eating and Megan will offer her expertise. I’m really excited about this year’s resolution and for you all to join in on the journey.
To kick things off, here’s a little something from Megan (she does a good job of filling in between the lines of the chart above):
Recent research is showing how eating a plant-based diet may be good for slowing climate change. You may be thinking, what does a plant-based diet have to do with slowing climate change? Everything we eat has a carbon cost and some foods have lower carbon costs than others. Too much carbon in the atmosphere is what traps solar energy and causes things to heat up. The total carbon cost of food includes how much carbon is directly emitted during production from inputs such as fertilizers, tractor fuel and pesticides. It also includes an opportunity cost for using the land for agriculture.
The carbon costs of agricultural inputs are pretty straight forward to wrap our heads around; growing stuff takes energy and releases carbon. But understanding carbon opportunity costs is a bit trickier. Think about a forest and a corn field. The forest has much more plant mass than a corn field and stores more carbon, so cutting down a forest to grow corn has a large carbon opportunity cost. If you think about how much land and inputs are required to produce beef (about 2 acres per cow) compared to corn (2 acres for about 20,000 lbs) you start to realize that eating beef requires a lot of land and has a much larger carbon cost than eating a plant-based diet. In fact, one pound of beef has a carbon cost almost 75 times higher than a pound of corn and 40 times higher than a pound of rice. In addition, not all animals are created equal. The carbon cost of beef is 14 times higher than chicken and nine times higher than pork.
When we start to compare different diets, we also come up with vastly different carbon costs. If we compare a typical western diet with a 50% less meat, vegetarian, no beef or dairy, and vegan diets, we find that a vegan diet has the lowest carbon costs. The total carbon costs of each diet are about 9, 6, 5, 3, and 2 tons of carbon dioxide per year, respectively.
Now does this mean that everyone should run out and become vegan? Well, maybe. Climate change is one of the most serious environmental threats facing our planet. But there are, of course, many other things to consider. Lifestyle and proper nutrition are important personal choices. Preference for local foods is another. Animals can be produced on dry hilly grasslands in places like Oklahoma, which are terrible for growing many plant-based foods (remember the dust bowl?). Environmental impacts besides carbon should also be considered. Many more species of birds and plants and insects can coexist with livestock on grazing lands compared to in the typical monoculture crop field. While this new research makes a compelling argument to shift to a more plant-based diet, it’s one more data point to help us make informed choices and navigate our complex food system. — Dr. Megan O’Rourke, Virginia Tech
*In case you’re wondering. Last year was the first time I completely failed at my This Week for Dinner new year’s resolution. I had planned to learn how to can food. Well, I did not can one piece of food last year. Not one. Nate canned some peppers, so at least a little bit of canning happened in our house. So, nevermind, I totally completed the resolution…by proxy! 😉
Posted by Jane Maynard at 1:16 pm 1 Comment
Categories: Eat Well. Heal the Planet., Plant-Based Eating Tags: eat less meat, eat more veggies, eat well. heal the planet., plant-based eating, vegan, vegetarian |
Hi! My name is Jane Maynard and you've landed yourself on my blog, This Week for Dinner™. Every Sunday I share a weekly menu...and count on you to share yours! You'll also find other deliciousness that I hope you'll enjoy!
