Vegetarian Food Is More Sustainable

A meat-free diet is one of the most sustainable actions anyone can take to reduce their ecological footprint on this planet. An increasing number of people are adopting the meat-free philosophy as part of their commitment to the environment and animal welfare. Meatless Monday has become a worldwide phenomenon, with support from several high-profile celebrities, most noticeably former Beatle Paul McCartney.

The case for a plant-based diet gets increasingly compelling from an environmental perspective, as some fresh data confirms. According to a new study by the Sustainable European Research Institute (SERI), a Vienna-based think tank, the production of meat alternatives such as soy meat, tofu and seitan causes about 95 per cent lower emissions of greenhouse gases than production of ground meat. The study was commissioned by the German Vegetarian Society (VEBU) and the Austrian branch of the international environmental activist network Greenpeace.

The study found that producing one kilogram (2.2 pounds) of soy meat released about 350 grams of carbon dioxide (CO2) into the atmosphere compared with about 7,200 grams from the same amount of ground meat. On average, 98 per cent less land is needed to produce meat alternatives, VEBU said.

In the study, SERI examined the environmental impact of eight food products made either from soy granulate or seitan, often marketed as wheat gluten. It then compared it with the ecological footprint of ground meat. The study factored in water consumption, transport and the use of both renewable and non-renewable resources.

Contrary to what detractors like to say, a sustainable, plant-based meal is not elitist or more expensive. Mintlife, a website dedicated to money matters, runs a challenge whereby food and finance bloggers come up with gourmet meals that cost less than $10. One of the challenges asked experts to send in their best suggestions for a meat-free meal for a family of four. The recipes they returned with were dead cheap, except that there was nothing dead in the food.

The price of the dishes were based on New York City supermarket costs. "If it's a cheap meal in NYC, we figure cooks in most other places in the country will spend even less," the website said. Quite right. Prices were also adjusted for quantity. For example, if a recipe called for half an onion, it was assumed the other half would be used elsewhere. Staple ingredients such as olive oil and dried spices were not taken into account. The challenge was organized by Frugal Foodie, a New York City based journalist who writes about personal finance and food.

One of the bloggers to rise to the challenge was GL Toutbridge, who came up with a recipe for spiced veggie burgers. It only cost $2.35, or $0.59 per serving. She said her kids loved it because it was simple to make and they could help her.

Another very cheap recipe was the eggplant stew suggested by Sandra Lira of Zanda Panda Bakeware. It worked out at $3.92, or $0.98 per serving. According to Sandra,  the dish is particularly tasty with warm bread.

So there! It is possible to be kind to the planet, save some money and have fun at the same time.

Image credit: Vebu