I have battled between pescatarianism (eating fish) and
vegetarianism all my life and I have always struggled with deciding which is
the best diet for me.
Personally, what
determines a good diet is its health benefits, low environmental impact and of
course, variety and taste. One thing that I feel is lacking in my diet is
protein and I have been on the search for the best way for me to get my fix.
During my research I came across this graph which really hammered home that
being a vegetarian is much more environmentally friendly. At one end you have
lentils, the environmentally friendly and vegetarian option and at the other
end is lamb, which has a carbon footprint a lot larger than its hoof! What’s
more, lentils actually contain a lot more protein than most meats (except
turkey), so surely this is the most viable source of protein.
The main problem with lentils compared to meat is taste. While the thought of a
sizzling sirloin steak leave most drooling at the mouth, lentils do not. But
this is no reason to dismiss them, it may just take a few recipes too make you
see lentils in a different light. Here are
32 recipes
which prove that lentils can be used to create a variety of tasty goods. It may
not be meat but it is much better for your conscience!
Realistically, most of you won’t want to give up meat completely
and that’s fine! It is important however to try and eat organic meat when you
do. According to
Hamerschlag (2011) a lot of the emissions come from chemical
fertilisers, feed, fuel, water and pesticides which are somewhat reduced in
organic and grass fed meat. Ruminant enteric fermentation (cow farts) are a big
part of the of the problem and counts toward 50% of beef production emissions,
so try and steer away from lamb and beef.
|
Opt for chicken over beef, the meat tastes morally correct! Taken from: Hamerschlag (2011) |
So the good news is you can still eat some meat, but also mix it up with a few
lentils and dried beans for a super healthy, moderate environmental impact and
a great variety and taste. I myself will be sticking to the fish but will be cutting
down on my cheese intakes.