Climate change is at the forefront of everyone’s minds right now – and it’s no secret that our current methods of food production and our food consumption habits are contributing to this. Some smart people at the think-tank Eat based in Norway, in conjunction with the journal Lancet, worked on a worldwide study to investigate the impact that our eating has on our planet. 37 scientists collaborated on this study with.

The information they found was very telling – and the issues lie with the food system as a whole, all over the world. Roughly half of the world suffers from food poverty and cannot get adequate nutrition, and the other half suffers from health issues related to overeating and an unhealthy lifestyle. In addition to that, our food system is unsustainably damaging the environment (something that scientists refer to as the “anthropocene” is just this, in fact, and covers the fact that we are leaving a human impact on the planet). There are a number of things we can do to mitigate the damage we do to our surroundings, however.

The diet they’ve suggested that people take up involves a few key points and is based on being very good for both your health and also the environment as a whole. A few key points that are taken into account are:

  • Less meat and fish – meat consumption is limited. You might only have a serving of meat perhaps once a month, and a small serving of fish once a week.
  • Fewer eggs and less dairy – a maximum is 250gr of milk products are allowed per day, and only a couple of eggs in a two weeks.
  • Very little sugar. Plenty of vegetables, depending on what is available in someone’s local area.

The basis of the diet involves sustainability – there’s no point in a purely health-based diet that doesn’t take into account what is available in a sustainable way. Less meat involves using up fewer resources (land, water, etc…) but your protein will be made up from more sustainable sources – perhaps a serving of nuts or chickpeas instead of beef. Options are available for all tastes – it just requires a re-think of our food priorities. It’s better for the environment, and it’s better for our collective health. Maybe you can give it a try?