FOLLOW THE PLANETARY HEALTH DIET.

For most people like you, the Planetary Health Diet means cutting down on meat consumption.

A key indicator of the climate impact of what you eat is how much beef you consume.

It’s not all or nothing, but small changes can make a big difference for your climate impact.

The personal dietary change with the single biggest environmental benefit is cutting beef, which uses far more resources and produces far more pollution than other options. Analyses have shown that we simply cannot meet even the 2°C goal without reducing today’s meat consumption.

Right now, according to the EAT-Lancet analysis, the average American consumes:

Too much:

– Protein: twice as much as recommended for health
– Red meat: six times higher than is healthy and sustainable
– Egg and poultry: 2.5 times too high

Too little:

– Fruits and vegetables (aim for twice as much; to cover half your plate)
– Legumes, like lentils and peas (aim for 5x more!)
– Nuts (also aim for 5x)

Aim for “Just right”: if you eat animal products, eat no more than:

– 1 glass of milk, or 1 ounce of cheese per day (about the size of your thumb)
– 2 eggs per week
– 2 servings of chicken and fish per week (1 serving size = deck of playing cards)
– 1 small beef burgers per week (ensuring you don’t waste any in the preparation process)

For some inspo, check out this sample meal plan from Harvard public health that fits the planetary health diet.