The freedom of choice through information

We don’t believe in putting anyone’s lifestyle choices down, but we do want to help be part of giving people more options. Nearly one fifth of man-made greenhouse gases comes from the meat industry globally, a greater impact than the whole transport sector put together. That’s the sort of stat that can really drive change. It gives a clear way to start to make a difference with one little change and it’s what we are all about. Not only can this sort of change reduce further impact on the environment, but it will also be a necessary shift if we are going to reverse the trend in consumption. Figures from the Meat Free Monday campaign show that meat and dairy products currently provide up to a third of the protein consumed by humans worldwide. But we aren’t slowing down, the estimates show that our demand is set to double between 2000 and 2050, up to 465 million tonnes of global meat consumption.

The impact of eating meat on the environment

But what about the other two thirds of protein consumption? Plant based protein isn’t a new idea, it has been critical to human survival since our earliest traceable roots. After all, animals get their protein from plants to build protein within their own bodies. For the planet though, to create one calorie of meat takes around 40 calories of fossil fuel energy, whereas it only takes two calories of fossil fuel energy to produce one calorie of plant based protein. In a world where we can feel powerless to make change, it’s actually pretty reassuring to hear that if your household cut meat consumption in half, it would do more to reduce emissions than reducing your car usage by half (estimate by Compassion in World Farming). We say that as people who have already learned that eating plant based protein can be a real pleasure and a source of discovery rather than feeling like something is missing!

Discovering plant based protein – and enjoying it!

“A third of all cereal crops, and well over 90% of soya, goes into animal feed not food for humans.” This stat is mind-blowing – the idea that so many people in the world are going hungry when so much food is made just to feed animals that go on to feed so few humans. Plant based protein is important for our future and the planet’s. When it comes to plant based protein there are three main tracks of thought:

1. By changing the meat on your plate with a similar substitute. For example, a soya, pea or mushroom protein burger that looks, tastes and can even act like meat with grill lines, strong texture and a little pinkness – some even ‘bleed’ like a rare burger would! This is a really easy first step for meat free Mondays and beyond, simply switching from a processed product that contains meat to a processed product that doesn’t when you do your supermarket shop. There is a substitute for pretty much everything, from breakfast sausages to mince, chorizo to kebab meat! Many are so similar that even regular meat-eaters can’t tell the difference, not that we advocate sneaky meat reduction…
2. By replacing the meat on your plate with something that acts in the same way. You can find these sorts of products easily in most vegetarian sections of the supermarket now, in fresh and frozen. They include bean burgers, jackfruit burgers, falafel burgers etc! There are hundreds of great, simple recipes to make these yourself at home but it’s a very easy step to start with ready-made ones and directly translate one of your repertoire meals that contained meat to one that doesn’t. Even better, these products are usually significantly cheaper than both meat and meat substitutes and can be really filling! If you want to take it a step further and be plant based rather than vegetarian, it’s just worth checking packets to make sure that milk and egg haven’t been used in production, you might be surprised how many of the off-the-shelf products use milk powder or egg to bind ingredients. As these are common allergens, it’s easy to spot them in the ingredients list as they will be in bold.
3. This option involves shifting up your repertoire to discover new recipes. The growing number of vegan cookbooks makes this an increasingly fun task with suitable options for everything from family lunches to dinner parties. Lentil moussaka, baked tofu skewers, satay tempeh, overnight oats with nuts and seeds, scrambled tofu, edamame pasta, the possibilities are endless! As well as whole recipes, you can switch how you think about the protein on your plate by using edamame pasta in place of egg pasta, a very high protein source. Or add nut butter to curries, seeds to salads and discover the versatility of the many types of beans there are.

All three of these ways are part of personal progression. You might like to start with substitutes that feel safe and easy before discovering similar replacements then go on to make your own versions which leads to entirely new recipes! It’s a great example of how you can ease into meat reduction, and bring the household with you, rather than changing from the familiar to the new all in one go.