So says a study by Sharon Friel, Laurel J Baròsh and Mark Lawrence. They developed the concept of a ‘Healthy & Sustainable Diet’.
The concept follows three health and sustainability principles.
1. Eating less
Most of us must admit that we overindulge now and then. But even on an average day-to-day basis, an American consumes 1’000 kJ more than an adult recommended daily intake (RDI) of 8’700 kJ. That can be anything from two and a half bananas, two slices of meat lover’s pizza to four chocolate chip cookies.
So, how can eating less help the environment?
Already at least 50% of America's land area is used in the food production industry. Soil is being lost from this land at a rate that is far beyond sustainable. Copious amounts of fresh water are needed and along with that 17% of the US’s fossil energy. This isn’t sustainable.
By cutting out foods you don’t require, you are saving valuable resources all while living a healthier lifestyle.
2. Eating less junk food
You see the big M, try to resist, but give in to a quarter pounder meal. A large one too, of course. So, you just ate 5137kJ. That’s a staggering 59% of your RDI and chances are you’ll feel hungry again soon.
These so-called discretionary foods are high in saturated fat, sugar, and salt, but carry little nutritional value. As junk food is highly processed it's not only harmful to your health but also extremely destructive to the environment. The processing affair requires substantial amounts of energy, usually gained by burning fossil fuels.
Limiting your intake of discretionary foods is part of having an H&S diet.
3. Eating a more plant-based diet
In a study by David and Marcia Pimentel the sustainability of a meat-based versus a plant-based diet was examined.
Favourable for a meat-lovers argument; they found that a vegetarian must consume more food to reach an adult's RDI. But only 0.7% more, which is almost not worth talking about.
Even when considering this the production of a plant-based diet still requires 20% less land area. So much so that the mass of grains fed to livestock in the US could feed 840 million people living off a plant-based diet.
Additionally, water is used 100 times more sparingly in the production of a plant-based diet.
Not only has the negative impact of a meat-heavy diet long been known it has also become apparent, that switching to a more plant-based diet is beneficial to the environment.
Environmentally conscious meat-eating
If you don’t want to reduce your consumption of meat you can still opt for something more environmentally friendly. For example, you could eat more chicken or pork or even kangaroo. These animals are more environmentally friendly compared to their ruminant friends. Ruminant animals such as sheep and cattle produce greater amounts of methane, a significant greenhouse gas, through enteric fermentation.
To limit our destruction of the environment, we must use our resources more effectively. Luckily, we can do this and become healthier beings at the same time.