Simple dietary changes can reduce carbon emissions and improve your health, study shows

Making a small change in diet — chicken instead of beef, plant-based milk instead of cow’s milk — can significantly reduce carbon emissions and increase the healthiness of your diet, according to a new study. (Photo from iStock)

Curbing carbon emissions and eating healthier can both start at the dinner table.

According to a new study conducted by a Tulane University researcher and published in the journalNature’s foodAccording to the study, making simple substitutions such as switching from beef to chicken or drinking plant-based milk instead of cow’s milk can reduce the average American’s carbon footprint from food by 35 percent and also increase diet quality by 4 to 10 percent. .

The findings highlight the potential of a small-changes approach that researchers believe could encourage more consumers to adopt climate-friendly eating habits. Food production accounts for 25-33% of countries’ greenhouse gas emissions, and beef production is the main factor.

“This study shows that reducing carbon emissions in the diet is achievable and does not require lifestyle changes,” said Diego Rose, senior author and director of the Nutrition Program at Tulane University’s School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine. It can be as simple as ordering a chicken burrito instead of beef when you go out to eat. When you’re at the grocery store, move your hand with one foot to reach for soy or almond milk instead of cow’s milk. This small change can have a significant impact.

The study, which analyzed dietary data from more than 7,700 Americans, identified commonly eaten foods with the highest climate impact and simulated replacing them with nutritionally equivalent, low-emission options.

“For us, the alternatives involved swapping a beef burger for a turkey burger, not a steak for a tofu hot dog,” said lead author Anna Gromon, an assistant professor of pediatrics and health policy at Stanford University. We looked for alternatives that were as similar as possible.

The largest projected reductions in greenhouse gas emissions were found in mixed foods: burritos, pasta and similar popular foods that can easily be substituted with a lower-impact protein for beef.

This study extended past research using dietary data for children. While it may be more effective for adults to focus on protein replacement, Grumon said switching to plant-based milks in children can have a significant impact on the carbon footprint and help start positive habits earlier.

Identifying healthy alternatives to high-carb foods was not the goal of this study. And yet, substitution with low-carb foods showed significant improvements in how healthy diets were.

While these alternatives are not intended as a panacea for climate goals or personal health goals, they are evidence that small changes can have a big impact.

There is an overlap between sustainable diets and healthy diets, Grumon said. Our study shows that changing just one ingredient, making one swap, can be a win-win, leading to meaningful changes in climate outcomes and how healthy our diets are.

Other authors of the study included Christina Lee and Thomas Robinson of Stanford University and Eric Ream of Harvard University.