Yet another article that lumps all meat together. Beef raised by regenerative grazing practices is not just "better" than other red meat, it is an urgently needed strategy to combat climate change by reducing emissions of carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide, as well as sequestering carbon. The methodology is based on the goal of building robust populations of soil microbes, without which humans have no future on the planet.
There are a lot of myths about regenerative grazing out there (e.g. not enough land), some of them perpetuated by the NYTimes. For a better understanding, start with the article linked below, read to the end, and then follow the peer-reviewed science and case studies:
https://bio4climate.org/2023/12/04/regenerative-grazing-a-compelling-climate-strategy/
Thank you for this article - it gave me a concrete way to make small changes. However, as someone who works in the agricultural sector, are we ever going to talk about the difference between dairy produced in CAFOs and the dairy produced by farmers who use managed rotational grazing practices? To have all dairy lumped together instead of digging deeper and learning about the benefits of regenerative farming practices, feels lazy. Many could say the same about meat production. There is a difference in the environmental impact, human and animal health implications and the nutritional value overall. Thanks again for the article - I plan to start making small changes that will lead to more permanent ones with my diet.
“…if you are getting enough calories, then you are getting enough protein. (That is, unless you are an elite athlete.)”
Research supports the first part of this statement. The parenthetical part, not so much. The documentary Game Changers shows case after case of “elite” athletes, who not only performed well after switching to a vegan diet, but actually improved. Some reported faster recovery time from injuries. The film features football players, weightlifters, cyclists that benefited from switching to a vegan diet. It is hard to kill the old myths about meat and peak physic. But, the evidence doesn’t lie, if you’re willing to accept it. The sooner people do, the better off we all will be.
1
After a lot of reading I've come to the conclusion that the best thing for the environment, animals, and us is...BALANCE. A purely vegan lifestyle has its own environmental drawbacks (and if I were, say, a deer, I'd probably prefer a quick death from a hunter's shotgun than the slow agony of starvation in the winter due to overpopulation), and barring a rapid and immediate decline in world-wide birthrates, a balanced diet of mostly plants with some meat and diary is the way to go--even for folks who claim to love our furry and scaly friends.
I’m going in the opposite direction - significantly increasing my consumption of meat and other animal products, for health reasons.
Many people are now learning how bad carbs are for them, and using animal foods-based diets to significantly decrease their carb intake (plant-based foods are predominantly carbs). See the Zero Carb movement, keto movement, etc.
A switch to predominantly animal foods enabled me to lose almost 15 pounds in six months, without limiting my food intake, and improve my body fat levels - at age 61.
Not everyone reacts badly to carbs, of course, but many do. It appears to be genetic. I would wager that most overweight people are that way because they can’t handle carbs.
If we encouraged people struggling with weight problems to eat MORE meat (including fish) and to drop grains, pasta, fruits, and sweets from their diet (all of which are super high in carbs), we could go a long way toward addressing the obesity epidemic in this country.
I do eat grass fed meat as much as possible, as evidence shows that this is much better for the environment and for global warming, as well as much more humane. And, this allows me to support regenerative agriculture in my local rural communities.
2
As somebody who has made a 17 year journey to being essentially a vegan plus seafood, I commend Ms. Clark on her Ways that many people who don’t want to cut out meat and dairy can reduce it and therefore the staggering impact on the environment. Leaving aside the ethical issue of whether or not to kill other sentient creatures when we don’t need to, the environmental impact is causing many of us to do just what Ms Clark is suggesting.
1
Great article, as I stumbled upon it, again, in July 2022! I am struck by the fact that it was republished before life was forever altered by the ensuing pandemic. It come from another time and place but is even more relevant.
I find the scope of food groups really helpful and the suggestions super inspiring for rethinking and retooling the daily menu. At this point I just personally and for my family I could use a climate friendlier change up to our regular food routines. And, I just find it comforting and thoughtful. Thank you for this article!
1
I really dislike that I have to have an additional subscription to read the recipes that are part of this article. I guess I won’t be trying any of these recipes and try avoiding any food articles in future.
4
We eat lots of beans which I grow in my large garden. This year I have 13 varieties of dry beans alone. Some are my own landraces. They are easy to grow and transplant well.
What about animal cruelty? Why is it being ignored? Factory farming of chickens and pigs is just as cruel, or more cruel than cows and lambs! Is de-beaking chickens ok or cramming them in filthy confinement operations where they spend the majority of their lives in cages the size of computer paper? Or in so-called “free range” contraptions where tens of thousands of chickens are crammed together, trampling over each other like a panicked mob at a rock concert? It’s ok for female pigs to be stuck in a gestation crate for months on end…a crate that is so narrow and short she can’t even turn around? Wake up! Stop acting like eating meat is done kind of Devine right. It is a brutal and filthy business taking place behind closed doors.
6
We need to discuss which type of meat is tied to the most carbon emissions. The carbon footprint from beef, lamb, and dairy far surpasses that of chicken, pork, or fish. This is important, because it will be hard for people to suddenly go vegetarian - if it’s hard, they won’t stick with it and will keep eating beef. Directing them to meat with lower emissions is a good first step. Also, if people DO cut back on meat, it be most helpful if they choose chicken over beef during the few times they do want to incorporate meat into their diet.
1
Leave it to Melissa to inspire, yet again. Thank you, thank you, thank you! I've been really struggling over my Forks Over Knives vegan, no oil no salt no sugar approach which makes me feel like "cheating" all the time. Melissa's approach is so reasonable, I can definitely do this, and her ability to balance goodness with intense flavors is the winning combination for my conscience, my aspirations and my health. So very grateful.
2
When I read where someone says that cutting back on meat and dairy can help mitigate (verb: make less severe, serious, or painful) climate change I have to ask myself does the person even know what they are talking about?
Being serious walk the talk environmentalists since we were kids, and now married 50+ years, our family walks the talk. We are a plant based, small home, zero waste, green living lifestyle.
We also know the word sentient (adjective: able to perceive or feel things) and wonder if Ms. Clark ever stops to think about the fact the lamb, cow, pig, chicken she is eating had built trust with the human feeding, watering it, who felt safe and then one day was removed from their environment taken to a loud violet place and killed. Usually in inhumane ways!
And with our need for clean water, it concerns me that 1/3 of all water use here in the states goes to raising animals that produce meat/dairy/eggs, either directly or for the feed they are fed. Plants that could be better used for actually feeding humans.
9
One does not have to "go vegan" one can go vegetarian. Veganism is an extreme form of vegetarianism. They are not the same and certainly not interchangeable terms.
3
I love this principal and have strived to eat more plant-based meals, but am struggling with this concept: as a consumer, even if I am not actively purchasing the meat/dairy options in the supermarket, they are still there - already made and theoretically damage has been done. I know that on a larger scale, the theory of supply and demand would result in less meat/dairy products being created, but is my weekly shop with less meat really going to make an impact?
1
Melissa, you're making one glaring mistake: no breakfast.
In winter I begin the day with 2/3 of a cup of dry Quaker Oats, 4/3 boiling water, seasoned with a teaspoon of dark brown sugar, adding 1/2 cup of hot whole milk. I often go all day on this, with only a light lunchtime snake of smoked salmon, or a few spoonfuls of tuna salad -- forsaking bread. Oats are rich in protein, high in fiber (cleanse the colon) and "stick to your ribs," as Mom often said, assuaging mid-morning hunger. All that, plus the great jump-start from a hot bowl of oats will often stifle my appetite until suppertime, unless I'm involved in heavy work during the day. I'm 75, six feet tall, 188 lbs, and still strong (for my age). I never eat fast-food, the salt/sugar/fat heart-killer, never eat pizza, and avoid ALL soft drinks, unless driving more than eight hours daily, when sugary coke/coffee wires me for the intensity of interstate driving, an absolute necessity. But it makes me realize immediately how dangerous sugar is to metabolism, and today's article predicting 50% morbid obesity and 25% simple obesity in the US in ten years is sad to comprehend (and why cradle to grave health care, however altruistic, is impossible).
Our shopping baskets are "The Pushers Of Death by Digestion -- not by gluttonous consumption, but drip by drip, bite by bite, over the course of each waking day, and may be a greater killer than opioids, in the long run. Oatmeal is a fantastic panacea. Try it!
4
Samuel Johnson once said, "Oats are a grain that people in Scotland eat but that in England are fed to horses " To which a Scot replied, "And thus the quality of men in Scotland and horses in England."
3
the recipes are fine, but if we just reduced the amount of silly "hot air" that appears in the New York Times, we'd reduce gas emissions, too. Vegans and Vegetarians also eat a lot of beans. Just saying....
1
Thank you Melissa. This is inspiring.
2
Never too late to start, Melissa! Eating less meat also helps avoid deforestation, which helps save threatened biodiversity from extinction as well as fighting cllimate change. Another big source of deforestation is palm oil, present in so many products in the supermarket. Can you please look into that? So glad to see you are starting to connect food choices to the planet's health.
1
Beans! One of my favorite beans is the red bean made Puerto Rican style with sofrito and butternut squash the way my grandmother made them. Over steamed rice, it's so flavorful and filling. Find a good 'arroz con habichuelas' recipe online and you will wonder why you never ate them before. Delicious!
5
Really great articles and ideas!
2
even better if we were not charged for the embedded recipes
This story evolves from the 70's when we kids were forced to read Diet For A Small Planet by our mean parents.
FYI We have a million murres dying on the west coast.
But we're killing 10 billion animals a year in slaughter houses that were inhumane and are now speeding up thanks to Sauron in the White House.
So let's not gaslight about the benefits of eating plants. When I'm not eating meat, I'm not eating suffering. Yet this is still not mentioned in this or any newsy news. I get the feeling the self editing makes it impossible to talk about us being complicit in the horror show that is our calling animals meat snf eating them mindlessly ignoring pigs, cows, horses, dogs, cats, goats, lamb, chicken etc... Animal corpses I buy in the supermarket would be labeled with a simple Stoplight color code for climate and suffering.
RED: Stoplight red for cow meat, chicken, pigs.
Yellow for soybeans and other corporate agriculture practices that clear rainforests for cattle feed (aka why the Amazon rainforest is being cleared)
Green: go wild plants and fruits.
The colors for suffering animals and climate are curiously the same. Cattle take enormous energy and water. 10 g energy for 1 g meat.
Funny! Jon Stewart and his wife Tracey are featured in the latest Ep. 2: Plants over Politics—former Daily Show host Jon Stewart & his wife Tracey. see youtube for the conversation.
Find your sense of humor and attention in their conversation on Plant Strong. love
4
One giant question I have for the American livestock industry is why they have not found - or even looked for - more humane, less planet crushing ways to deal with feed and methane. I, too, am a meat lover, and find it very hard to go completely meatless. I tend to be anemic, and fairly often have meat cravings, which I atttribute to needing iron. These cravings are also accompanied by cravings for dark leafy greens, which also contain abundant iron. I don't see me ever being able to give up meat entirely. I also don't process carbohydrates well, and have diabetes in my family, so some of the substitutes that would be a quick substitute for many people are not possbible for me
I'm all for creative recipes that minimize meat, but I'd also like to think that innovation could help rescue us from having to go meatless. So far, the plant based fake meat products available are also problematic, most loaded with chemicals and fillers, or highly caloric, like the Impossible Burger.
I'm all for doing what I can to reduce my personal carbon footprint, but why do we have to give up on producing meat in more humane, ecologically responsible ways ? I already do what I can to buy ethically raised meat and dairy but I wish the industry would do more to help us out.
2
Good for you. I stopped eating meat and poultry a decade ago, but love sustainable wild seafood. I'm going to try that stew of chickpeas with organic diced tomatoes and the spicing you recommend (minus the coconut milk). @Victor'sHealthyKitchenonYouTube
1
I agree with the main argument put forth. But if the goal is sustainability then locally sourced pasture-raised animals are actually good for the environment.
The problem is large, industrial feed lot operations. If you eat meat buy it locally. It’s much healthier for you, tastes better, and supports the local economy.
7
Clark is so wrong about the healthiness of legumes and grains. Legumes are difficult to digest and in that way damage the gut, the source of our immune system. A grain-heavy (yes, even and especially a whole grain) diet is implicated in every disease from diabetes to heart disease to Alzheimer’s. Grass-fed, cud-chewing animals provide not only protein but also the proper anti-inflammatory essential fatty acids, needed to maintain or create good health. Chicken, on the other hand is a more inflammatory animal protein because it has the wrong fatty acid makeup. Fish is healthy in moderation (mercury). By all means cut down meat portion sizes. Use it as a condiment. And eat plants and healthy starches. Switching to carbs is useless in balancing blood sugar (now known as essential to health and longevity).
4
SPK,
Whole grains and legumes are the foundation of the world’s longest lived people. Take a look at the research of Blue Zones.
7
Just once I would like to see a food writer who lives within an hour of any ocean and constantly extols the virtues of eating local seafood explain to me what “local” seafood is in Ohio. Better yet, what’s local seafood in Kansas?
5
@Dan McGrew There is local seafood in New Jersey -- including dayboat scallops and monkfish -- but most of what we see in the market arrives by plane: Icelandic cod, haddock and flounder; wild salmon from the northwestern U.S. So, the rule should be to find sustainable wild seafood wherever it comes from.
1
What are we to do with the farmers and workers of the meat and dairy Industry....teach ‘em to code, for God’s sake?
3
If farmers can animal farm, they can plant farm. Many dairy farmers have made the adjustment and some even have gone vegan and turned their dairy farms into farm animal sanctuaries! Veganism is changing the agricultural world as well.
6
This article is full of dangerously misleading assumptions and statements about meat and dairy.
First off, quality meat and dairy (same as quality plant based nutrition) need not impact our environment adversely. Meat farmed properly (same as vegetables ) is a net benefit to our environment. Same goes for dairy. The right quality of both has tremendous health benefits.
Consuming less quality meat and dairy makes a healthy diet much more difficult, especially protein intake; the former is the best source of essential aminoacids and belongs to the most efficient protein sources.
The issue with the "standard American diet", both in terms of health and the environment, is the overconsumption of low quality macros (less preferable fats, carbs (sugars) and proteins. So it's not about not eating meat, but topgrading industrially farmed and refined foods with local, organic and environmentally beneficial foods.
OMNIVORES GO!
12
Though Melissa Clark has many good suggestions, she is also spreading some misconceptions.
1) Protein. The statement that "It's in grains, it's in vegetables, it's in everything" is flat out wrong. Whole grains and legumes, yes. Most other vegetables and fruits, no.
2) Most Americans DON'T consume optimal protein, especially if active. Rather, we are over consumers of refined grains and sugar. According to the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (https://doi.org/10.3945/ajcn.114.083980), the target protein intake should be 15-25% of calorie intake, depending on activity level (16% or so is American average). Per US.gov, recommended calorie intake for moderately active adult male = 2500 and female = 2000. 20% protein would = about 100 grams for an active adult woman. Most beans, perhaps the best plant sources of protein, have about 15 gm of protein per 6 oz. Salmon has 35 gm per 6 oz.
3) The vast grasslands of the American West require regular grazing for their health. That = cows or bison. ( yes, I know, grazing practices could be improved). As a bonus, grass-fed beef is far healthier than corn fed.
4) Estimates of meat's contribution to carbon emissions typically ignore that cows are eating vegetable matter that would NOT be consumed by humans as well as the carbon cost of moving fresh veggies and fruits during winter.
Not enough room here to discuss free-range chicken, organic pork. Also to be considered for good health
13
I appreciate Melissa's efforts and sharing her experience with us. But what is missing here is any concern for health (aside from the question of getting enough protein). She talks about adding "lots of salt" to some dishes and diving into carb-rich pasta and highly-caloric cashews.
I am a heart patient who is also trying to avoid weight gain which means many of the recipes here are of no use to me. The parameters of the box some of us are in--concern for the planet above all, our heart-health, and our weight--make abandoning meat and dairy even more complicated.
2
Great article! Thank you from a plant based consumer who wishes to see more and more people adapt a more sustainable and conscious way of eating. it's the small steps taken from many that make the difference.
3
Why are nonseasonal, tropical fruit/veggies/nuts choices better than meat or dairy that can be raised/grown/processed/packaged within 100 miles of NYC (or literally any city or town in the Northeast US)?
Why do people think chicken is healthier or less-bad than beef, when chickens are mostly raised in confinement by farmers ridiculously in debt under terrible contracts to huge companies while the meat from a single cow, raised on grass and browse (which, ahem, people cannot eat), can provide dense nutrition for a family (or two) for a year?
Why do some Americans in temperate climates feel entitled to a constant supply of avocados and almonds and coconuts and cashews, and then point fingers at the 9% of emissions caused by ALL agriculture in the US (not just livestock) while casually ignoring the 28.9% of emissions tied to transportation (i.e., shipping those tropical fruits)?
Eating less meat is great, and I'm all for it. As someone who stewards some livestock, I have a better understanding of the costs involved than most. I have built my entire adult life around trying to lessen my impact on climate change (I grow my own food! I make my own two-ingredient soap and shampoo! I grow grass for sheep food instead of having a lawn! I drive maybe 25 miles a week! I use a renewable resource for heat and try to avoid AC!), but I cannot understand championing the choice of tropical foods of unknown province over local, seasonal food raised by people working in safe conditions.
17
This is so true.. I am trying to convince my American husband who want us to go vegan that the choices are not as black and white, and we need to think about the grey zone.
I like the flexitarian approach described in this article but would indeed favor some locally pastured and ethically raised meat and dairy once a week over daily avocado / exotic fruits and unethically harvested nuts
5
@Rachel
Your comment makes too much sense, Rachel. Vegans don't want to hear it (which I wager you've already discovered). I've been lectured so many times by holier-than-thou vegans.
6
Rachel:
Well said. Thank you. Everyone should try their best to eat was is grown locally. Industrial farming is the problem.
4
Avocado toast and cashews instead of cheese and crackers?!? My neighbor makes cheese, cashews are harvested by slave labor and avocados and coconuts are terrible for the environment. Mindful eating is more than just cutting out meatand dairy.
9
Yes, eating less meat dairy for the earth is good. But the primary reason should still be for ethical reasons: it's not good to kill and eat sentient beings, or as in milk and egg production make them suffer.
5
@Saritha
In some circumstances, meat and dairy consumption is environmentally responsible. Milk and egg production does not have to involve suffering (though in modern practice it does). IMO, killing and eating sentient beings can be done ethically (though in modern practice it is often not). Life is sacred, so is death.
1
Thanks for this great story.
1
Eating chicken does not have the same environmental impact that meat and dairy do so that's a plus. There are so many ways to enjoy it. Willie Mae's fried chicken in New Orleans might be one of the best restaurants I've ever been to.
If you want to eat less meant, then just eat less meat. If everyone usually eats a whole chicken breast, just serve everyone half a breast. Same goes for all other meats, fish, etc.
Serve smaller portions of meat with your regular recipes.
No need to start eating bizarre, expensive, yucky foods.
Eating smaller portions of meat also saves money, since meat is the most expensive item in a meal.
2
I never thought of fruits and vegetables as yucky and expensive . Meat, on the other hand, doesn’t appeal. To each their own, I guess.
4
@Michelle Abramson
I don't think of most fruits and vegetables as yucky, but I do consider many of the strange plant based combinations to be very unsatisfying, same for all the strange grains, etc. And don't even mention tofu.
We eat local as much as possible. We don't eat seafood - expensive, endangered, toxic,
We eat small portions of meat, if we eat meat at all, and my grandchildren eat even less meat, which is good. We do eat lots of fruits and vegetables, and dairy products. though very few eggs. And no fake dairy products
Everyone is healthy and satisfied.
Hunt. Low-carbon footprint, organic meat.
3
We have been vegetarians for years. Because of a recently diagnosed autoimmune disease- he is now on a no dairy, gluten, legumes, Lots of organic grass fed meat diet with miraculous results. Surprise to us. So vegetarianism not for everyone. We need to individualize medicine generally!! Three years ago my son got cdiff, twice. Post infectious IBS for three years followed; unrelatedly, a varsity tennis player, he suffered a tibial bone bruise that swelled his knee to grapefruit size, but it was negligently dismissed by student “ health “ services at his college Over six visits, six months his knee remained swollen. Finally his Mom( me) made mri appnt- found surgeon who did a surgery. No improvement- disability and pain continued. Long story short- poor medical care by college resulted in diagnosis this summer of a lifelong incurable disease, rheumatoid arthritis. AIP- largely a clean Meat diet has cured his Post infectious IBS. His knee will likely never heal but meat has been a blessing for this completely avoidable incurable disease had college health service respected knee swelling and prescribed rest and imaging!!!! Hope others can benefit from our ignorance.
5
@Di Miller
What nutrient is in animals that is not in plants that would heal his IBS?
1
Anyone who has ever driven past Harris Ranch on I-5 has seen the horrors of the beef industry— Not only for its environmental impact but also for its spreading of food borne illnesses and animal cruelty. Eating beef from cows that have lived a life trekking through their own feces just doesn’t have the same appeal as the “Happy Cows Come From California” campaign.
The Times recently wrote another article regarding the possibility of using seaweed diets in cows to reduce methane emissions. Here’s hoping this methodology continues to show promise.
3
Former lifelong vegetarian whose health was destroyed by contracting superbug CDIFF. and second blow to his( my 21 yr old son) immune system result of student health service (Pomona College) negligently, incompetently dismissing his swollen( grapefruit size) knee for many months, six visits- not doing imaging, not recommending rest, ( on tennis team)not recommending referral, his mother( me) insisted he get these. MRI showed leg bone bruise. Eventually he is diagnosed with ncurable autoimmune disease because his knee went untreated- a life now of disability , pain, expensive meds and monitoring- autoimmune disease. Grass fed meats diet, a mainstay of autoimmune protocol diet has been miraculous. Cured his IBS but RA we can only pray and hope. But still  grassfedmeats are lifesaving for some.
5
My nine-year-old often reminds us: if beans and rice is a choice, it is his choice, over any other meal. We instant pot a batch of beans at least weekly, but different beans so we don’t repeat one more than monthly.
3
It's worse than you think. The beef industry accounts for "at least" 98 percent of all greenhouse gasses. That is primarily due to the 25,000 lbs of corn required for the production of one lb of hamburger. When you consider that a steer is born weightless and then gains 1200 lbs eating all that corn (which requires 100,000 gallons of diesel fuel for the production of one pound of corn) it becomes clear that the cow is the number one enemy of the planet. God help us all....
6
@Jim
Grass fed beef means that the animal does not eat corn. Grazing cattle helps to regenerate the soil by fertilizing it naturally. The alternative is to use chemical fertilizers that degrade the soil. Any way you look at it, without animals we lose the soil. If we lose the soil, how are we going to grow nutrient rich veggies and produce. You need to do your research.
9
Correct!!!!! Individualize such dietary prescriptions! My son post infectious IBS for three years on our vegetarian diet was cured by AIP protocol, largely grass fed meats, no dairy though, tons of coconut products, veggies, no nightshade. We learned from this that grass fed meats, unfortunately expensive( as are his medications!) can be healing for some.
1
@Di Miller
They aren't healing for the animals involved nor for the environmental. Your vegetarian diet wasn't healthy to begin with. Could the elimination of dairy be the real cure?
1
Junk-food vegetarian here! (Meaning way too much frozen-food aisle vegetarian stuff, Amy’s, Gardein substitutes, etc.). Stuff is good (well, not really, a LOT of sodium) and easy: pop in microwave, done. I know. Why are you a vegetarian then? (10 years ago, this month): Ethical reasons (watched film Food, Inc. then read The Jungle by Upton Sinclair). There are us too-lazy-to-cook veggies out there! I’m not vegan; it’s so hard to imagine giving up my animal-rennet-free Cabot cheese and yogurt for my smoothies. I gave up milk in coffee years ago, and at first it was hard to do (use soy now instead and I get ALL my daily soy protein just from my coffee in the a.m.). If I’m out and there’s nothing but only cream or milk available, I put in a little sugar and drink it black. These recipes, though daunting for me with more than five ingredients (including herbs/spices) listed, look too delicious to not try. At least once. (I don’t subscribe to Cooking either, but was able to access all the links at bottom of article.)
2
Just as the author states (several times), there are certain things that she just will not give up, but will eat less of. Probably most people have some things that, similarly, they won't sacrifice.
The total carbon footprint should be looked at, if one is on a quest to become more carbon friendly. I read that 30 million of us flew somewhere on an airplane this holiday season. That's in the USA alone.
Some people (myself) can give up travel except for necessities. For most, I suspect, that would be unthinkable. I cut back on meat long ago; only economics could get me to consider more. I went from 200 pounds to 150. It costs less carbon to move me around mechanically now.
There are so many factors to talk about in this discussion; this talk is about meat and dairy, but the total picture of a person's carbon footprint is what counts.
I caused one child (oops), and then got a vasectomy 27 years ago.
1
Thank you, thank you, thank you! I saved every recipe. It is wonderful to see more vegetarian and vegan recipes and ideas appearing in print and on NYT Cooking. Keep them coming!
6
Hi Melissa! Thanks for the wonderful read! I have been thinking a lot about my meat consumtion over the last year and this article has convinced me to make the change toward a more sustainable middle ground. (Maybe starting at 5 meat meals/week) That said, I'm really curious, if you might have a layout of what you eat on an average day or over an average week. It would be really helpful to see something along those lines.
1
In case Melissa does not reply, my day’s breakfast options (milk is my non negotiable):
1. Oatmeal/quinoa/farro porridge. Add honey, shredded coconut, nuts, raisins. Splash of milk for kids. I like water.
2. Sourdough waffle (recipe found in nytimes).
3. Sprouted wheat pancakes.
4. Muesli (soaked oats and chia seeds in milk and yogurt). Serve with loads of fruits.
Lunch: salad or vegetable bowl or bean soup.
Dinner: same as above. Or something with meat. Lots of recipes can be found in nytimes.
We eat a lot of beans. They are delicious when cooked from scratch.
2
very thinly slice extra firm tofu, dip it in soy sauce, dredge it in a combo of nutritional yeast and bread crumbs or rice flour. Sauté. You can also try freezing it first - it gets more chewy
4
another interesting trick is to chop cauliflower very small, braise it in a bit of water in a pan till it boils dry. Let it brown then add a little water to deglaze. Very umami
5
Stop eating animals. Period. Stop eating dairy. Period.
I was saddened to learn that Melissa is still eating animals!
4
If you want to eat red meat without damaging the climate, go out in the woods during hunting season and legally shoot a deer. There are plenty of them, too many in many states, and you will be eliminating a ruminant rather than encouraging an industry that raises them. Plus venison, and elk meat, are leaner and healthier than most cattle beef.
11
Eating less meat and dairy, e.g., healthy fats and protein, and eating more “ piles of noodles” and “hunks of bread” might save the earth, but will surely kill you. Carbs shouldn’t replace protein. Eat beans or seafood. Love Melissa Clark, but it’s irresponsible to glorify the carb obsession America has given our epic obesity problem.
6
Tip: Trader Joe's has a soy fake chorizo that is fantastic, great for making rice and beans!
6
I’m sorry, but I’ve met many vegans and vegetarians and I’ve never been “lectured” by one. Or at least no more than the meat eaters lecture about being lectured. This hysteria is the same falsehood as the war on Christmas. Anyhoo.....Enjoyed this article...I’m going to try and eat more plant based meals in 2020...better for my health, the planets...and to spare some animal suffering. I plan on also enjoying my guilty pleasures (I love you mcdonalds quarter pounder with cheese)...but I’m going to try and put more thought into my day to day food choices.
5
@Ron Catana:
Ron, although I stopped eating meat years ago, I still eat fish and dairy. And I've gotten lectured by vegans more times than I can count.
2
What is “ethically raised meat”?
2
@Lily Vidal:
"What is ethically raised meat?"
Small farms that practice responsible animal husbandry, that don't abuse their animals. But yes, they still kill them to eat. That's what it is.
2
Chickens, as an example, are fared in a few different ways. If you read the packages on the egg cartons you can interpret. Most eggs, and chickens, are raised in factory farms where the chickens never see the light of day. Their egg packaging says nothing about how the chickens are treated. These eggs are the cheapest. Some packaging will say “cage-free” which used to mean that the chickens got to run around. Now it simply means that the producer has eliminated the cages, and in most cases just packed more chickens onto the enormous dark shelves that are their homes. More expensive eggs, way worse for chickens, more money for the industrial producers. Then there are some eggs that have the label “free-range.” This is as close as you’ll get in your typical grocery store to humanely produced eggs. The chickens actually get to run around in a yard. Same scale applies to milk. Actual meet takes more research than the information labels provide (usually).
1
You forget the next level: free range is not equal to pasture raised. If you are looking for the most ethical eggs you need the following labels : pastured raised with a mention of square feet humanely raised logo. Bonus points for small family farm and organic (but the organic is only for the additional grain feed).
Research a bit. There is info on all the brands and farms that can help you choose your go to egg provider
1
Thank you! Such a helpful essay!
1
Nice information
1
I think eating local, lovingly raised, pastured livestock from a small family farm is much better than mindlessly eating avocados and cashews. I love Melissa Clark but she dangerously missed the main points for environmentally friendly eating: sourcing from local small farms. The problem is not meat and cheese, the problem is the irresponsibly mass-produced products from cruel industrial farms. And just because it’s a plant doesn’t mean it that hundreds of gallons of gasoline didn’t get used to bring it to your store. It doesn’t mean that hundreds of farmworkers weren’t exploited to harvest it.
People don’t realize that there are such things as biodynamic farms where livestock is lovingly raised in a way that contributes to soil health and works in a crop rotation of a wide variety of fruits and vegetables. Just because an avocado is a plant doesn’t mean that many humans and animals didn’t die due to the incredibly dangerous Mexican avocado industry which is unfortunately mediated by violent cartels.
Our obsession with veganism is neither healthy for us nor for our planet. Of course we could all eat less meat. But the main point is to consider where your food came from. Just like anything else we buy we should be seeking out small businesses that care about their communities, and giving our money to farmers that care a about the land that they farm.
20
While it is a laudable goal to consume well cared for livestock from smaller, family-run farms, the primary issue here is climate change, and ruminants produce a lot of GHGs regardless of the conditions under which they are kept. Reducing consumption dramatically is the only way forward for our civilization.
7
@Andrew Howell
Reducing ruminants leads to desertification and the release of carbon. Regenerative farming improves biodiversity resulting in healthier pasture and grasslands that capture carbon. If you do a little homework on this you will understand the fallacy of the vegan narrative.
7
A well managed responsible small farm can more than offset the greenhouse gases emitted by their livestock through crop rotation and moving the herd. and of course responsibly developing their compost from their land which then is used to develop the farmland and pastures which then sequesters the greenhouse gasses.
Like so many issues across industries the problem is monopolization and the corporatization. Don’t demonize meat and dairy wholesale which can be a valuable part of the puzzle for small farms and local economies.
10
This is full of great suggestions. The idea of not worrying about getting enough protein is important. But there is more nutritional value in meat than just protein. There are important enzymes in meat and fish that Tofu and beans cannot not supply.
Fermented bean proteins like Tempeh and Nato were left unmentioned in the article.
People interested in cutting way back on meat, or going completely vegetarian should consider adding tempeh and nato to their diet for better nutritional balance.
3
Thank you for this article. Hope the “vegangelicals” (I used to be one of these) realize every step someone takes to reduce their meat/dairy consumption is a step in the right direction, both for the animals and the planet. Cheers to everyone learning and trying to make a difference.
5
This is a wonderful article. I've been red meat free for about 10 years and rely heavily on eggs from free range chickens from a farm our neighborhood. (We know they're happy birds because they have a very large enclosure). There are so many options with eggs and recent studies seem to indicate a less than strong link between dietary and blood cholesterol. Try making a frittata with whatever veggies are on hand and pairing with whole grain bread or salad.
1
Great article, Melissa! I've been trying to include more vegan in the kitchen but lacked inspiration. Thank you! I'm giving some of your recipes a whirl.
2
First my point: We’re all pretty much stuck with our corporate industrial infrastructure. How about quitting with inappropriate advice and instead find ways to confront corporate America with legislation?
Now the rant: “Protein will find me?” I’m trying to be healthy, independent and useful while enjoying the last third of my life. Should I spend my geriatric energy levels soaking beans and shopping for exotic ingredients, or helping low-income kids with their homework? Should I wait for “protein to find me” and risk becoming a burden to the next generation gaining weight, losing muscle mass and spending mind-numbing lonely time in the kitchen, or should I stick with the quick, white-meat and whole-grain based healthy diet that Works For Me?
We all live in the world that Profit-Maximizing Big Business stealthily built up over the decades without much say from us consumers. People who live in the country and Grow Their Own Food are most likely contributing to sprawl; killing birds and insects with agricultural chemicals (and outdoor cats); and burning fossil fuel with long drives. Those spend time cooking vegan with innumerable kitchen devices could do something about food deserts in the next neighborhood. I could guilt trip you about clothes dryers, public transportation, exploiting the gig precariat, and over-using Amazon. You could get me on air travel, profligate water use and all those poor turkeys. Let's just respect each other's lifestyle choices.
5
Thank you Melissa! I am excited to try these recipes. I’ve been vegetarian for 16 years, these recipes are sure to satisfy the meat-eating men I live with!! Mushroom Bourginon (sp) is up first!
3
The food we waste may be more taxing on the environment than the food we eat. What a luxury, food so cheap we can afford to throw half of it away.
You also have to consider the millions of obese American and all those others who take calorie fueled trip to nowhere on the treadmill. Imagine how much fuel you burn to lift a thousand pounds of weights. Whether you haul it along as fat or muscle or burn it off at the gym it's still 500-1000 calories.
1
I wish that someone would mention that it isn’t necessary to add onions to a meal to make it vegetarian. Most of the recipes published, both here and in other vegetarian spaces, have ludicrous amounts of onions in them. I cook vegetarian things at home all the time without onions. I make the best beans you’ve ever tasted, without any onions at all. You know why you can’t get your avowed carnivore friends to try your meat free main dish? It’s because it’s full of onions! Vegetarian/vegan shouldn’t mean with onions, but all too often it does.
2
It's not only what you eat but how it was raised. There is difference between bio-dynamic farming, organic farming and industrial agriculture, even vegetables grown using industrialized methods are problematic. Industrial production methods do not respect the dynamic cycle of our planet.
For an example of bio-dynamic farming in action take a look at Apricot Lane Farms.
5
Yes, all the virtue signalers are here in droves. What a wonderful problem to have, to be able to choose to not eat meat and then lord it over all your friends. Talk about first world problems.
Many of us are attempting to break old ideas of what a meal consists of that are leftover from our childhoods, when a meal always involved a sizable amount of meat, a sizable amount of some boiled vegetable, and "a starch." I love vegetables and am changing how I eat so that roasted vegetables can be for breakfast and a salad with almonds and chickpeas can be a nice dinner if I'm not hungry for a full meal. But every time a vegan gets all holier-than-thou with me while eating processed frankenfoods that mimic actual meat, it makes me want to go out and eat the biggest burger I can find.
Food is food. It's not virtue and it's not crime. Many of us are finding our way to a less-meat diet without through creativity and without the virtue signaling. And we get to enjoy our food with friends, because we aren't the ones no longer invited to the party because of judging other people's value by what they eat.
14
Thank you!!!
1
A mention regarding the suffering endured by the animals whose products you enjoy eating and wearing would have been appreciated. This suffering is caused by the in humane practices of factory farming. Let’s make this a kinder, cruelty-free world for all who share it.
9
I'm an avid fan of the NYTimes Cooking writers, recipes, and app, so I'm very glad to see a turn toward less meat-based dishes here, for exactly the climate/planet-motivated reasons that Melissa Clark explains. I've often found mushrooms and olives to be especially good subs for meat--nothing feels lacking when those are put to good use. But I've recently joined households with a father whose son is vegetarian, yet the neither likes mushrooms. Ack! What are some good subs for mushrooms as subs for meat? There's tofu, of course, and maybe eggplant and I've utilized tahini, soy sauce, or miso to give that added depth. I'd love to see other ideas for vegetarian meals that don't rely on mushrooms yet provide the umami or murkiness or depth that we often get from meat...
4
@Jenn Soy sauce and miso are both great sources of umami, and so is nutritional yeast -- it's hampered by an incredibly unsexy name, but it's really tasty! Seaweed and nuts are also highly flavorful and can up the umami quotient. And lentils have a great earthy flavor. Wine, capers, vinegar, and spices up the flavor profile, and so do caramelized alliums like shallots and onions.
2
@Jenn
Have you tried seitan?
3
@Jenn seitan
1
I am a big supporter of the general thoughts in Melissa Clark’s article and will attempt to put many of them to work in the months and weeks to come. But I cannot let one part of the article go without comment. Marion Nestle has been trading on her former title for years to make repeated unsubstantiated personal opinions that fit her beliefs but that have little to no basis in academic studies. Her comment on protein in a non-meat regime is another completely off-the-cuff unsubstantiated remark. In fact, most studies have shown that it takes real effort for humans, who are omnivores after all, to get the right amounts and types of proteins in a diet without animal proteins. Please move on to the more advanced generation of nutritional scientists who are far more rigorous and nuanced than a professor emeritus from decades ago who has long since abandoned the pretense of scientific rigor.
22
let's be real. CO2, not methane, is the principal driver of climate change. CO2 emissions account for about 65% of greenhouse gases; methane from agriculture less than 16%.
https://www.epa.gov/ghgemissions/global-greenhouse-gas-emissions-data
CO2, once emitted, will last in the atmosphere for centuries and more. methane degrades completely within two decades. in other words, methane is rapidly reversible; CO2 is forever.
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2012/jan/16/greenhouse-gases-remain-air
the average american drives about 21,000 kilometers in a year and eats about 100 kg of red meat -- roughly one cow, butchered and dressed. one cow emits about 100 kilograms of methane; one driver emits about 2730 kilograms of CO2 in a year.
i don't disparage the good sentiment and optimism behind the idea that eating soy can make a tiny dent in climate change. we must stay cheerful for the years ahead.
but the origin of climate change is our infrastructure, from energy generation and transportation to manufacturing and forestry. you're being sold a diet solution to an infrastructure problem, and reported a feel good "lifestyle" story instead of the facts about your existential crisis. it's a criminal negligence.
the NY Times soft pedals climate change and let its columnists ignore the issue. what's needed at this point in history is some candid and hard hitting journalism, not the business as usual "news for every lifestyle".
16
Methane is 80 times more potent than carbon dioxide. So it matters a lot.
2
Thank you for this well-thought out article. It is an important issue and I have been "predicting" that by 2050 most people all over the world will be eating a lot less meat than prescribed by the Meat Council and their friends at the FDA. Not to bash those folks, but to put in perspective how a lot of "science" we hear and see in the media is actually not very scientific after all.
While it is the vocabulary of our time, I hope folks realize labels like vegan, vegetarian, flexitarian and so on are not really the issue, the issue is health. For health we need nutrition and for wellbeing we need tasty and satisfying food. It also has to be life-affirming and not polluting, disease-causing, etc... So it is most likely going to be mostly plant-based with some dairy, eggs, meat, fish, etc... like it has been since forever in most communities. The 20% animal products and 80% plant based is the broad goal and all the labels are just conversation.
There will still be folks who insist on veganism, vegetarianism, and consuming a lot of raw, red steaks. We will still be humans with freedom of choice. But the general trend will be towards health and sustenance and loving and caring for Mother Earth who has loved and cared for us over the ages.
5
This article completely articulates the way I feel/go about eating meat and dairy these days. Thank you for upgrading the concept of 'flexitarian' to what you have described here. Making eating this way a lifestyle does make meat and dairy more of a treat, which it should be. Not only will the environment benefit, but our health will too!, obviously. Such a thoughtful article - I appreciate the recipes and suggestions too, to back up your claims.
2
Most vegans loved meat and dairy too much to give them up as well. But they did it anyway. For the animals and the planet.
12
@Amanda
I stopped eating meat years ago once I learned about the brutal practices of factory farming. But I'm not opposed to eating meat per se. (Not going to get into an argument about it with vegans; there's no point.)
I do have to wonder, though, when people talk about doing what's right "for the planet," if they also have pets, such as dogs and cats, which are carnivores and therefore must eat meat or they will sicken and die. Where does that pet food come from (rhetorical question)?
Or do these people travel by plane? Doo they drive cars? Do they heat their homes? Do they buy products in plastic containers? Do they buy clothes? Etc. etc.
Of course they do. We all do. This is the modern world. Unless you live completely 100% off the grid, grow and harvest your own cotton, weave your own fabric, sew your own clothes, grow all your own vegetables, make your own soap, on and on and on, you're contributing to the despoiling of the planet. We all are.
I respect people's choices. I also understand that those choices are often coming from good intentions. But I have little patience for the lecturing I often get from vegans, who act like they're morally superior to everyone else.
Virtually everything we do has an ill effect on someone somewhere in the world. Whether it's slave labor to harvest cashews, coconuts, coffee, palm oil, seafood, or to produce clothing, or the ravaging of land in Chile to mine lithium for electric cars, we're all in this together.
15
@Amanda
Most of the customers at our livestock organic farm are former vegans. I would say about 80%. 84% of vegans go back to meat at some point mostly for health reasons. Let’s keep a balanced perspective rather than an ideological one.
8
I have raised 2 labs that lived past 15 on a diet of commercial V-Dogfood.com mixed with lentils . They were healthier and thrived ,rarely needed a vets care , both died at home from old age .
Why not sever another tie to the evils of the slaughter house with meat that is loaded with antibiotics , drugs , GMOs , preservatives , growth hormones etc .
No body thinks of the poisons lurking in their meat or their best buds meat . Have a healthier dog at home .
I guarantee that if more people bred, raised, killed and processed the animals they ate that they (and their dogs) would be thinner and their trash would smell better. The more removed we become the more wasteful we get.
8
Why not eat meat? Cattle ranchers need to be able to support their families, too. Maybe get a hunting license?
1
Love these recipes though at the heart of our decision to go vegan was a simple equation: we could not kill an animal ourselves or watch it being killed, requiring us to change. The disconnect is between how US food production is marketed vs the cruel reality. Pictures of farm animal in pastures is simply a lie. Factory farming is terrifying, dirty, miserable to the animals and the minimum wage workers,
10
At some point the media will end the lie that eating less meat will save the planet.
4
I am amazed by all the comments of meat-eaters shedding crocodile (?) tears, and writing and beating themselves in the chest about their either hypersensibly hypocritical or hypocritically hypersensible thoughts of the links of meat consumption to climate change. Dear Co-readers, either get real or become vegetarian pescaterians or Jains.
1
Here's a comment, quoted verbatim, from another NYT article on the subject of vegan diets, along with the link:
"M E R
NYC/MASS Dec. 30, 2019
If someone wants to eat healthier there are almost as many different ways to do so as there are people. What I’d like to see less of is judging the labels by which people self identify. I am an omnivore. But I eat very little meat, fish, or poultry. What I didn’t like was a vegan friend visiting me in my home and telling me I’m a murderer. They’re entitled to believe that, but don’t ask to visit and stay here if you want me to wear a hair shirt for eating eggs at breakfast at my own table."
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/28/style/plant-based-diet.html?te=1&nl=wait-—&emc=edit_li_20200102?campaign_id=43&instance_id=14897&segment_id=19994&user_id=12c9bb9bea2a7b0b4b8c031fc865f169®i_id=12761375t_li_20200102#commentsContainer&permid=104361014
7
Livestock is 1.9 percent of agricultural emissions. Properly raised livestock actually creates soil, stores moisture and absorbs carbon. Also, red meat is among the most nutrient dense food we can eat, containing nutrients (and none of the anti nutrients) not found in plants.
Eat meat, save the planet.
8
It's great to see this article, recipes, and reasons for adopting a partly plant-based diet. I agree that eating a few meals or days meatless is impactful, and I hope that others will be inspired by this article.
However, I take issue with the assertion that going strictly vegan or vegetarian would be a "professional liability." Instead, consider how meaningful it would be for a food writer to make this choice and change the course of their career to line up with their ideals.
Op-ed columnists sometimes change their minds and ideas, and their writing reflects the kinds of intellectual transformations that educate and inspire. There is no reason why a food writer cannot do the same.
Continuing to promote environmentally problematic foods is an option, not an imperative. Writers are leaders, and leaders who lead with compassion and understanding can create a more just and healthy world.
4
First, this article was webbed with beef advertisements. Bad practice. Second, as appealing as this article makes non-meat alternatives, even the most robust acceptance of its principals by its very select readership won’t remotely scratch the surface of the problem. It’s just way too little and way too late. The beef advertisements alone display the problem. Big Ag controls a significant part of the of the regulatory infrastructure of the federal government. They are not interested in climate change. In fact they, along with their fossil fuel friends are hostile to anyone who thinks that changing their business model in the name of preventing the coming catastrophe might be a good idea. The NYT and Ms. Clark are going to have to sharpen up their knives if they really want to make the necessary impact.
8
And the first "environmental state" that may improve is our our body.
Thanks Melissa & community.
1
Ive tried to reduce meat consumption but find I often feel hungry without. This article is well-intentioned and I’ve marked the mushroom recipe but for me there is still the satiety question that could be addressed. And no, more fish is not a solution - planet being overfished.
2
@Hannah Aron Meat has more calories, so it is easier to get full/satisfied. You might have to eat more plants or more frequently to get what you need. Flavor also makes a difference, so things that are more intense or spicy might also make you feel more satisfied.
(And yes, it IS hard to get enough and feel satisfied without meat.)
1
@Hannah Aron Make sure your meals include enough fat, fiber, and calories. Use olive oil, whole grains, and legumes.
1
"Meat and dairy production alone account for 14.5 percent of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions — as much each year as from all cars, trucks, airplanes and ships combined. It’s a staggering statistic."
Maybe it's a staggering statistic because its wrong in two respects and misleading in another....
From the UN's FAO, "Total emissions from global livestock: 7.1 Gigatonnes of Co2-equiv per year, representing 14.5 percent of all anthropogenic GHG emissions."
1. According to the DOE, "anthropogenic" or human-caused emissions are only about 15%, 50% and 100% of natural GHG emissions (like from wetlands and volcanoes) of CO2, CH4, and N2O, respectively (H2O vapor not included). "The world's GHG emissions" in this article would presumably include BOTH of these... but it doesn't.
2. "Meat and dairy" is only a subset of "livestock", which includes draft, recreational, wool-, fur- and leather-bearing, egg-laying, broodstock, etc..
3. The 14.5 percent corresponds to WORLD GHG emissions (excluding H2O vapor), where transportation emissions are still low, relative to the US (the standard of reference for most readers). In the US, transportation GHG emissions are more than THREE TIMES that of agriculture. For most, this article misrepresents the extent of agricultural GHG emissions by 300%.
http://www.fao.org/news/story/en/item/197623/icode/
https://www.geocraft.com/WVFossils/greenhouse_data.html
https://www.epa.gov/ghgemissions/sources-greenhouse-gas-emissions#transportation
6
Over the years, in these kinds of forums, I have found that many of the well-intentioned suggestions about dashes of sauce, bits of bacon, and sprinklings of parmesan come at a price: Sodium.
5
Methane is a byproduct of the decay of all living matter, plant and animal. It is a bacterial biogenic process that produces methane world over from the beginning of time for a billion years or more and there is absolutely nothing that can be done about it. It is folly to blame cows for contributing to climate change or that their elimination can mitigate it.
3
@Richard: When there is more of the type of living matter that creates oxygen (trees) and less of the kind that creates methane (cows), there is less methane in the atmosphere. For a better explanation than that, you could search online for an explanation as to why there is significantly more methane (and other greenhouse gases) in the atmosphere of Earth than there used to be.
8
Whoa, how did seafood suddenly appear along with dairy and meat?
@kenton: Maybe because overfishing also harms the planet? And farmed fish are often fed non-farmed fish, thereby also causing overfishing?
7
@kenton Because it's meat.
4
Ordering heirloom beans online? Okay, I’ll leave that one alone in the spirit of the New Year.
7
Cooking beans and lentils is very easy in an electric pressure cooker. Most dried beans will cook in an hour with no overnight soaking.
I gave up red meat 15 years ago because I didn't want to support factory farming. My diet is mostly plant based with a small amount of wild caught fish, free-range chicken, local eggs, and local dairy. I have found that by cooking in different ethnic styles, the food is tasty and not boring.
11
Eliminating food waste (40% of food produced is wasted) and reducing overeating will go a long way in saving the planet. These issues are far more pressing than trying to get consumers off meat, cheese, dairy and eggs. With half of the population diabetic and pre-diabetic how can we in good conscious promote the consumption of more refined sugars and refined carbohydrates just because they are plant based. If the average kid consumes 10 times the sugar that they should how can we justify giving them more sugary cereal in the morning rather than range free eggs; a perfect source of nutrition with very little environmental impact and much more filling. And what is the environmental impact of dealing with chronic disease caused by some plant based foods grown in monocrop environments full of pesticides, herbocides and fungicides. Has anyone considered the damage to the soil and to the pasture if we stop using fertilizer from animals and use chemicals instead? Tough questions I know but unfortunately there are no simple answers. Ideology and dogma and opinions are not answers.
5
@JP: Um, I don't see anyone promoting refined sugars and carbs as part of a plant-based diets. (Well, no one except manufacturers of refined sugars and carbs.) Beans, for instance, are complex carbs . Sugary cereal vs. eggs for breakfast is a completely false choice. I know lots of vegans, and NONE of them eats sugary cereal for breakfast. (Things they eat include whole-grain toast with peanut butter, tofu scramble, potato dishes, oatmeal.) Many of the tough questions to which you refer actually DO have simple answers if one does one's research.
7
@Heliotrophic
You should measure your glucose levels after you consume those potatoes, oatmeal and toast for breakfast. You will be very surprised at what you find out. You can purchase devices that will measure your glucose levels at home after a meal.
Your glucose levels will spike and you will still feel hungry leading to overeating. Your waist won’t be very happy either. I will stick to humanely produced eggs and cheese for breakfast thank you.
2
You want to bring the environment back into balance, bring the world population under control...7 Billion, 1/3 in China and India alone ! The rest is like sticking a finger into a leaking dike !
4
I try to lower my flesh intake, but I also notice that the very products I use to replace it, are equally if not more adding to the other side of the "footprint equation." Namely plastics! I can buy meat wrapped in paper, but try and find Tofu in a normal commercial market - and here's a nice hunk of plastic.
My yogurt containers I repurpose, and I go thru a lot of yogurt...but those Tofu boxes...pretty useless. No reusable tops, just that peel away cover.
Until we address the ubiquitous packaging problem, which is a huge problem, we're really bailing against a rising tide. Plastics are not going away, either in our trash or our packaging needs. Alternative, biodegradable "plastics" made from plants (corn and hemp) are available, but its gonna demand a huge shift in manufacturing, coupled with Govt and public intervention. Anyone? Bueller?
Too much of the debate is aimed at these truly personal tweaks, that all have some equally unsatisfying trade-offs.
Buy more vegetables means more unused vegetables in the trash. Fact! We toss out over 1/3 of our fresh food purchases, due to either real or suspected spoilage. 1/3!
And until I see a real, tested and impartially verified footprint profile on how fake-meat is processed - start to finish - I'm not in.
Anyone considering where we'll employ all the folks working in the dairy and meat industries? Upstate NY alone is taking a huge hit on its dairy industry. Where are those people going?
9
@Boregard
Absolutely. Difficult to get a good measure of the natural gas and crude oil required for typical plastic packaging. The energy required to produce it is another factor - and that's just the packaging. Harvesting water is easier than harvesting produce, I'd imagine... and this requires 2,000 times the energy needed to produce tap water.
3
@Boregard: Industries wax and wane. Perhaps we need to retrain the people in the dairy and meat industries, just as we need to retrain coal miners. Just as we needed to retrain buggy whip manufacturers. I see plenty of plastic on ALL of the foods in my local supermarket, meat or not. I totally agree that we need to encourage companies to decrease packaging and make more of it compostable. (In the meanwhile, we can try our best to reuse bags and buy bulk, unwrapped products.) We need to address that issue no matter what people are eating.
5
@Heliotrophic
Sustainable farming in America, which should include livestock grazing on pastureland not suitable for row crops, is a matter of national security, in addition to cultural heritage. Non-industrial-scale farmers help preserve our country's cultural and natural resources (sort of like the Celts preserving the Western Civilization). If we experience a break in our energy grid, petrochemical or water resources, industrial farming would grind to a halt - and without traditional farming "reserves" - we might see some Mad Max scenarios. Buggy whips.... pretty condescending. Truth is, the Amish and Mennonites provide us with models of long-term sustainability more viable than nearly any of our own. If the planet could choose, it probably wouldn't pick any of modern methods of agriculture.
2
Very happy to read this article and its point, which cannot be stressed enough, that plants including grains and nuts, provide all the protein we need for good health. And good vegan food provides all the delicious satisfaction we could ever want, and then some. I became vegan 35 years ago for ethical reasons, which is still my core reason, but I'd be vegan for health and environmental reasons even if the animals were not at the core of what's wrong with an animal-based diet. I am heartened to see that mainstream thinking is starting to catch up with the facts. So thanks!
Karen Davis, President United Poultry Concerns
12
Incorrect across pretty much all of your points.
I don’t believe that a “meat” substitute made with “genetically modified soy protein concentrate” is in any way healthy. I can’t comment on if it tastes at all like meat, because I have no intention of eating it. I’m willing to eat patties made of beans, grains, and vegetables, even tho they don’t try to imitate meat.
11
@Irene: I missed the part of the article where the author encouraged people to eat more "genetically modified soy protein concentrate." Perhaps you could point it out?
5
When the drive-thrus are shut down, I'll consider reducing the amount of meat I eat.
1
There are two very good reasons to move away from the 20th century American diet.You will have a healthier life, and it is better for the natural planet, what's left of it. Much of the propaganda supporting that diet was developed by the meat, dairy, and sugar industry, so free yourself from that.
6
@Marika H
You are correct, most people are Meathooked (Zaraska).
I'm trying to rationalize two statements that appear in today's paper:
This from the Food Section in this article: Meat and dairy production alone account for 14.5 percent of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions — as much each year as from all cars, trucks, airplanes and ships combined.
This from an op-ed: A Climate Diet: Transportation is the largest single contributor to American CO2 emissions, the agency [EPA] says.
Isn't food production a single contributor -- of which meat and dairy are just two types?
I find these types of inconsistencies frustrating and distracting.
5
@M. Sanders One is a stat for the world, and one is a stat for the US. But to further complicate it, isn't transportation a part of the food production impact, too?
Yes!
Here's a duplicate of an earlier reply to you that wasn't posted....
So, maybe this is a staggering statistic because its wrong in two respects and misleading in another?
From the UN's FAO, "Total emissions from global livestock: 7.1 Gigatonnes of Co2-equiv per year, representing 14.5 percent of all anthropogenic GHG emissions."
1. According to the DOE, "anthropogenic" or human-caused emissions are only about 15%, 50% and 100% of natural GHG emissions (like from wetlands and volcanoes) of CO2, CH4, and N2O, respectively (H2O vapor not included). "The world's GHG emissions" in this article would presumably include BOTH of these... but it doesn't.
2. "Meat and dairy" is only a subset of "livestock", which includes draft, recreational, wool-, fur- and leather-bearing, egg-laying, broodstock, etc..
3. The 14.5 percent corresponds to "world" GHG emissions (excluding H2O vapor), where transportation emissions are still low, relative to the US (the standard of reference for most readers). In the US (according to the EPA), transportation GHG emissions are more than THREE TIMES that of agriculture. To most readers, this article misrepresents the extent of agricultural GHG emissions by 300%!
http://www.fao.org/news/story/en/item/197623/icode/
https://www.geocraft.com/WVFossils/greenhouse_data.html
https://www.epa.gov/ghgemissions/sources-greenhouse-gas-emissions#transportation
1
@M. Sanders
Yes, another misleading statement from NYT.
This worldwide statistic reflects the world's relatively few automobiles (for now) and does not include naturally occurring sources of greenhouse gasses, like wetlands. From the UN's FAO, "Total emissions from global livestock: 7.1 Gigatonnes of Co2-equiv per year, representing 14.5 percent of all anthropogenic GHG emissions." So you're right, meat and dairy represent just a part of all livestock emissions. It is also misleading because we tend to compare and pass judgements from the transportation and agriculture that we see here in the US. And in the US, transportation accounts for THREE TIMES the human-caused greenhouse gas emissions, compared to agriculture. The article throws us off by 300%! This is what NYT has become....
https://www.epa.gov/ghgemissions/sources-greenhouse-gas-emissions
Besides cutting out meat and dairy, let's not forget that some veggies that are high in water content are in fact worse environmentally than pork and chicken. So c'mon Melissa, no more lettuce, eggplant, cucumbers, and several other vegetables. If we're going to do this, let's do it right!
https://graziadaily.co.uk/life/real-life/science-says-vegetarian-worse-environment-eating-meat/
6
@Michael Cameron: Thanks for the article, which is from a fashion magazine. When I go to the underlying article, I realize that the reason why the study is calling out vegetables high in water content is because they are measuring BY THE CALORIE! So, if you want to ignore the nutrients and just get lots of calories, you'd eat a lot of meat. You'd get little to no fiber, and your body would be terribly sick, though. Here's the relevant part: "Lettuce is 'over three times worse in greenhouse gas emissions than eating bacon', according to researchers from the Carnegie Mellon University who analysed the impact per calorie of different foods in terms of energy cost, water use and emissions."
4
I tried some of the stuff. I felt hunger pangs as if I had eaten a bowl of white rice. I knew, I'd get fat as I know carbs add girth to your body. Sorry, this stuff is not for the weight control obsessed person of the western world.
1
@Watah: Please do some online research about the difference between simple carbs (such as white rice) and complex carbs (such as whole grains and beans).
1
Why are folks miffed, shocked, dismayed that they can't get to the recipes unless you're a subscriber. A newspaper is not a non-profit. And while you're at it, subscribe (and for that matter, to NPR too).
7
I was raised to love eating dead animals, animal embryos and drink milk meant only for baby cows, but after seeing horrific videos from animal agriculture including so-called humane "farms," and realizing what it was doing to my health and the environment, I gave it all up and became vegan.
I lost all my excess weight, digestion and sleep improved tremendously, energy levels increased, lean muscle mass returned, food bill dropped.
I now eat only nuts, legumes, grains, fruits, veggies, potatoes, etc.
At first I craved animal foods, especially ice cream, like an addict would, but not anymore.
Less than 1% of the world's population is vegan and most people will never give up eating animals that live terrible lives of imprisonment and slaughter, but I'm glad I gave it up.
14
@Steve Davies
Sounds like you've found a great diet. But you're a little unfair to carnivory.
So would you have us eat live animals?
Most eggs sold were not fertilized and have no embryos. (Even fertile eggs are almost entirely egg yolk and whites, with only a few thousand embryonic cells.)
Those of us who are not lactose intolerant and express lactase into adulthood are, in fact "meant for" drinking the milk of dairy animals (in terms of our evolution).
Finally, there are husbandry practices that are not cruel. (Temple Grandin has written a lot about this).
6
@Steve Davies If you can out-moralize your biology successfully, have at it. And ANY dietary change that is different from SAD, is going to show improvement for at least a little while. But as your vegan diet progresses, please supplement accordingly and keep in mind that 3M years of evolution is betting against you.
1
The protein recommendations in this article directly conflict earlier recommendations published in the NY Times ( September 4, 2018, Jan. 18, 2011) that summarized research showing that sedentary adults over 60 who are concerned about loss of lean body with age (sarcopenia) need to consume .54 grams of protein per pound of body weight. Athletic, older adults who use resistance training to maintain muscle mass need additional protein, .65 grams per pound of body weight. Thus, the statement “if you are getting enough calories, then you are getting enough protein” is dangerously misleading. Do the numbers. You will find that it is difficult for an older adult to obtain protein sufficient to oppose sarcopenia on a plant-based diet without consuming too many calories.
The other fallacy in this article is the assumption that plant and animal protein are equally useful to maintaining lean body. This simply not true. The amino acid mix of plant protein does match the amino acid requirements of humans as well as animal protein does.
I look to the NY Times for honest, consistent, well researched journalism, particularly on issues related to health. This one fell short of my expectation.
5
@Tom Hobbs
I am over 60, active and have no problem with my protein levels while eating only whole plant foods without protein supplements. Your thoughts on the Adventist Health Studies? The Blue Zones?
4
@Tom Hobbs: What are the many athletic older vegans (of whom there are many and of whom some are competitive athletes) doing, then? If you really care about this topic, that is something to research.
1
For the 1st time, I saw a magnificent bald eagle in the field. I blinked to be sure. It took flight 3 times, so, I am certain. Now, what does this have to do with Melissa's article? It took dramatic Federal action to save it. The steps Melissa discusses are in the right direction but nothing near what's required in this climate emergency. Everybody has to enthusiastically take part, otherwise, efforts will languish. Of course Governments. All of them, committed forever. The Person of the Year, Greta Thunberg, explains it all in simple terms anyone would understand. There are really no excuses to back pedal. If Congress did not enact laws for the eagle, they would be extinct today. It's the only way. I respect Melissa's and the Times' efforts. Though they circle the issues here. It's 2020, expect a tumultuous year. It's an opportunity to enact meaningful change. Lastly, the elephant in the room, is the cruelty of livestock. This publication skirts the issue. It's time to ratchet some courage. It's time to respect the people who honestly care and have the courage to be vocal. Without their resolute voices, this New Years piece wouldn't have been written. We would be comfortably complacent regarding our responsibilities of what we are doing to the planet we call home.
106
@ga Beautifully said, Amen!
3
@ga All well and good but for the fact that there is no "climate emergency".
2
@ga Just stumbled across this old post. Thank you! Especially for this: "It's time to respect the people who honestly care and have the courage to be vocal."
1
One should consider the NO2, CO2 and CH4 (in that order) emissions associated with ALL aspects of our agricultural options. Using both the common sense and sustainable practices of our forefathers, cropland is best left for... crops - other arable land... for grazers.
Pre-petrochemical farmers understood the value of nitrogen inputs, like manure or "black gold" - even building covered enclosures to hold it. Now that the nitrogen "market" is flooded with petrochemical fertilizers (and our atmosphere is flooded with N2O and CO2), manure is often just a problematic waste product and pollutant. Eschewing traditionally/sustainably raised beef or dairy on pastureland (or crop residues) for industrialized plant-based alternatives is foolhardy, at least in terms of environmental impacts. Releasing C and N from fossil fuel reserves into the environment is the real issue... not belching cattle.
4
I haven't eaten meat in years. Factory farming appalls me. That said, I don't consider abstaining from meat - or dairy - a hard thing to do. How can I, when I am bombarded with images of emaciated children in third world countries? How can I call it a sacrifice when I see a photo of a coffin being unloaded from a military plane, likely holding the remains of a young man my daughter's age. I won't cheapen the word.
The idea that cutting back or eliminating meat is hard is absurd. We don't know what hard is.
7
You want to save world, you need less people(7.5 Billion ). Our foot print leaves behind environment damage..... the rest is just political talking points for a bunch of narcissists......their personal agenda...not the world.
4
@Cromwell: I don't see how human population reduction and farmed animal population reduction necessarily exclude each other. Wouldn't doing both be an improvement? If not, please explain.
1
My comment is just to say I appreciate other people’s comments. I learn so much from this community.
95
@John The NYT comments section is an exceptional addition to the excellent articles. To be able to read other's thoughts, ideas and feelings is like connecting to another universe. Thank you to all.
4
@John Same, I often skip much of the article and go straight to the comments.
4
I'm a mom of two and from the midwest originally. I'm the cook and our journey to tipping the scales in favor of plant-based eating has been slow yet steady. In the past three years, I've moved from serving meat/fish/dairy at nearly every meal 3x a day to serving meat/fish 2x a week at dinner. Cheese and Yogurt are still present for my daughters here and there but not for the adults.
If we're busy and I'm short on time and I don't meal plan, I can still slide into old habits and cook meat-based meals since they are actually easier and old-hat, but slowly those habits are being replaced.
Great article. Brave article. We need more encouraging articles like this for everyone to consider eating less meat.
12
I wonder what we'd all be eating if our government didn't provide huge subsidies for certain agricultural commodities. What's the real cost of the food we're eating?
We can change our intake and imagine we're helping the climate. Sadly, those subsidies make our individual choices far less effective.
10
@Concerned In
I wonder where's my "tank cars full of corn syrup" reply to your question is....
Changing traditional eating habits is very difficult. I personally don't how to prepare these types of veggie meals, nor do I have the time to shop an prepare. And I'm assuming that whole foods are more expensive and difficult to access. It would be useful if structural changes were made in order to help people reduce our dependence on meat in dairy products.
1
Ummm, changing eating habits is easy. Stop purchasing and eating processed foods. Fresh fruits, vegetables, nuts, cous cous (from the box takes 5 minutes) organic chicken is not expensive and is delicious.
Like everything else, you have to want to.
6
@Concerned Citizen @Ignatius Kennedy
That seems like an unrealistic response to an honest question/comment.
If you're used to cooking a piece of chicken for dinner, and you decide to change and eat beans (and more beans, as Melissa says), you'll have to do more than just change your shopping list. You'll have to learn how to make beans into a healthy, good tasting meal. You'll have to plan ahead to do that.
It is often more expensive to buy vegetables than meat. Organic chicken is *definitely* more expensive than non-organic chicken.
This is even more true if someone is used to convenience food and prepared food.
The effort may be worth it, but don't pretend that it's easy or cheap.
The article and recipes here are a pretty good start toward more whole food and less meat.
3
I liked the article but Melissa misses some important points. First there's the transportation issue -- Melissa, we're on the East Coast; do you get avocados from your CSA? Second, there are ethical issues with veggies the same as meat: some are addressed here (e.g., avocados and almonds). Finally, what about seasonal cooing? I expected a big plug for it, given the CSA statement, but it was missing. Seriously, tomatoes at this time of year?
6
It's strange that Melissa doesn't seem aware of the many vegan milks available to put in her coffee-- oat, soy, almond. Oatly oat milk has a very neutral taste, and it doesn't separate, unlike some other vegan milks.
Here's a great vegan grated parmeggiano cheese substitute:
blend the following in a food processor:
1 cup almond meal (bob's red mill)
1 Tablespoon nutritional yeast
1 Tablespoon mellow white miso paste
1/2 teaspoon sea salt or kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
store in the refrigerator in an airtight container.
4
@G.L.
That stuff, however useful, is not milk.
7
@carl bumba
Animal milk is unhealthy to consume and barbaric.
1
@Randy
With such a proclamation all I can do is say, "I disagree".
1
As a devout carnivore, these suggestions make sense. Short of a federal ban on meat, the odds of my becoming vegetarian or vegan are slim to none. However, as a social worker serving a low income population in an economically depressed region of upstate NY, I am concerned about how to present these ideas in a way that is affordable and accessible to those families living in poverty or who are getting by paycheck to paycheck. In order for a cultural shift in dietary habits to make a difference in climate change it will be necessary to convince the majority of the population that this is something the can afford to do.
3
@jim t
Rice and beans. Kind of a joke, but kind of serious. Legumes and whole grains can be cheap, shelf stable, and nutritious. They can be jazzed up with different spices and w/e fresh produce is available or on sale. Many poor people around the world cannot afford meat to the degree Americans can. Many cuisines around the world traditionally contained meat for only special occasions (splurges); this is changing with development and places copying the American diet and eating what was once an occasional treat. Cheap meat exists due to perverse subsidies and miserable conditions for animals; and it's still not the easiest or cheapest way to get a balanced meal, veg is. Vegetarian groceries are generally cheaper than meat. Unless you are looking at artisanal, bougie veg. food. What are you comparing? Rice, beans, peanut butter: all cheaper than steak. Branded meat imitation products may be more expensive than takeout dollar menu meat items but neither should form the basis of anyone's diet for health reasons.
6
Look into the work Dr. Robert Ostfeld is doing at Montefiore Hospital in the Bronx https://www.montefiore.org/making-case-non-american-diet . He is working with a largely poor population and is trying to change their health with a plant based diet. He recommends buying in bulk and not worrying about organic. Bean are cheap! It’s a win win, beans are cheaper than junk food or meat. Although, I would imagine it is difficult to change habits and might be difficult for your clients to find the time and resources to cook.
4
We started an alternative to this approach last March, and it's working out. We gave up all meat from mammals. This means poultry, fish,and seafood, with at least two or three vegetarian days a week. We don't limit dairy, but except for cheese don't eat much. And this was for ethical reasons, mostly, with the environment, too. I guess I rationalize killing chickens by thinking of them as dinosaurs.
3
Sometimes meat is murder.
Tender, delicious murder.
100% of the 'hickory smoke flavor' we associate with bacon actually comes from hickory smoke flavoring or is a by-product of being 'hickory smoked'. Without that, bacon is just as bland as tofu.
If you want that flavor in another food add hickory smoke flavoring, not bacon. No need to clog your arteries to enjoy your food.
6
@AWorldIntwined.com And the salty flavor... and the oiliness... and the texture... seitan "bacon" tastes smoky. It doesn't taste like bacon.
The estimates of greenhouse gas emissions from ruminants is based on industrial scale meat and dairy production (i.e. Brazil, Argentina, US, Australia, Europe numbers dominate the statistics.) This reflects cattle genetics and husbandry practices optimized for product yields, characteristics and components, with little regard for CH4 and N2O emissions. Emission profiles from large ruminant heritage breeds, sustainably raised, are far better and similar to that of small ruminants, like goat and sheep, large ruminants like water buffalo and bison (that are not raised so pushed to their metabolic limits) and large non-ruminant livestock, like pigs. (H2 microbial "sinks" within ruminants reduce CH4 emissions by about 20%, as well.)
One needs to keep in mind that freeing up CO2 from fossil reserves is the far bigger problem for the environment than CH4 emissions - and that N2O is really a bigger problem than CH4 because of it's approx. 10-fold higher 100-yr Global Warming Potential and turnover rate in the atmosphere.
Plant-based nutritional alternatives to meat, in which industrial-scale is the norm, relies heavily on petrochemical based fertilizers, pesticides and energy inputs. The CO2 and N2O released by such agricultural practices is MORE damaging to the planet than the sustainable meat options (see link below).
3
@carl bumba: Plant-based nutritional alternatives to meat? You mean the whole grains and beans that I eat? Or do you mean the processed food that is not the focus of this article?
1
@Heliotrophic
But I am referring to the focus of this article, namely, points 2. (grains, like pasta), 3. tofu (soybeans), and 5. (plant-based meats, e.g. soybeans). Your choice of beans sounds good. But most whole grains (that are affordable) are harvested as row crops on an industrial-scale and have petrochemical, water and energy inputs that aren't too "sustainable".
2
@carl bumba: From what I can gather, most of what animals used for food eat in our society are ALSO industrial-scale row crops. The difference is that, if we eat the row crops directly, we don't have to grow as many of them as if we run them through cows, chickens, and pigs first. (And I am certainly NOT saying that our industrial scale plant farming is just fine -- I am sure it also needs changes.)
1
Please be aware of your tofu source or the benefits of eating it will be lost in the plastic particulates you've ingested.
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/14/world/asia/indonesia-tofu-dioxin-plastic.html
4
Please do a cardiac stress test
India has the lowest meat consomption in the World...and is the most polluted and filthy...how do you explain that.?problem is the over population of humans...not the cows, chickens, goats ....
6
The Indian infrastructure is poverty. That fully explains the overpopulation, and thus, pollution. They don't eat beef but they eat plenty of goat and sheep.
1
There is pollution and there is pollution. Yes, India is filthy, but please remember that “the United States is per capita the most prodigious emitter of carbon dioxide among the world’s top 10 economies. The average American generated around 15 metric tons of carbon per year in 2016, according to the International Energy Agency, using what it says is the most recent data available. Svelte France, by comparison, weighed in at 4.5 tons per capita, while Indians put out just 1.6 tons each.” (read today in another NYT article)
1
If you're looking for smokiness in a dish, and do not wish to add bacon, try liquid smoke and/or smoked paprika. These two items are staples in our pantry, and they add so much flavor to plant-based meals.
149
@Francie
liquid smoke often contains added chemicals or worse, it can include"caramel color" - a known carcinogen.
what you're looking for is "umami", and it can be found without unnatural additives.
12
@Francie I like to add smoky chipotle sauce. A few drops and you get smokiness and spiciness!
7
@Francie
Funny.
My father who lived to be 90, laughingly called liquid smoke, “liquid cancer”.
5
What a wonderful article. I'm not a vegetarian or vegan, but I am committed to being mindful about what I eat and how it affects the climate crisis. I've always had a misconception that vegan or vegetarian recipes are bland and boring. But lately, I've been trying many meatless recipes (thanks NYT cooking!) and I'm so satisfied. I can't wait to try some of the recipes mentioned in this article. They look absolutely delicious! a million times thank you.
159
@Diana I'm eating @ Tusk in Portland Monday. Good mix.
@Tim C and Diana,
I have been mindful of what I and my family eat for some time. I grow my own veggies in the summer, and compost in our yard, that which doesn’t eaten. I buy organic milk, and wash all store bought veggies, including thrice washed lettuce, if I have it. Meat is non-negotiable with my family, as is dairy. Allergies prevent some nut use, especially for friends and their kids. I use tofu, but loathe beans in tacos or burritos as it is too much starch. I walk to the store, take public transportation, etc. the real elephant in the room is COST. Organic cost more, BeyondBurgers are delicious, but to pricy for the masses, farmers markets, which many readers here frequent, cost more. None of the poorest among us can afford organic. None of the Mom’s and Dad’s who work hard, have time for mixing so much of this flavor at the end of the day. Moreover, Vegan cheese, is not cheese. We have made a big reduction in meat, but it is not going away anytime soon. Melissa’s thought’s are noble, but she gets paid, well, to create recipes, buy organic etc. We do not.
My wife and I, both athletes and meat lovers, have made a massive reduction in meat consumption our top goal for 2020. Our motives are environmental, as are Ms. Clark’s. This article couldn’t have landed on a better day as we start lining up recipes for the new year. Thank you for this enjoyable and helpful read and all the best for the year ahead.
197
@solaris I highly recommend the podcast, "No Meat Athlete" for excellent discussion and ideas on how to reduce or eliminate meat in your performance diet!
1
May I recommend you to view „Gamechangers“ on Netflix?
2
The gamechangers changed my entire thought process. I love to cook and shop and eat more than anything but since watching that doc, I have cut way back on all meat and dairy. I not only feel good about my new choices, I also FEEL good. A win for your health, the planet and even your wallet. Welcome to the new food pyramid for 2020. 💖
1
Hey, y'all. Former vegetarian, current eater of some but not much meat or dairy here, whose resolution this year is to continue to live a more sustainable life (w/some specific focuses and goals). I've just gotta say, though, that reading through this comments section, it's clear where the sanctimonious image of some people who follow certain meatless/plant-based diets comes from. Your audience here in this comments sections is largely people who are actually trying to eat less meat and bothered to read an article about it. And yet, there's a lot of self-congratulating and shaming going on. How about instead of trying to crown ourselves greater saints, we are happy when people make a change and care? Because a lot of people out there don't care, or aren't in a position where this is a priority for them, and they're not going to be persuaded by a lot of moralizing that makes them feel like lesser human beings for eating the diet their ancestors ate, the diet they grew up on, the diet of their food traditions, the diet humans evolved on. Not everyone is equally as conflicted about eating animals (it's natural, after all, we are still animals). I think Melissa's approach here is good - take joy in food, including the plant-based.
391
@reader: When you know how much farmed animals suffer, it's hard to keep your cool even when you know objectively that people eating a little bit of meat is better than people eating a lot of it. Show a little compassion for those of us who can't help empathizing with those monstrously treated animals.
8
Because a lot of people don’t care about suffering? What would this world look like if there weren’t some people who cared about the suffering of others? Slavery, child laborers, unsafe working conditions to name a few practices that would still be allowed. Suffering is suffering, no matter the species.
5
@Heliotrophic compassion goes both ways. It's as simple as that. @reader stated his point perfectly and eloquently.
15
No one has yet pointed out meat consumption supports factory farming, which is synonymous with industrial-scale cruelty of sentient beings. Add that to myriad reasons not to consume meat.
300
@James A I would have, but you beat me to it. The way most meat is produced in this country is horrifying.
Even if one doesn't care about animal cruelty, they should be concerned about the routine use of antibiotics that creates drug-resistant bugs, hormones in the meat and the fact that chickens need a bleach bath during processing in a not-always-successful attempt to kill dangerous pathogens. That's neither healthy nor appetizing.
53
@James A No one has pointed out the industrial-scale environmental disaster of factory farmed agriculture. Not just the feed crops for livestock and poultry, but also the vegetables, fruits,and nuts that you are consuming in place of your meat consumption. Consider the enormous amounts of water required for many crops, the liberal application of (mostly petrochemical based) fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides, and fungicides that become endemic to the crops and poison the soil and water supplies...shall I go on? By the way, you are consuming these poisons if you are eating conventional produce. So while I appreciate attempts like this article to help us lower our meat and dairy consumption, BigAG is a HUGE polluter and contributor to the negative effects of climate change.
https://www.wired.com/story/big-ag-is-sabotaging-progress-on-climate-change/
27
Or maybe reform industrial agriculture and leave people leave people alone about what they eat?
11
I grew up in an era when it was macho to eat red meat. I have switched out red meat for fish and fowl and I feel much better now. I usually have dolphin steaks once a week, roasted bald eagle 2x's a month and I just eat plain ole chicken the rest of the time.
3
It is great to see that Melissa is finally recognizing that promoting animal consumption is bad environmentally. What is missing however is how bad animal consumption is nutritionally and ethically (animal abuse). When considering animal and animal products consumption nutritionally, environmentally and ethically it is obvious that animal agriculture and consumption is illogical. It is an insult to our intelligence as humans that we haven't collectively evolved away from animal and animal products production and consumption.
6
@Randy
Ideology and dogma will not reverse 2 million years of human evolution. Our bodies know how tp process meat, dairy and saturated fat. They don’t know how to process highly processed foods full of sugar, highly processed vegetable oils and preservatives. The debate should be about whole foods vs highly processed foods rather than meat based vs plant based. We can save the planet by making ourselves healthy first. What is the environmental cost of half of the population being diabetic or pre diabetic?
@JP : "They don’t know how to process highly processed foods full of sugar, highly processed vegetable oils and preservatives." You're right. That's why most vegans don't eat those things in any major quantity. Many omnivores, especially those who eat fast food, do.
2
@JP
Our bodies know how to process meat and dairy, seriously? Isn't our population currently sick from eating too many animals and animal products? I agree about whole foods, which animals and animal products aren't.
2
Fact. It takes 1,929 gallons of water to produce a pound of almonds. It takes 1,847 gallons of water to produce a pound of beef. Chicken only requires 518 gallons of water per pound - sounds scary? Wrong. Chickpeas require 501 gallons of water.
It's great to share recipes for delicious food. But the "eat veggies and you'll save the environment" is more feelings than facts. Americans are so strange when it comes to food.
Another commenter mentioned the extent to which this article is, at best, virtue signaling. The amount of misinformation surrounding American agriculture is shocking.
6
@Facts not feelings
Well, the 'water facts' can be misleading too. Where do you think all those gallons of water end up ? Generally, back in the ecosystem, either through transpiration or through urination / defecation. We consider the latter products 'waste' but from an ecological perspective, if properly managed, they can be very useful and even 'value added'. Heavily irrigated crops such as almonds are probably much worse 'water wasters' than are range land, grass-fed cattle, which return most of that water quite promptly back to the range in the form of urea and biosolids. (Humans are the worst offenders of course, using precious potable water to 'flush away' our own wastes, when they could be put to better use).
1
@Facts not feelings: I get it, I get it! You don't like science! No point criticizing those of us who do, though.
1
Eating less meat, or stopping eating meat does NOTHING to "improve" climate or slow damage. Monocropping vegetables and having plants, sugar, grains available to eat year round and the fossil fuels to make that possible (transportation, cold storage) are significantly more damaging to the environment. On top of that, eating meat and high protein is much healthier and less of a drain on the health care system, which has it's own environmental impact much higher than the aggregate 3% of greenhouse gases caused by cattle. NYT vegan gender much? Who pays for your by-lines?
1
@jny243: I'm sure you know that more than one thing can have negative effects on the environment. Don't you? Just because this article addresses some of the negatives and not all of them doesn't make it wrong. Also, I would love an unbiased source for this sentence: "eating meat and high protein is much healthier and less of a drain on the health care system." Everything I read seems to say that people having heart attacks and bypasses and diabetes takes a high toll on the system, but perhaps you have a different source.
2
Interesting points, but a lot of the ingredients she suggested to add flavor to tofu and vegetables (as well as processed beans) have a significant amount of salt, so they won’t work for people who have to limit salt intake.
@Theresa Nelson: Sure. People with that problem can find many other articles on the internet that give alternate flavoring suggestions.
1
We have dairy and beef cows and many sheep, so I'm not exactly impartial. But I think the entire premise of this article that any form of meat or dairy from ruminants is bad for the environment (especially regarding climate change) is basically wrong. This may be good news for those wishing to have these products and are willing to buy from environmentally responsible farms (which is not exorbitant if bought directly from such farms via the internet... a deep freezer helps.)
From the article cited below,
The environmental impact of ruminants is estimated by converting the climate impact of CH4 emissions (and N2O, to a lesser extent) into to "CO2 equivalent" units.
The standard metric for equating the two gases, Global Warming Potential (GWP100), currently estimates that over 100 years a kilo of methane has 28 times as much global warming effect as a kilo of CO2, or 34 times as much if you take into account certain feedback mechanism (like CH4 breaking down into CO2). The FAO’s calculation that livestock cause 14.5 percent of all anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions is based on the 34 figure.
However, methane degrades in the atmosphere relatively quickly—it has a half-life of about 10 years—whereas CO2 is cumulative; that is to say a single emission of CO2 will remain in the atmosphere for many hundreds of years, and a series of them will accumulate, continually increasing the amount of global warming.
https://agreenerworld.org/a-greener-world/a-convenient-untruth/
5
Some of the trade-offs Ms. Clark suggests are as bad or worse for the environment than eating meat, particularly as it relates to water consumption, land use, and pesticide use.
We need to pay closer attention to where our food comes from. Not only for the sake of health, but to ensure it comes from as physically close as possible. We forgo avocados; not only do they require egregious amounts of water, but they don't grow anywhere near my Catskills Mountain village. Almonds, too. And with the latest 'nut milk' craze, it's even worse; not only do nuts require a lot of water to grow, but they add water to these products.
6
Healthy eating is good, in general. But you cannot fix climate change by deprivation of 8 billion people. The solution is progress, not some socialist notion of making everyone equally poor.
2
As I am reading this article, I have an Uber bean soup on the stove cooking with brown lentils, yellow split peas and green split peas with many veggies. At the age of 69, I desire less meat and beans have taken center stage in my diet. I do have to admit, if someone asked what my last meal would be, I choose a juicy hamburger. Old habits die hard.
3
It's enough to be allergic to just soy, beans and lentils and you will have a very hard time become a vegan, but of course it's hard to just eat less meat as well. Most of this article I had to skip because I can't eat the above mentioned foodstuffs.
Maybe people like me make up a small percentage of the population of the earth, but I, and probably many others, don't have time to research what complicated way I could get by with eating less meat.
4
@Vincent Vincent: Is it very common to be allergic to soy, beans, and lentils? Perhaps you are one of the rare people for whom going vegan is impracticable. But most people can do it. I've never heard of anyone being allergic to all of those, but perhaps you have some scientific information you could share.
1
Last year I stopped cooking/ serving meat at home but would occasionally have it as a treat while dining out. Funny thing: meat became less appealing over time, and I've started to enjoy more and more fabulous vegetarian dishes prepared by creative chefs!
6
@EarlyBird
I don't think eating meat is a treat for the animals you are eating.
2
Most people don't look forward to reducing their meat consumption, but all meats are not equally damaging to the environment. The commodity beef industry is by far the worst worst offender, and offers the biggest and best target.
The biggest, easiest change you can make personally is just to substitute other meats for the beef in your diet. But this must also happen in federal agricultural policy, and that looks to be by far the most difficult change to make.
3
@John Evans: Why do that, if you can make a bigger, easier change not to eat animals at all? Considering the health benefits for you, the planet, and the animals, why would you just switch to making different animals suffer?
2
The current human population emits the same amount of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere as were the dinosaurs. Actually, Jurassic and Triassic Periods were quite humid then compared to our climate at present. It is our man made machines fueled by fossil oil, natural gas and coal that hasten this climate change. Left over food dumped into the garbage to land fill creates methane. There is no left over food in poor countries.
1
I love you, Melissa Clark. Can you please give us some sauce recipes for the grain bowls I started making last week with farro and roasted vegetables? Currently adding in romaine and dressing it with a mustardy vinaigrette, but would love a recipe for a peanut sauce or roasted mushroom sauce or cooked cherry tomato sauce to take the bowls in various directions. Thank you!
10
@Melissa
there are some great sauce recipes on Jane Esselstyn's YouTube channel.....
2
If you truly desire to influence people and win friends,begin with the basics.No soda soft drinks or cake candy and ice cream,which are nothing more than literally tons of sugar disquised in edible form.Sugar is not only an extreme vise propagated by government lobbyists ,its dangerous to the system and poverty stricken folks all over the world.Now when we look at meat ,also consider salt.There's a lot of salt mentioned in this article.Table salt or sea salt and exotic are disastrous for the system,especially for grown adults or older,when used more than sparingly.Heavily salted meat and eggs,the staple of most diets are a cholesterol laden nightmare for the vascular system.Now I,myself have been heavily invested in the dangerous eating habits all my life ,but change is easier than most people think and you will be more healthy.The vegetables,fruits and grains ,lighter meat fare are a good alternative,but as far as saving the planet,it's anybody guess.
2
A far better way to mitigate so-called climate change would be to convince China and India to reduce their populations to about the 300 million level and that would reduce carbon output by trillions of tons yearly just from their breath never mind from all their other activities.
, Talking about reducing meat intake or driving an electric car is nothing but virtue signaling and does nothing to really address the problem.
6
@Brent: As much as I agree with you about population reduction, (childless by choice, here) I must defend my electric car and my move away from animal protein. It's not virtue signaling. It's personal responsibility. It's about doing whatever we as individuals can do to address the climate crisis. I can't do much myself about anything happening in China and India. And admittedly, my individual effort is a drop in the bucket, but if every person took it upon themselves to do as much as they could do, it would make a difference. Be the change.
22
Melissa
I’d recommend you to read Jonathan Franzen’s recent New Yorker piece on climate change denial.
It’s bleak and compelling. After reading it I don’t think that avoiding lamb chops is going to matter.
I’m cynical and feel like fiddling while Rime burns.
Dede wilder
I feel it’s important not to turn diet into diatribe. It rarely changes people’s perspective or opinions. The impact of humanity on the biosphere is profound and extends far beyond diet. This is true regardless of what you eat or tribal view you have on food. I agree that diet is a import factor and reducing consumption of certain foods can mitigate environmental damages but the sheer numbers of humanity are overwhelming world attempts at change. This requires a different view of humanities place on this planet. My concern is when we fixate on individual choices like diet we lose sight of a larger perspective. That perspective is that biosphere impact requires a species response & we’re not there yet. Reducing this & that is helpful if only to alleviate despair but it’s impact is overrated at best. For yourself think about your overall choices including diet. Just don’t make it your holy quest or it’s just another feel superior moment & those rarely help anyone but yourself.
6
@John Chastain
Quote: "My concern is when we fixate on individual choices like diet we lose sight of a larger perspective."
BINGO!!
That's what some of us have been trying, repeatedly, to say in this comments section. So much of this discussion -- vegan, vegetarian, meat-eater, non-meat-eater, pescatarian, flexitarian, electric car, fly/don't fly, etc. etc. etc. -- just ends up becoming a purity contest.
I hope the NYT makes your comment a Times Pick.
3
Thank you for this article and the recipes!
4
And how much fossil fuel is used to get all of these fresh and delicious ingredients to your kitchen? And at what cost to wildlife habitat?
There are just too many of us making too many demands. The buck has to stop somewhere. And it will.
6
@mark: Does meat somehow magically get to my kitchen without fossil fuel or harm to habitat? I'm confused.
4
Just wondering about eggs. In my household, we've cut way back on dairy this year. Already eat about half vegetarian entrees and trying to move farther away from red meat- but with growing, athletic teens in the house, eggs have become a staple.
Also, baking? How does one cut back on butter? What substitutes work well? And is it worth trying to replace eggs?
You can replace some oils in baking with applesauce. Also, flax can be used in place of eggs in some baked goods.
1
Look up Tom Brady, quarterback for the Patriots. He eats plant based while having high energy needs. As for baking, try ground up flax seeds with water to substitute for eggs. Applesauce can substitute butter and sugar. Look up Fork Over Knives recipes for baked goods or just search vegan recipes on the internet. Good luck, I find the vegan recipes easier to prepare than regular baked goods and quite delicious.
1
@SNK
replacing eggs in baking= flaxseed 'egg'....flaxseed and water.......
1
Such a “first-world” take on the issue of decreasing animal food products. The easiest way to decrease consumption of animal products is to go through a financial crisis; meat is quite expensive, and that alone makes it easy to cut from the food budget. With the ever-increasing income inequality, the United States will very soon be more like the countries of the developing world, and the diets of ordinary/struggling people will reflect it. Many more of us can become “economic vegans.”
13
@Rodnil Did the last financial crisis reduce meat production? Unfortunately, untangling the knots between consumers and meat producers also involve lobbyists and politicians. Developing countries are where meat consumption is growing. In the US, it is stagnant thanks to a "first-world take" like this.
3
These dishes have far too many carbs for my DM2 diet. And unfortunately I dislike chick peas. I love other beans but, again, too many carbs. My point is that diets are not one-size-fits-all.
8
@Barbara: I must have missed where the author said that everyone should eat exactly what she eats. I did see the part where she called it her "own personal guide." I know people with DM2 who are vegan and healthy. It probably takes more research than just this article.
1
This is great for a short term fix.
Medium Term (3-5 years) we will see more sustainable meats cultured from animal cells, thus avoiding all of the methane and inefficiencies of raising actual animals.
3
I too used to believe that drinking coffee without a splash of milk would stop the earth turning on its axis - nonnegotiable, must not be done.
Then I gave up dairy and started really tasting coffee. After trying several types of beans, I settled on a medium roast that’s just fabulous drunk hot and black. I so do not miss dairy in my coffee, or in my life for that matter.
7
@Dawid If I were to be diagnosed with a serious CV illness or cancer, I would most likely first adopt a strictly-enforced diet change, as those appear to have a greater probability of reversing a degenerative disease than do chemo-therapy or major surgery.
I'm a flexitarian with drastically-reduced meat, dairy, and processed oils intake for a year now. It doesn't make me feel healthier than I previously did, I admit, (since I felt healthy anyway). But it does produce small, very noticeable changes. I like it, and would consider going further. But falling back? Never.
2
In the back of my mind I knew the meat I was eating came to my plate via a slaughterhouse. Last year I watched a YouTube video of the process of killing the animals and like the old saying "You don't want to see how sausage is made" you really don't want to see the cruelty inflicted on animals in order to satisfy our addiction to meat.
My wife and I have now settled for the Mediterranean diet or what some call a Pescartarian diet and we are as happy as, excuse the pun, clams.
12
@dsmith You really need to watch a video about the fishing industry. It is not any different than the slaughtering of animals, it's just in the ocean.
1
Thanks for all of that, Ms. Clark. I've been plant-based / whole foods since cardiac bypass surgery 4 years ago. These recipes are all so close to being complete plant based, it might be nice to include substitutions in recipe footnotes. I know it would get unwieldy to deal with every dietary need, but with a little prompting, it wouldn't be difficult for your readers to substitute PBWF items for some of these ingredients, and also reduce the amount of fat. Thanks again.
6
Every generation reinvents the wheel. Frances Moore Lappe's "Diet for a Small Planet" told us how to do it 50 years ago.
18
I could have sworn I read the same article at the same time last year.
1
Great article. Meet in the middle. No vegan bashing here. Great recipes. Great ideas. “Protein will find you” and not the other way around. Thank you for this information.
8
Meat makes me nauseous, knowing how it comes to market, and how filthy it is, not to mention the cruelty. Love my new vegetarian diet, but having trouble giving up milk. Nut "milks" are just gross. I've cut back due to lactose intolerance. Thanks for this wonderful support, with super new recipes. Humans don't need meat.
8
Have you tried oat milk? After starting with soy (too soy flavored), moving into almond (too water intensive), and dabbling in coconut or cashew (too rich/heavy), I’ve found and been enjoying oat milk for a couple years now.
5
@Alex -- Yes, it wasn't as bad as the others. I may have to settle for that. Thanks.
3
@ChesBay Meat makes me nauseous too -- haven't eaten it for 30 years. When I go to the supermarket, I avoid looking at the meat section -- too heart-breaking.
2
The amazing former WaPo food writer Kim O’Donnel wrote two books about meatless cooking for meat eaters. These are go-to recipes - both healthy and tasty. Would love to see feature Kim and her take on this trend: https://www.amazon.com/Meat-Lovers-Meatless-Cookbook-Vegetarian/dp/0738214019
4
@LizzyLizzyLiz 2 of the best veggie cookbooks out there. easy and accessible recipes!
1
Link to Indian Butter Chickpeas recipe. Several commenters requested it.
https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1020739-indian-butter-chickpeas
1
now if Melissa could also reduce her salt fixation her recipes could be even healthier!
Beans—delicious, nutritious, and versatile. Cook dried beans at your leisure and freeze them. They freeze beautifully as does pozole/hominy. Your freezer is your friend as you transition away from meat.
4
I’ve been focused on meatless meals for a while now. Another thing I would encourage people to do is to try and find local farms. We are fortunate to live in an area with several family owned farms that offer CSA’s. This summer will be our third year. We plan our meals based on our weekly box of fruits & vegetables. Buying local is good for the environment and supports small business at the same time.
9
meat 2 -3 times a week is cutting down on it? Melissa get with the times. Once a week is the limit. and small portions as everyone already knows - like in china or Japan for example. It is so easy and so tasty.
5
@A & R Wow, kind of rigid in our thinking, are we? If you eat meat 10 times a week, I would say 2-3 times is cutting down rather dramatically, don't you? These are personal decisions, and finger-wagging is not likely to help. So you're more virtuous than Melissa? Good for you.
On another note, I think any article on this subject should deal with the entertaining conundrum. I've seen friendships strained and even ended in food battles over menus when guests come calling.
14
Absolutely true. Sharing food is a social activity. Until meat is not considered food, finding a balance between what we know intellectually and our need to conform socially, will require finesse.
1
I've always loved Melissa Clark and her recipes. I love her even more now. Keep it up, Melissa, you're on the right track!
6
As an omnivore, I started "meatless Monday" years ago as a way to demonstrate to myself (and others who might join me) that it is possible to have meatless meals (and days) "with flavor" and satiety. Most significantly, it is always one recipe at a time! In this article I really appreciated the mushroom Bourguignon recipe. Hopefully I can find a variety of mushrooms to play with at the local grocer!
3
I’m a former vegetarian and the term “plant-based meat” strikes me as inherently dishonest.
Meat is animal flesh and plants are not animals so let’s not refer to plants as making meat. Whatever vital and delicious nutrients plants are composed of, it is not meat. Plant-based fake-flesh alternatives are as highly processed and as chemically gooey as Hot Pockets. Before these plastic-wrapped patties land on your plate, they started out life as a chemical slurry. By all means, eat more plants, but eat them in plant form.
I married into a family of enthusiastic omnivores; my husband’s family raises chickens for eggs and meat, hunts and eats what they catch, butchers meat they purchase from their Amish neighbors. I’m unsettled by knowing the Amish children raise the animals and develop relationships with them then slaughter their own pets, but this is their way of life. It’s true, if I had to kill and dismember Mary’s Little Lamb to get chops, we’d both be eating leaves, but that’s what the butcher and grocer do for me. If buying from the store, find a kosher butcher; kosher meats are cleaner and the slaughter process less traumatic for the animals.
17
As much as I avoid overly processed foods myself, I feel compelled to point out that meat is not limited to the description of animal products. The first example that comes to mind is coconut meat; I believe I usually see it associated with fruits (when not referring to animals).
2
@hey nineteen
Words evolve. 'Meat' has not always meant 'pieces from an animal source' and it may not always mean that. Read enough Tudor-era literature and you will come across numerous mentions of 'sweetmeats'. No animal flesh involved. Usually a combination of dried fruits and nuts. Meat used to mean something synonymous w 'tasty morsels'. If you'd like specificity about tortured and slaughtered animal parts, just call it 'dead animal parts'. I don't think there is any confusion about that plant-based meat is. And I like that they use the word meat. Also, kosher death is having your throat slit and exsanguination - don't see what part of this is atraumatic. Here's the test for a humane death: the kind you'd like. And if that's too much of an empathetic stretch for you: the death you'd like for your favorite fido puppy or fluffy kitty - is it being shipped off for being strung up by hind legs and having its throat slit? Is it being shot by a hunter and not always killed, often scampering off to a slow death? Paying others to torture and kill animals for you to protect your gentle nature while satisfying your tastebuds should be morally objectionable to you. It should be far more morally objectionable than other people enjoying pea protein in meat form. Mmm!
2
Please be aware the avocados grown in Mexico are directly related to the serious decline of Monarch butterflies.
The Eucalyptus groves which had been the western habitat for the Monarch butterfly have been decimated in order to plant the avocados.
48
Priority 1: Save the butterflies. I don't think that the phrase "first world problems" does this justice. This is simply baffling.
1
@Ruth
Seems I recall it being pine groves, not eucalyptus, that nurture the monarchs in Mexico. I do recall eucalyptus groves sheltering monarchs in Santa Barbara but are not those eucalyptus an introduced species?
True, avocado production, at an industrial scale and intended for international markets, is depleting water sources and imperiling inter-related ecosystems... but your facts seem muddled.
1
“Decimate” means to reduce by a tenth. Choose another word.
I'm saving every one of these recipes for future use. My meat consumption today is a fraction of what it was over the past 50 years, and I feel good at age 66 years. I prefer to prepare dried beans and have the luxury of time in retirement to do so, but use canned beans for quick meals, too. Soups have become my go-to lunch of choice and are a great way to use up leftovers. I make and freeze stock from chicken, beef, pork bones and shrimp shells, and vegetable trimmings for vegetable stock so little goes to waste. And, I'm lucky to grow many vegetables and fruits and have 6 laying hens so fresh eggs are always available to me. All of us can reduce our animal consumption and enjoy delicious foods. Thank you, Allison.
11
Having become vegan 6 years ago, at the never-too-old to learn age of 61, I have discovered that many main dishes derive their taste not from the meat, but from the seasoning. BBQ is an excellent example. So use BBQ sauce on seitan--same result! A surprising example is seafood dishes. I just made vegan clam chowder. The stems of trumpet mushrooms, sliced into medallions, have the same texture as clams. And adding ground-up seaweed sheets or kelp adds the sea taste. You wouldn't know you were eating vegan clam chowder.
27
Yeah, excellent article. I've been a butcher for 45 years, having worked in slaughterhouse, retail and now wholesale. I've gradually reduced my former heavy consumption of rotting dead animal flesh to the point where I'm now meat and dairy free but occasionally eating local, sustainably caught seafood. The stat about meat and dairy production contributing as much greenhouse gas emissions as all the vehicles, ships and planes on earth is a standout that everyone can understand and must be publicized widely in ways that average, generally uninterested people like my wife will get it. Like tv soap opera and corny magazines. I know my wife and others will care more if she discovered the facts this way.
20
As Marion Nestle affirms in this article, worries about getting enough protein are misdirected worries about not getting enough calories -- a problem most Americans will never have to deal with.
The protein provided by beans and legumes alone is comparable to that provided by meat and dairy. Even a slight reduction in meat and dairy will naturally reduce excess weight.
14
I love many of Clark's recipes, but she's got white rice in one of these recipes, pictured right underneath the headline. Folks, white rice is junk food. Eliminate that before even thinking of cutting back on red meat.
The decades-long nutritional science behind reducing our meat and dairy intake is weak and iffy at best. High-carb, high-sugar, low-fat diets are causally linked to the obesity epidemic. The latest research shows that saturated animal fats aren't evil; they're actually quite healthy. Enjoy them!
In addition to eliminating all added sugars and processed foods from my diet, I've increased by meat and dairy consumption, and my health has greatly improved.
Eggs fried in butter, well-marbled steaks, high-fat cheeses, sour cream, whole milk yogurt -- these can be part of a nutritious diet rich in healthy fats.
There's much to read on this topic. "The Big Fat Surprise: Why Butter, Meat and Cheese Belong in a Healthy Diet" is a good place to start.
9
@Kathleen You say, "the latest research shows that saturated animal fats aren't evil". Tell that to the slaughtered animals.
22
@Kathleen Re: "The latest research shows that saturated animal fats aren't evil.."
The latest valid research -- i.e., not financed by dairy or meat producers -- shows that saturated fat causes a rise in LDL bad cholesterol, which is most definitely linked by other research to cardio-vascular issues.
Neither meat nor dairy are evil, but if one chooses to partake of those things, it should be part of a diet that minimizes the side effects they produce.
11
@Kathleen I believe your comment misses the point of the article that eating fewer animal products is the very best way to help heal the planet.
This is not an article primarily about nutrition, although the author assures us that eating many more plants than animals is safe. We no longer live in a world where our dietary needs must be supplied by animals as hunter gatherers had to. The author has given us great recipes so we can actually enjoy healing the planet and love what we do.
20
Great article. Excellent guidelines for using less meat! Thank you.
14
You don't need to rely on Melissa Clark's new take on how to eat less meat and meat-based foods as part of your diet to save the planet. For tasty and delicious foods you need only to look at cuisines of other countries who cook with lower amounts of meat as a way of life: While these cuisines are not designed to save the planet, they do, in fact, present many of the food options that Clark presents to hinder climate change.
For example, the combination of rice and beans provides the complete protein spectrum found in meat. It is the mainstay of Mexican cookery (along with chile peppers rich in vitamin C, potassium and other minerals) and has sustained the dietary needs of a large population that cannot afford meat on a regular basis.
Chinese cookery emphasizes large amount of vegetables in their stir fries and soups with small amounts of meat or seafood to flavor the vegetables. Daikon radish eated raw in salads and cooked in stews and soups is very high in vitamin .
Indian cuisine, too, focuses on vegetables along with smaller amounts of meat or fish. The country also includes a large population who are vegetarian so India's cuisines abound with vegan and vegetarian recipes.
The Mediterranean diet made popular years ago in the US, features using olive oil instead of butter, an emphasis on green leafy foods, grains, and vegetables, along with lower amounts of meat and fish.
20
You can’t replace meat/dairy with pasta and bread and get enough protein to power your brain.
The problem with the new climate change diets is they don’t seem to take nutrition into account. When I see vegan/vegetarian recipes that provide the required protein, I will be the first to try.
4
@Melanie Wright Reducing meat and dairy means, of course, that there are less cows. Cows are also bio-engineered to produce too much milk that can be used by calves. So they are bred to need to have their milk suctioned.
Sheep have been bio-engineered to grow coats of wool that, if not sheared periodically, causes them to have life threatening problems with having their heads and tails unable to function freely.
They just don't get it. One should look at the actually overall facts of the meat/wool/honey/etc industries first before one starts fighting against what is without giving consideration to what should be.
5
@Melanie Wright Try eating brown rice with something from the legume and pulses family. Brown rice with some black beans mixed in, does not have to be a lot. Or geen peas. Or lentils. You're done. Substitute quinoa for the rice, or whole wheat pasta. Substitute chick peas for the black beans. Try breads made with whole grains. Look at the labels, there is a lot of protein in there. You don't need as much protein as you think you do. Processed refined grains are empty calories, avoid white bleached flours. As a country it would be great if we could concentrate on offering quality grains and legumes/pulses to our citizenry as well as nutritional information and tasty healthy recipes.
28
@Melanie Wright you are kidding right?
1
I would like to eat less meat and dairy but like a lot of people I find it hard to digest beans, pasta, nuts, and soy. So I was disappointed by the recommendations.
15
-try a little at first to help your body adjust. you can gradually build up to eating more.
-soak your beans before cooking and throw out the soaking water before cooking. this will remove some of the indigestible carbs.
-start by cooking you're beans really well, to the point of mushiness to break down the carbs
these three ideas and a little experimentation may help you transition to being a bean eater!
good luck.
17
@CPA Try seitan, which is a traditional Asian meat substitute made from wheat gluten, and quinoa (be sure to rinse it well). Both have a lot of protein, and my husband and I find them very digestible and filling.
4
@Susan I bring dried beans to a boil and turn off the heat and let them soak overnight. Two rinses removes the glycoproteins that cause flatulence because they are difficult to digest and then I cook normally. I usually cook several pounds at once and store in containers in a freezer. I have all kinds of beans prepared this way so the freezer substitutes for my pantry with canned beans.
6
I care about the earth and about my own health but most of all, I care deeply about the animals. When I became aware of the terrible cruelty involved in all animal agriculture, I transitioned (17 years ago) to a vegan lifestyle. Prior to that, I was vegetarian for about 19 years. I am soon to be 79 years old. I am in good health and do not feel deprived in any way. My only regret is that I was blind to the cruelty for such a long time.
87
@Phyllis There is nothing sadder in the world/US than the horrible treatment of animals by many humans. I mean dogs/cats/farm animals/wildlife. The barbaric slaughterhouses will be shut down someday. Eating meat is unethical/immoral. I avoid the food section of the NYT for fear of seeing photos of dead animals" body parts -- the same in the supermarket. Of course, health and the environment are important too but animals (our brothers and sisters) come first.
2
As a physician who spends a lot of time focusing on diet with my patients, you can get enough protein on a vegetarian diet if you pay attention but the idea that if you are getting enough calories then you are getting enough protein is nonsense. And people have different dietary needs so for some people, plant based proteins are not appropriate. That said, these recipes look wonderful and most of could do with knowing more vegetarian dishes.
16
@sarah Dear Doctor: would you mind elaborating and possibly citing your sources? This is the second time I've heard enough calories translates to enough protein. The flip side being that most people in the mainstream are obsessed with hitting triple digit daily protein intakes.
Given that half a billion people in India are vegetarian I'm figuring it isn't that tricky and would like to forget about counting protein grams forever. Thanks.
10
@tgage Accordoing to one study, about 95% of all Americans get TWICE the daily recommended protein that they need.
So I really don't think that getting enough protein is a problem in the US.
On the other hand, 93% of Americans do not get the minimum amount of daily fiber.
So please quit this obsession over protein and start fussing about fiber!
26
@randy Here we go again on fiber...that stuff we can't digest and goes straight down the can adding to your carbon footprint (wastewater treatment anyone?). More fiber, more flushes, more flushes, more (shall I say it) waste. Protein, on the other hand, is material that your body can use for all kinds of things. Especially animal protein is--pretty much--fully digested and used by your body. There's no proof that you need fiber, but plenty that you need protein (specifically animal protein). Fiber is waste. That being said, you eat fiber if you want, but don't delude yourself that your body 'requires' it.
1
Seems like it would be very difficult to go vegan or vegetarian when you are diabetic - beans, rice, pasta, quinoa and whole grains and fruit raise my blood sugar to very high levels.
10
@Franz I'm a strict-control (5.7 or better A1C) Type 1 and have been vegan for two years without any issues. I don't think the article is written with the type of eating in mind that we would need, but I can say that unsweetened almond and coconut milks (and yogurts), tofu, vegetables like cauliflower, broccoli, brussels sprouts, and the occasional Impossible Burger, as well as snacks of almonds and macadamia nuts, and flavored seaweed, make it surprisingly easy. I eat a little more carbs than I used to (when I usually stayed <30g/day) but my continuous glucose monitor helps keep me in check, and I've had the best A1C results of my life while being vegan (probably because I'm just so much more thoughtful about what I eat now). Hope that helps and good luck!
21
@Franz Yes, I cook for a diabetic I family member and rice, pasta, and grains are out of the question. They cause too much of a blood sugar spike. While I would love to be vegan myself, I cook vegetables with fish or chicken or (occasionally) beef because a low carb diet works best for my loved one with diabetes. We have started to use some of the pea protein based meat substitutes, like vegan sausage. What I take from this is that you can make 80% of your plate vegetables with 20% meat, fish, or eggs. A 3-4 oz serving of meat is enough when accompanied by plentiful roasted veggies and a salad.
7
@Franz I highly recommend you read Dr. Greger's books, How Not to Die, and How Not to Diet.
Yes, Type II diabetics do very well on a plant based diet. So well, in fact, many have actually reversed their diabetes!
10
Cooked my first vegan entree two nights ago, "meatballs" made from black beans and brown rice. They were excellent, because the recipe-creator (Minimalist Baker) has a lot of experience.
They didn't taste quite like beef, but neither did they taste like beans and rice -- they tasted (again, bc of smart seasoning) like something deliciously Italian.
Vegan cooking has become extremely sophisticated and very delicious -- a far cry from the leaden brown-rice casseroles of my undergrad years. I urge people to try at least one new recipe per week.
Also perhaps faux chicken nuggets by Quorn -- made from mycoprotein. A pleasant, occasional treat that's pretty similar to chicken nuggets while you're in the "kicking/reducing the meat habit" transition.
21
Shame on the NYT for perpetuating inaccurate claims that encourage monocrop agriculture. Regnerative agriculture can mitigate cliamte destabilization whereas soy, wheat and pea crops will speed up species extinction, dry uo our water tables and deplete the soil. This bi-line will encourage people to eat more foods that use high concentrations of herbicides, pesticides and fungicides instead if purchasing humanely raised and carbon negative meat from regenerative farms. This bi line encourages humans to make choices that speed up our own extinction.
15
I agree. Not so long ago a farm with an 80-100 head herd could make a good living, but with the advent of the mega farm- yes, meat & dairy production has become an ecological PIG - a true threat to our future. It’s happening to local small farms in my state every month - the mega guys buy them up, bury the hundreds of years old stone fence lines to make large equipment more easily accessible, and go to work increasing profits while raping the land, confining their mega herds and feeding them a diet of dried corn the cows are not designed to digest. Bottom line - Buy local raw dairy, buy direct from your local heritage pig or pasture raising farmer and you’ll be doing your body, your community and your world, a huge favor.
1
@Caroline Thank you! It is wearying and disheartening to see these headlines. As owner of a small-scale grazed dairy that was thinking about carbon footprints decades ago, the big point is that we grow grass on ground that is tilled once every 10 years at most. We sequester lots of carbon, with minimal irrigation due to our climate, and no pesticides or commercial fertilizers. Cows convert that grass to high-quality delicious protein. If that same ground were to be used for vegetables, even organic vegetables, it would be tilled at least every other year, water use and fossil fuel use would be higher, commercial fertilizer and overall carbon footprint much greater. So many of our soils and climate areas on the planet are best suited for perennial grasses in a rotation with grazing animals. The assumption by journalists that all animal agriculture is bad for the planet is based on shallow journalism. Watch Allan Savory's Ted Talk for a better perspective. Everything in moderation! https://www.ted.com/speakers/allan_savory
9
You can culture these foods. All you need is a type of cell, a safe growth medium (non-toxic) and a bit of imagination. You could grow a whole herd in relatively no space, reduce emissions, cut costs, and it's 20-year-old technology at least. The flavor may be an issue, but that can be tweaked.
Meat provides 4 times more protein than plants. In that sense it's more economical as food. It's the 10,000-year-old tech that does the damage. Anyway, at least they left out insects.
Note -That doesn't mean don't eat as much veg as you can. Veg is great for your gut. The point is that it's not the whole story, and humans are omnivores. How we get the nutrients can be managed.
6
@Paul Wallis absolutely not correct about protein. plants are loaded with protein, it’s much more bioavailable to the body, and it’s much healthier.
18
@jen w When you get a moment, check out the amino acid profiles of your favorite plant foods, along with the calories of each, and then compare them to steak and eggs. You'll discover that you're way off. The bio-availability of plant proteins is not even close to animal proteins.
4
@jen w It's not the same type of protein. It's plant protein, which is a different structure, with or without some aminos. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/animal-vs-plant-protein#section1
1
Regeneratively farmed meats can actually save the planet, and have a net positive result on the land. Eating more meat and more diary from these farms can reverse the damage we have done through industrialization. Regenerative meat can help sequester more carbon in grasslands than forests, create more biodiversity, and stave off climate destabilization. Soy contributes to climate change. As do all processed meats like Impossible and Beyond. Reading this makes me sad for the human race.
15
Love you, Ms. Clark, but eating less meat will do nothing for climate change. Just as the sustainable fish lists have, as Paul Greenberg has reported, have done nothing to curb overfishing. Only government regulation can curb climate change, just as only government fishing bans restore fish stocks.
18
@Tonia Moxley in fact, the devastation caused by animal agriculture is vastly understated in this article, and reducing meat consumption is the only way out—could stop climate destruction. This is what the scientist now know. All these other measures are silliness.
24
Thank you. Yes. Instead of preaching sanctimoniously, advocate with your elected officials and protest for greater change that can only come from the government.
Give Soy Curls a try:
made from whole soy, easy to store, versatile.
Omni friends and family enjoy all my "chicken" dishes.
5
Totally silly antiquated science.
All things in moderation.
Something most of us don’t do!
7
Where can I find the recipe for the vegetarian butter chicken with coconut milk as shown in the photo under the title of the article? I do subscribe to NYT Food. I’m intrigued by the idea of less meat and more vegetables and all of these recipes are very enticing.
4
@Nina Scharrett - "I’m intrigued by the idea of less meat and more vegetables and all of these recipes are very enticing. "
Any Asian recipe will do this.
2
@Nina Scharrett Indian Butter Chickpeas - INGREDIENTS
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 large onion, minced
1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt, plus more to taste
4 garlic cloves, finely grated or minced
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons sweet paprika
2 teaspoons garam masala
1 small cinnamon stick
1 (28-ounce) can whole peeled plum tomatoes
1 (15-ounce) can coconut milk
2 (15-ounce) cans chickpeas, drained
Ground cayenne (optional)
Cooked white rice, for serving
½ cup cilantro leaves and tender stems, for serving .
10
@Nina Scharrett - PREPARATION
Melt butter in a large heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Stir in onion and 1/2 teaspoon salt; cook until golden and browned around the edges, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes. (Don’t be tempted to turn the heat up to medium-high; keeping the heat on medium ensures even browning without burning the butter.)
Stir in garlic and ginger, and cook another 1 minute. Stir in cumin, paprika, garam masala and cinnamon stick, and cook another 30 seconds.
Add tomatoes with their juices. Using a large spoon or flat spatula, break up and smash the tomatoes in the pot (or you can use a pair of kitchen shears to cut the tomatoes while they are still in the can). Stir in coconut milk and the remaining 1 teaspoon salt. Bring to a simmer, and continue to cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, and continuing to mash up the tomatoes if necessary to help them break down.
Stir in chickpeas and a pinch of cayenne if you like. Bring the pot back up to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, for another 10 minutes. Taste and add more salt if necessary.
Serve spooned over white rice, and topped with cilantro.
7
Eating less meat also achieves another ethical outcome : It prevents the killing of animals. To those that eat meat, i say this : Shame on you for encouraging the torture of animals just so that you can appease your taste buds.
32
@ Plato, thank you for your courage. Wishing you a peaceful New Year.
7
@Plato
We are retired from being part time cattle raisers, very small scale. They lived decent lives and were mostly sold for breeding stock as they were a rare breed, adapted to Far North conditions. The surplus males (a fact of life in herd animal culture) were humanely stunned and then bled out while unconscious. Hardly 'torture'.
The thing about farm animals is, they cannot survive without being tended by humans. So would you rather see them all go extinct ? Is that a better outcome ?
4
@Plato
I agree, and:
Not only killing, but raising under miserably deprived, dank, dirty, crowded, fearful conditions.
The killing is horrible. The living that most agricultural animals go through cannot even be called life; it's just waiting and being fattened until an early death. Most meat animals are babies just months old. They have been bred to reach a mature weight that quickly. 'Living' in bare unenriched environments, no qualify of life, families and social ties (yes! animals form them) severed, disgusting conditions that cause disease despite the constant feeding of antibiotic slurry. This matters too.
1
Why are there links to the recipes when the recipes are not available. Is the NYT engaging in bait-and-switch? Hoping that readers will subscribe to its Food section.
10
Can you please share the Chickpea butter chicken riff recipe? The link provided goes to the mushroom recipe.
1
Cheers to that, we are eating a vegan chili we just made and drinking champagne. Happy New Year 🎆
14
I read the title and thought...No!
More salad, decent normal-sized steak—how bout that?
5
@William Perrigo
And a baked potato ! (Irish Red is our very favorite, for its creamy flesh and nutty flavor. Just a touch of salt, no butter or sour cream unless you really like to add them).
I wish Melissa Clark had mentioned, even briefly, the brutality of much of the meat industry. Perhaps that would have served to temper her enthusiasm for “bacon so crisp that it won’t bend for that first porky bite”...or at least served to induce a pang of conscience to accompany each “porky bite.”
26
So...again NYT has the wrong numbers regarding climate implications of meat (plant agriculture is more of a hazard than animal agriculture), and fossil fuels are the real culprit (hint: It's. Not. Even. Close). But let's blame the cows, and then feel good about eating water hogs like almonds or avacados. You have got to be kidding.
But wait it gets better; meat is what enabled us to become the species that we are-- but now, in the evolutionary-equivalent of the blink of an eye, we are supposed to eat, wait for it, plants. What a flipping joke. We're cool overprescribing statins and nobody blinks twice at the diabesity in this country, but let's praise carbs as the solution. C'mon man! BTW, you have to eat waaaaay more calories of plant protein to even come close to the bioavailability of animal protein...but that doesn't come up in the NYT article either. So hooked on the virtue signaling of out-moralizing our biology, that we ignore the needs of 3M years of evolution. Lastly, how can vegan meat (dozens of ingredients) be touted as a solution over the real thing (one ingredient), when it is clearly another processed food (Crisco anyone?)? This is a 'useful idiots' article for processed/big food industry. Congrats NYTimes, you've misinformed people on nutrition again-- well, at least it wasn't Jane Brody this time, now we're spreading to more writers.
13
@John Willis Thank you, John Willis.
4
@John Willis yes, they got it wrong. They vastly underestimated the devastation caused by animal agriculture. Sailesh Rao can explain more about why that is the case, but the jig is up and there are some media outlets willing to print the truth.
12
Here we go again, NYT lecturing us to give up our familiar diets and traditions while running multimillion dollar advertising campaigns for the real carbon emitters. And the cherry on top is they fill the rest of the pages with propaganda about how this is all our fault cuz gramma makes a beautiful brisket.
10
This is just not true... more anti meat bad info...STOP!!!
7
alas I have cut down my meat consumption and so far I far not died. much had to do with portion control. part of it came with the purchase of a air fry fryer. the variety of what I cook has increased. have not made dramatic painful changes but small steps are also steps
7
Vegan over 15 years, and just want to say, fabulous column, packed with wonderful meal ideas. Thank you for helping the planet.
18
The only meat that should be eaten by humans is carrion: roadkill and whatever else discarded that can be found. Whatever your thoughts on the ethics of killing animals, it is an inconvenient truth that all farm animals are prisoners, and almost all are brutalized. Time to stop contributing to their hellish lives and deaths.
28
and trade the SUV and truck for a Corolla, Golf or Mazda3...
13
@Ben
Or a Tesla!
And drive less. Please.
7
And take the train or bus, most of the time.
8
@Ben - I don't own a vehicle other than my second-hand bike. Haven't bought a gallon of gas in 10 years or been on a plane since 1991. I'm 61. I grew up watching the Amish around my grandparent's farm. They got to the market just as easily as grandma in her old Zephyr, their farms were just as productive, and their barns were built better:) I would go join them except beards make me itch and I'm into music.
14
"Eat food, not too much, mostly plants." Michael Pollan
21
For those who are skeptical about the environmental claims, I highly suggest you watch Cowspiracy. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cowspiracy
It thoroughly describes the environmental devastation brought on by raising cattle for food, and why plant based diets are much better for the planet.
18
@randy or Countdown to Year Zero
(stereo)Typical NYTimes problem ... do you know how difficult it is to even find most of the food stuffs (I'm including the sauces, and other liquid ingredients) discussed in this article (and most of the comments) if you don't live in / at an upper middle class lifestyle?
I'm a native NYer (but not from Manhattan) and "I've lived in a brownstone, lived in a ghetto, I've lived all over this town" and I'm telling you that trying to afford so much of this delicious food, even when purchased and prepared at home (see "... lived in a brownstone"), most of which I find scrumptious as well, on a workman's wage? Absolutely
i-m-p-o-s-s-i-b-l-e.
Until eating in such an ethical, delicious, and sustainable manner can be found +/or afforded by the middle, +/or below middle, class(es) = this is a "top 1%" dilemma that will remain so. Oat milk lattes? What's that ... $6 for a "grande / 8 oounces"? Puh-leeze.
11
@JoeC Seriously, you can't find beans and legumes? You and think they are expensive? Lettuce, carrots, onions, rice -- sorry, but these are available just bout everywhere.
You can order beans and legumes online. It's called the internet, and you may wish to use it when you can't things.
And all of this is much cheaper that beef.
12
@JoeC We grew up without a lot of money and ate very little meat. Bean soup can be delicious and filling. Stir fried veggies over rice can be great when flavored with garlic and onions. Potato pancakes, pasta, etc..are all affordable. Just skip the processed "health foods" and cook with real ingredients, whole foods.
12
Potatoes and pasta are basically sugar.
I'll eat what I want.
No one cares you're a vegan, let others eat as they wish as we let you eat your grass in peace.
Unreal.
6
@AutumnLeaf . At this rate of escalation, I am getting curious if people in the 23rd century will have a war just to include the right to eat in their Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
2
@Autumn Leaf, unfortunately, human recklessness is affecting our own and other species in detrimental ways. Your eating habits have a very real impact on public health, water quality, soil quality, climate, food access etc. Things that don't just affect you. So the people whose lives-and whose children's lives-you're impacting have every right to discuss these issues. Unreal that you don't get this.
23
Australia and California are unprecedented infernos. Unprecedented flooding, from Venice to the plains states. Unprecedented warmth in Alaska, the Arctic, literally everywhere. So much devastation and misery and volatility, and it is accelerating. And the scientific community have painstakingly studied and documented the causes: it’s us (and yes, our diet is part of it.) But you can’t be bothered to care?
23
Don’t forget your B 12 supplement.
15
@Richard and that goes double for carnivores, who really aren’t getting much in the way of nutrition.
5
@jen w you have clearly never done your research on carnivores. Are you one of those mistaken souls that says broccoli has as much protein as steak? C'mon, really...
1
Food writer Michael Pollen said a long time back and I am paraphrasing, “Eat little, mostly vegetables”. Still terrific advice.
5
Isn’t the avocados on avocado toast causing the destruction of Monarch butterfly habitat??!! 1) There is no such thing as a free lunch 2) The first law of ecology is that everything is related to everything else....Barry Commoner
4
Yes. The drug cartels in Mexico are diversifying into avocados. Buy California avocados.
3
@Susan - "Buy California avocados."
If I'm not mistaken, don't the Monarchs have to fly past California in their migration?
4
@Karen
Blast from the past...Barry Commoner. I regret that I never studied with him (for free! at Queens College). But I did write him in for president once.
Melissa In addition to nuts , I recommend a handful of organic blueberries everyday. You'll be amazed.
5
@Teddy Cuz, you know blueberries in the middle of March ...
I'd love to see their recommendations for vegan polenta / a few of the other "serve with" suggestions.
4
I wonder if you might reshare the chickpea version of butter chicken as that link went to another recipe and searching was unsuccessful.
2
This is a complete lie. Vegetables are not a full diet. Medical research that is not manipulated shows that vegan diets weaken the body. Also, most of this fake meat is created from both human and animal DNA in a lab. The plants climate is not effected by carnivores. The circle of life would be harmed by this. Consuming too many nuts are not good for the body.
3
@Lara Masters, Good grief, Lara. This comment touts a falsehood in every line! There are many cultural groups, religions, athletes and average people (like me) who have thrived on plant-based diets for decades. Some of the strongest, largest animals on earth eat strictly plants. Eat as you wish, if you must, but please refrain from attacking those you disagree with. The plant-based diet has a positive impact on the environment, animal welfare, public health and personal health outcomes.
51
@Zebra
But wait! What if you consume too many nuts? Studies have shown that daily consumption of 12 or more pounds of nuts daily could cause minor discomfort. Or worse!
3
Grains? As a replacement for meat?
I’d rather see my abs, thanks.
5
@Michael Watch "Game Changers" on Netflix. Plenty of abs there, all vegan.
4
Soy flour, to my mind the most versatile and satisfying - and thrifty - of all the soy products, has for some reason so far failed to secure its rightful berth in your local supermarket, requiring an internet mail order via Walmart.com or other vendors. Whisked with water seasoned to taste and microwaved for two minutes, it mimics eggs, quickbreads, pancakes and pureed beans, is a flavor chameleon to every savory liquid or companion meat, with a nutrient density virtually unmatched in the legume category (see https://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/legumes-and-legume-products/4382/2). The Indian-friendly Deep brand was my dirt-cheap go-to at Walmart.com, before that seller ... Deep-sixed it, at least in my region, along with many another item in the wake of a shipping-cost redo, upon which I switched to the still-listed, if pricier, Bob's Red Mill version (c. $4.20/lb, though with almost 2000 calories and 160 grams protein per pound, you're outdoing most meats in value per dollar). A moment of soylents, therefore, in tribute to one of the best-kept secrets in the grocery kingdom.
8
Would the New York Times ever consider only printing vegan recipes? Or at least recipes that are mostly plant-based with meat in small quantities only as a flavor enhancer. As one more way to encourage people to be more plant-based.
I think this is the way we need to go as a culture.
18
@Innisfree, Vegan diet is not ideal. There is a better way: eat tree flowers. For a chewy feeling, try barks of young trees that can grow them back. I am ashamed to admit that I still have to wear leather shoes, but started taking them off as soon as I get home so that they last as long as possible. I also avoid going out as much as possible.
4
@JY
Funniest reply in this whole forum.
For some, veganism is an eating disorder disguised as a virtue.
I'm not much of a meat eater (other things taste better), however, I do like to use small bits for favoring, especially bacon. I keep some frozen and then chop off small lardons to add to soups, stews, pastas and chills.
7
Climate is a fine reason to eat more plant-based. Surprised this article didn’t mention another excellent reason: reducing animal suffering. Most animals used for meat production are raised and killed in abjectly horrible conditions. Less of that is a good thing.
31
We are slowly but surely coming to a time when we finally realize that our obsessive meat consumption is definitely putting the future of our planet in jeopardy. However it’s also not a secret that a vegetarian / vegan approach can be regarded as too radical or difficult or downright ridiculous to many (try selling this to my family of obsessive carnivores). The author does a much needed favor on aiming for a middle ground that seeks a balance between cutting meat consumption cold turkey (no pun intended) and reducing our own personal meat intake which is within reach of most people I think. Baby steps, as the saying goes. And once you realize how much there is to discover in terms of exotic, exciting, flavorful experiences (as those found on Indian cuisine for instance) you’ll be hard pressed to go back.
7
My current diet is remarkably similar to Ms. Clark’s. I too can not give up splashes of milk in my afternoon tea, but take the red meat and the cheese, please. It’s a win-win really. Making changes to insure the health of the planet will likewise benefit my own health as well. I look forward to hearing more from Ms Clark and her progress. By the way, I am happy to pay - the NYT is worth it. Happy 2020 everybody!
9
Growing food in the garden, including rabbits. Much of the environmental impact of our food is in how far it must travel to get to our plates. That avocado I like has more climate impact than anything in my backyard - including the rabbits.
9
@bruce - Almost all of the produce in my store comes from at least 1,000 miles away at this time of year. Coconut milk? I'm reasonably sure that coconuts do not grow anywhere near Seattle.
3
Thanks Melissa for this article with great timing! I'm already on board with everything you mention here, but your specific ideas for tasty changes helps me. In the bigger picture, what you choose to cook and share with your readers effects so many others' choices. Thanks. I was reluctant to pay for the additional subscription at first, but I'm not sorry at all - love the fantastic ideas, recipes, insights. And one favorite vegan product to mention - coconut aminos - very tasty dark, rich, salty, sweet umami-ish sauce made from coconut sap.
3
I would like to see edible insects become a much more prominent part of the human diet. Insects, such as beetles, termites, locusts and crickets, are rich in protein, fiber, vitamins and other nutrients, and contain much less saturated fat than traditional animal meat. Also, insects have high feed conversion rates (that is, require less feed per unit of mass) than cattle and fowl, and they emit less greenhouse gases and ammonia than conventional livestock. Insects are much more widely used as human food items in Asia and Africa, but the western countries really need to catch up.
2
Population growth is the most significant contributor to anthropogenic climate change. If population growth is not reduced and eventually reversed most people on earth will be in a starvation situation. Let’s address that before we get too wild eyed about plant diets.
17
@Nick, given the sheer landmass occupied by animals raised for food and the amount of wildlife habitat destruction associated with it, plus severe water pollution issues, it is hardly a stretch to prioritize changes in the way we eat. Aside from that, reducing the suffering of animals should always be a priority.
9
Absolutely! However It seems like we need to do both, since it will take even more time to pursuede, encourage and provide birth contro across the planet. Eating a plant based diet can also help in the meantime.
12
Many, many more people can be fed on a plant-based diet. Let's deal with the western world's overconsumption (of meat, of dairy, of fossil fuels, of just stuff in general) before we point the finger at the population statistics of those on this fragile planet who collectively consume the least.
12
Suggest listening to Chris Kresser, really sheds some light on the completely misconstrued concept of meat and dairy ruining the climate based on real peer-reviewed research and not popular science with cherry-picked data. I think it’s poor understanding of the subject to start off the article with this assumption.
9
There is so much data examining this issue and the inefficiencies and cruelty of the current factory farm systems. Have the available land for agriculture is used to grow grains and feed for farm animals. The amount of input that goes into fattening the animals is completely inefficient six to eight times compared to amount of nutrition produce not to mention the amount of water and the waste that under climate change is ending up in human waterways. It is unsustainable, unhealthy and not necessary for good health. No to mention that it has been proven by changing your diet you can reverse heart disease which a disease primarily caused by overconsumption of meat and dairy. I suggest rather than relying on just person for information doing your homework and relying on multiple reliable sources to determine on your own.
15
This is exactly the type of comment that should review his feedback on the endlessly flawed game changers documentary. Most of the water used in meat production is not from irrigation which makes it actually more water efficient than many plant based nutrients. Not to mention how harmful industrial agriculture is and the fact that cattle primarily feed off low density poor nutrient sources that humans do not feed off of. There are sustainable meat production methods proved to be co2 sinks, which can’t be said by plant replacements such as impossible meat.
7
@Stacey
There is no research that connects consumption of meat and dairy to heart disease. This is a myth perpetrated by big sugar 60 years ago to make us switch from eating eggs for breakfast to eating sugary cereal and other highly processed foods.
Eggs, meats and saturated fat have been consumed by humans for millions of years. The body knows how to process them. The body does not know how to process highly processed foods, plant based or not. Lancet, the medical journal reported that when we reduce saturated fats from our diets the chances of getting a stroke skyrocket.
6
So very heartened to see this article and that you have made this decision Melissa. As a former meat eater, then vegetarian and now vegan along with lifetime cook I have discovered it is really herbs, spices and sauces and prep that make a dish delicious including vegetable based ones. Thanks for addressing the protein fallacy too will I get enough protein was one of my first questions too before going vegan. Protein comes from plants animals many of the largest ones are vegetarian. Now also know discovered one of the world’s strongest men, ultra marathoners and elite athletes attest to their vegan diet making them stronger, have more endurance and giving them competitive edge. The movie Game Changers interviews many of them. So not only is this a good for the planet it is excellent for each of our health too!
14
In terms of ethical and humane treatment of food animals, chickens (both meat producing and egg producing) definitely suffer the worst and most inhumane conditions. So, unless you are sure that you buy chicken products from organic free-range chicken farms, it is better to avoid chicken and eggs for one's meat allotments.
14
I do try to eat less meat based meals. However the new meat substitutes have the same high percentage of fat (17g) as the real thing. Once or twice a month when I feel like a burger or steak, I buy the real thing. The rest of the time I am cooking meals heavy on the veggies with fish or chicken being eaten about three times a week. As for cheese, no way can I give that up!
2
The subscription is $5 per month with no cancellation fee. An incredible amount of work, talent, and thought goes into the database of recipes, the volume of which could literally last a lifetime. The price of 2 cookbooks per year. I would happily pay twice as much and feel I was getting a bargain!
6
Just keep in mind most food production has environmental consequences. When you eat food, you are impacting the planet. Think almonds - one gal. of water to produce one almond, in thirsty CA for example. Great to offer lots of recipes in many articles - message for NYT - I'm not paying extra for recipes. One of my most irritating things about this subscription.
10
@dairyfarmersdaughter
my wife makes 1 or 2 a week , good eatin'
I am so glad to read your column today. Your decisions affect so many countless readers' choices. I wish more food writers would focus on isues that affect personal health as well as on an environmental responsibility.
17
I recently switched back to a plant based diet. The reason I say I switched back is because I grew up in India where we largely eat plant based. Yes we do use dairy products(meat is rare), but majority of our diet is legumes and vegetables. My diet changed once I moved to the US, I started eating a lot of meat. I recently decided to change, I am circling back to my roots and have started cooking more Indian food. For me I feel coming from a place where plant based diet is not a new concept this transition is easy, just cook Indian food with moderate consumption of dairy products and seafood no meat.
18
Diet For a Small Planet proposed that cutting back meat consumption by 10% would create enough grain to feed the rest of the world.
8
I buy most of our meat from a local grass farm. It is actually adding topsoil to the land and thus sequestering carbon. Meat grown that way is better for our health and the planet than factory-farmed Impossible Burgers.
58
Do you believe that solution scales up to 300M Americans, or 8B humans? Or is that a privilege of living in lightly populated VT?
3
@Paul S The same can be said for a lot of intensive industrial agriculture where irrigation is required along with fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides, to increase crop yields. Many of which potentially affect aquifers and contribute water quality issues. Also, not all soil types are conducive to growing crops, at least without a lot of the above inputs.
4
@WorkingMan Not really. 1. Energy is absorbed directly by eating plants (less than 1:10th of the space is needed to feed people on a vegetarian diet.) 2. It’s not sequestering carbon to turn grass into meat - cows produce methane which is terrible for the environment. 3. Cattle need a lot of space to live off only grass. If cows weren’t grazing the area - you could have woodlands.
I married my vegetarian wife last year and have been eating mostly vegetarian ever since. This is going to be very helpful in spicing up our recipes this year. We will definitely be exploring more bean options in our diet.
Thank you!
11
Hmmm, sorry to see this article. It’s a bit regressive and plant based meat—is not meat. Plant based meat is processed food. There are many food solutions that we thought were the answer to our health issues. Anyone remember saccharin?
The real story for 2020 is carbon neutral farming. Britain has pledged that all British farms will be carbon neutral in 2 years. There are many good farmers in America who are working to create regenerative farming. Arresting CO2 thru effective pasture practices. Good intentions by the writer but how far did those grains, nuts and plant based foods travel to get to your plate?
85
Nice try. And what do those cows eat, if not grains, cereals, and the like, which they “process” rather inefficiently, creating methane and other waste products, and consuming large amounts of water?
13
Nice try. Feedlot animal eat grains with minimal nutrient value. Pasture fed ruminants eat more nutrient dense grasses. You can eat what you like but I'll take a grass fed steak any day over industrial pseudo food.An omnivore diet is healthy and honest and doesn't need a bunch of supplements to prevent malnutrition.
10
@Nicole Persson: As a long-time vegetarian, I respect those who take any steps to consume less meat. HowEVER, those who rage on about grass-fed and humanely raised, and how cows will save the planet...NOT!
Even if every one who says they eat “only” grass-fed do NOT eat every meat meal at home. Grab a burger for lunch? Have a business meeting over steaks at the boss’ fav restaurant? Pick up a breakfast taco on the way to work? Those meals count, too, folks.
10
Thank you! I have been a vegetarian for years and eat very little dairy & sometimes fish. I often tell people who are curious about a vegetarian diet the first step is simply to eat less meat.
8
Don’t just do it for climate - do it for your own health. Studies are showing that increasing your fiber intake by eating a low-fat plant-based diet is good for your beneficial gut biome. The typical American diet doesn’t provide the right nutrients or the right amount of fiber to increase and feed beneficial microbiome like F. Prausnitzii which cannot be taken as a supplement because it is an anaerobe. Eating beans is a great way to increase your fiber. Eat more fruits and vegetables, less meat, less processed flour/sugar products. There’s so much misinformation about plant based eating that isn’t helpful and not enough mention of the fact that studies consistently show that plant based diets are healthier overall. Unfortunately, I don’t think enough people know who to cook or prepare easy and satisfying plant based meals so articles like this are really helpful.
26
@Jeanette Witten Interesting. All of the most recent science I've examined points to the exact opposite conclusion.
11
I disagree. Grazing cattle properly along with other animals will improve the planet. Watch the Paleo Way and listen to others who know how to explain this so much better than I ever could. Also consider watching TheMagic Pill. It’s an eye opener.
2
Highly recommend you check out the facts all based on legitimate, controlled studies on non-profit site nutrition facts.org, led by Dr Michael Gregor, who is dedicated to providing scientific evidence on what consists of a good diet for a healthy life. He definitely endorsed plant based eating based on thousands of study results.
4
I would add to the recommendations to source meat from providers that use carbon-neutral or even carbon-negative approaches. They are out there. Sure it's more expensive, but the planet and you are worth it.
13
Doesn’t ‘offset’ the animal cruelty aspect of rendering sentient being into their various parts. That’s after they are raised in miserable conditions, fear, and deprivation.
10
I say again: how can the eating of seafood be encouraged when the oceans are being depleted at a rapid pace, pollution and runoff from chemicals are contaminating fish that are still with us, and the harvesting of shellfish, particularly scallops, is detrimental to the ocean floor and, therefore, the life of the sea. Fresh water fish are not safe from contamination. When I retired to Virginia near the Shenandoah River, I thought I was set up for a hobby of fishing, but the River is so polluted that signs are posted along its banks warning fishermen not to eat the fish they might catch in the River. Ms, Clarke wants us to eat this stuff? Even the Monterey Bay Aquarium list of safe fish is unreliable as the oceans are still being depleted of fish stock. My dinner plate always consists of one-half salad, one-fourth vegetable, with a bit of meat. Seriously, food recommendations need to be revised to face the reality, as well as danger, of eating fish. No one would deny that in 1950, fish was a great protein source. We cannot say the same today.
21
@Rose Beetle VA
"food recommendations need to be revised to face the reality" -- I would say that the concept and perception of reality is driven by ignorance, superstition, and panick. It is this perception that should be revised, not the food consisting of different plant and animal matter.
3
Another very important benefit of reducing meat consumption (and, for that matter, most all high fat/cholesterol foods) is the reduction in risk of cardiovascular disease and stroke. This shouldn't be taken lightly, especially in those with a family history of such diseases.
26
@Doctor
Sixty years ago we demonized and cut back on saturated fats and cardiovascular disease rates skyrocketed. You may wish to check out current research on association between refined high sugar consumption and heart disease. Your information is very outdated Dr.
28
@JP I agree its the sugar and carbs from processed food.
16
@Doctor Saturated fat is not only healthy, it's necessary for one to feel satiety. You should consider becoming more aware of what current science is finding out about it.
11
As a blue collar guy, I don't mind paying a few extra bucks a month for access to the complete Food Section.
I look at it as I'm not just paying for recipes, but restaurant reviews, food news, and the cool "Recipe Box" feature that lets me save not only NYT recipes, but also save recipes from other publications into my recipe box.
And, yeah. . .I also pay extra for the crosswords. I guess since I don't have NetFlix and a zillion $extra$ cable stations, it all balances out.
41
Joe, get Netflix, and have a healthy, happy New Year 😀
2
How can I switch to eating all these grains and such without gaining weight ...lost weight by giving up starches....
9
Eat whole grains, like quinoa, barley, brown rice, farro, whole wheat etc..
7
@HD that doesn’t work for me. Those grains still add pounds and extra weight is a health risk
7
@Toni Weingarten
EAT MORE VEGETABLES. Grains contain fungus and unfortunately brown rice leeks arsenic from the soil.
Carbs though complex still turns to sugar in the blood. The answer is to eat more vegetables.
5
Let’s remember that what gave us obesity, diabetes and heart disease was the overconsumption of refined sugar and other refined carbohydrates. Also, highly processed vegetable oils are not good for us either and associated with cancer, stroke and other health issues. All these foods are plant based. When we went from eating whole foods to highly processed foods full of sugar, vegetable oils and preservatives our health suffered. Also, monocrops are very bad for the planet as pestosites, herbosites etc kill everything including wildlife, birds etc, Every animal, insect and live organism alike. What happened to eating whole organic, local foods including meats, fish and eggs in moderation? This diet gave us the planet we love in the first place.
31
@JP The article is about climate change, not diet. One can eat a climate healthy diet and also avoid refined sugars and carbs.
21
@Francie
We all want a healthy planet and healthy humans. The two are one and the same. Monocrops (plant based) lead to the desertification of the soil that ultimately releases carbon. Grazing animals fertilize the soil leading to the capture of carbon. Monocrops are bad for the planet and animals are good for the planet. Millions of roaming animals gave us the planet we enjoy today. I have no issue with vegan diets. I do have an issue with disinformation and misinformation.
11
JP, Sadly, what most people are eating now are not "millions of roaming animals which gave us the planet that we love " ...I am not even sure what you mean, but what most are eating are millions of animals fattened in feedlots from GMO corn and the like.
8
As a met lover myself, I would like to offer a suggestion which would have a greater impact than any mentioned in this article:
The average dog eats more meat daily than I do. Using easily available statistics, it is easy to determine that, on average, people in the U.S. consume 60 billion pounds of meat yearly. Dogs consume 9 billion pound yearly, which is an enormous amount, equivalent to the meat consumption by humans in all of Canada.
There is an obvious conclusion, which is that a more effective action than any of those recommended in this article is to greatly reduce the number of dogs in the country. The problems that we are facing require painful solutions, and dog-owning vegans should be the first to help out.
It is strange that The New York Times has never addressed this issue. In fact, I will be very surprised if this comment is published.
91
@Charles P
Charles, get serious.
You want to rid people of dogs to solve the climate change issue?
How about if people stop eating meat and switch to plant baded milk and butter and non dairy everything?
This way we can enjoy our dogs and cats and not worry. Or our animals can eat fish. People can too.
See? There's realistic hope without depriving us all of our 4 legged best friends.
14
@Butterfly
40% of food produced in the world is wasted. Also the average person in developed world overeats by 30%. We have plenty of food for humans and dogs.
31
Neither dogs, cats, nor humans will be able to eat fish for long.
11
"There’s no denying how processed most vegan meats are, loaded with unidentifiable ingredients, but..."
For me, and probably many others, there is no "but". Whatever happened to years of "limit processed food" dogma? Fake meat feels so against that, even if it's not all you eat.
Soy crumbles will never be meat. Better sticking to real veggies instead of fake meat.
25
Or how about learning to enjoy tofu and other healthy foods so you don’t need “fake”?
1
@K.
Or eat fish.
1
@K. That shows a misunderstanding of the facts, but let’s leave that aside for a moment. There’s no law that says anyone has to eat soy, fake meats, fake cheese or any of that. where is it written that anyone has to eat heavily processed food?
1
While eating less meat and dairy is an excellent goal, and good for usm animals and the planet in so many ways, it's NOT going to make a difference to climate change.
There's a good summary of why this is, and why believing and promoting this kind of idea is actually harmful, here;
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/article-empty-gestures-trivialize-the-very-serious-challenge-of-climate-change/
However, all is not lost! There's also good info about the most important things we CAN do to help protect the world against the worst;
https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/climate-change-failure-1.5400663
In the meantime, donate your time, money (LOTS OF MONEY, it's kinda important, eh?) and energy to POLITICAL action.
And put tofu into almost any dish that has a good sauce, instead of chicken or shrimp. Butter tofu, tofu parmigiani, faux pho .....
11
Giving up eggs? Never!
8
What is ethically raised beef? Is that when the cow isn't slaughtered.?
25
I am so sick of these endless articles written by people who only write them to make a buck. Eat sensibly and get over yourselves!
23
Totally agree!
2
@Ivan I'm certain that Ms. Clark is sitting in the lap of luxury as a result of her article.
2
Avocado toast. Is there anything else on the planet so pretentious and ridiculous?
Kill me now.
11
@Nadia
I love toast. I love avocados.
I love them separately.
8
Avocados on bread is tasty. Not sure why you find a tasty dish pretentious. It’s basically chips and guacamole in a different form
7
Avocado on toast is a food staple in NZ. But then again, we grow quite a lot of avocados, and have to use them somehow!
2
you can't convince people to eat what you suggest if the pictures are so unappetizing
1
@‘Kathy Millard Really! I was just thinking how delicious the pictures look! Just goes to show :)
1
Better solution....birth control.
38
@Rick Taylor
That deflects from what YOU can do to make better choices for the environment and your health. There are myriad ways we can make better choices. Start with yourself, I promise it is not difficult substituting meat and dairy for plants, pulses, fruits, grains.
4
@Left Coast The individual (including Rick Taylor) can certainly make better choices, and that includes (speaking strictly for myself) vasectomy, in addition to your "favorite choices." That is not a deflection, it is a consideration.
I don't mean to be rude, but I did read that a big problem with the increase in methane gas is from cows and their like, emitted by their flatulence. Your urging the population to eat more beans seems counter productive to your goal. There are more people than bovines, hence more flatulence from more bean eaters. But if you insist, I'll trade you a pound of favas for a pound of ribeye.
10
@leaningleft The increase in methane if from fracking, not cows.
Regarding the non-negotiable splash of milk in your tea: consider this. Try oat milk (Oatly or Califia barista blends). I never thought I would ever, ever give up dairy because a tasty, well-made whole-milk latte has been part of my daily dogma for 25 years. My wife badgered me for years about consuming less dairy and I stubbornly held fast with my daily (usually two) lattes. Any non-dairy alternative was a non-starter for me. Too much distracting taste profiles that didn't match with the coffee. Screwing up my ritual. Then one day I tried a sip of a friend's oat milk latte while I was waiting for mine. It blew my mind. It was still creamy-tasting and thick, but also neutral enough of a flavor profile that it mixed perfectly with the espresso. Now I've been drinking oat milk lattes for a year straight and I've never looked back. I actually prefer it to whole milk lattes now. I thought I'd be the last man on earth to give up whole milk, but oat milk really did change me. Now I also put it in my green or black teas. It's great with earl grey. My experience with oat milk gives me hope that even the most stubborn people can change dietary habits when given a great alternative. Maybe the impossible/beyond burgers will triumph in the end after all if they keep up the progress.
98
@Old Man Kensey Oat milk is amazing! It's been so helpful as I've given up dairy over the past few years.
19
@Old Man Kensey
It is great and easy to switch.
Now, any hints for non dairy cheese?
6
@Butterfly:
Miyoko's, which has been mentioned several times in this comments section. Delicious products (though a bit pricey).
10
Have been plant based for years, for health and environmental reasons and want people to know that fruits, vegetable, nuts, grains, legumes are protein rich foods, so the idea that you can only get protein from animals is false.
Animals are sentient being who feel pain, fear, sadness, happiness. They build trust with the humans who feed, water and care for them. That cute baby chick, calf, pig, lamb that you oooh and ahhhh over, will in weeks, months be slaughtered for humans to eat. And what about the mental health of the humans hired to do production line slaughtering?
No animals are not human, but the way they are raised and exploited even when someone uses the term 'ethically' is inhumane and for me is akin to slavery. Animals can NOT consent to be owned like a slave for human profit!!
218
@Beth Grant DeRoos
Nuts, seeds, leaves, vegetables and grains, with a few exceptions, suffer from a boring flavor profile. I’ve gone long stretches of time eating only vegetarian, and always come back to animal protein of some kind.
I don’t disagree about the characteristics you ascribe to animals. They are intelligent and social, and they form attachments. But I don’t think I’ll ever be able to stop eating them.
9
Keep your religion out of my kitchen. If your worried about exploited farm workers: organize, reform, vote vote vote. But why the need to impose your mystical world view where people and animals are somehow outside of nature where animals eat each other for survival and pleasure? I don’t need more religious fanatics attacking my lifestyle!
22
@Beth Grant DeRoos
Animals also taste delicious. Pass the steak.
9
FIrst, many thanks to Melissa and the NYT for running this article!
Two notes: first, even elite athletes are fine on a nutrient-dense, varied whole-food plant-based diet without having to focus on protein or supplement with processed powders.
Second, chickens and pigs may have a smaller carbon footprint or greenhouse gas emission than cows, but the environmental consequences of farming both are devastating in others ways, as this paper has reported on (flooding manure lagoons, for example, or the poisoned Delmarva waters). And the suffering of chickens and pigs raised and killed is far worse than that of cows.
17
Excellent. I cannot wait to cook one of these amazing recipes! I wish there were more restaurants offering that type of food in Paris.
7
My son-in-law who is Korean told me that his family meals were 90%-95% plant based when he was growing up. And my other son-in-law told me that his dad, who is 1/2 Chinese, would prepare meals with maybe 1 chicken breast chopped up and added to a stir fry for a family of 6, with 3 boys, so they ate a lot of plant foods, too.
This does not sound like Asian restaurant fare today, which is often heavily meat-based, but that may be to satisfy their American customers. But it does sound like another way to reduce meat consumption: use it as a condiment, or for flavoring.
Disclaimer: I’ve been a vegetarian for almost 50 years, and for the past few years exclusively a whole plant foods eater, dropping the dairy products and eggs. I try to avoid processed foods and added oil, sugar, and salt. And I LOVE my food! We eat a lot more spices now, and our palates are much more adventurous. Though my approach to cooking is Simple, Easy, and Quick.
26
I am one of those people with anaphylaxis, that is, I will die if I eat nuts and seeds. So I have avoided vegan diets. However, I have recently been able to decrease the amount of meat and dairy I eat and still avoid nuts and seeds.
I think the secret is learning how to mix vegetables and beans and grains and other forms of protein into tasty combinations. I don't enjoy cooking so it also has to be simple and easy and fast. I have a friend who cooked in my kitchen so I could watch and imitate. That really helped.
I realized that I like the taste of different veggies mixed together. So if I don't want to cook, I combine veggies from Chinese restaurant take-out mixed with veggies from salad bar at the grocery store.
See the film UnSupersize Me for inspiration....
10
@sfdphd
one can be vegan and avoid nuts and seeds.
Grains, legumes, veggies, fruits, tofu, etc. No seeds, no nuts.
5
Oh man, article off to a good start, but then reality hit: being diabetic, the carbs in bread and noodles and pasta, nope. Jazzing up the bean broth with salt, blood pressure worries. Beans, too much gastric distress.
What's working for us is to try to do a few meatless meals a week, cook enough meat for several meals for the week, and attempt more fresh vegetables.
But it's fun seeing how people approach this problems, not that awareness is finally finding the mainstream.
11
Please, more information on elite athletes. I may not be elite, but I work out at least 90 minutes everyday. And, yes, my body tells me when I need protein, carbs or fat. I eat beans and quinoa, and they do help. I eat tons of chicken. I recently made my first rib roast which I hadn't done for at least 3 years. (It was heaven.) I'm willing to help out, but need MORE specific instructions from someone who understands the protein needs of a workoutaholic.
2
@Tom I suggest for you:
How Not to Die, by Dr. Michael Greger
How Not to Diet, by Dr. Micahel Greger
Forks Over Knives, a food documentary
You will find that there are quite a few triathletes who are vegan. The average American already gets twice the amount of protein their body needs, and only the top athletes need more than that, which can easily be obtained by consuming beans and legumes. Half a cup of cooked beans gives you about 7 grams of protein, about the same as one ounce of meat.
You seem to be concerned with protein, but what about fiber? 93% of Americans do not get the minimum amount of fiber in their diet. Meat has zero fiber, but beans give you plenty.
So -- I would suggest you not get so concerned with protein, but be concerned about your fiber intake.
15
@randy,
If you have access to Netflix, watch the film “The Game Changers.” It’s about elite athletes who are also vegan. I’m neither an athlete myself nor a sports fan, but I found the film absorbing. And I loved the “strongest man in the world” — a heart throb, a gentle giant.
14
@Tom We're a family of whole-food vegan former Olympians, current masters champions, and one NFL strength coach, so can assure you from experience that you will be more than fine without chicken or any other animal products.
Current resources for the serious athlete include the website of the new movie "The Game Changers", Olympic cyclist Dotsie Bausch's site "Switch 4 Good", the No Meat Athlete, and Robert Cheeke's "Shred It" book. See also Rich Roll (ultra-man) and his site for an excellent blog post on protein.
15
I cut back on beef and dairy awhile ago before the environmental issues were highlighted. I even cut out cheese altogether for awhile however since cutting back on both, when I do indulge they do digest much easier now.
So on the 2 to 3 times a month I do eat beef it's gonna be a 2 inch thick strip steak, pan seared to a crusty medium rare, seasoned with salt, pepper, and garlic.
Or a 1/3 pound 85% lean hamburger on a sesame seeded bun, pan seared, salt and pepper, two thin slices of raw onion on the bottom and two thick slices of cheese on the top.
Um Good....
5
As a decades-long vegetarian and newish vegan, I really appreciate this article. I try to argue against the preachy vegan stereotype by pointing out that all I really want people to do is a) understand where their meat comes from and its impact on the environment, and b) hopefully find ways to reduce their overall meat consumption. Of importance is this article is the dispelling of the protein myth. If I had a dollar for every time someone asked me how I get my protein over the last 28 years, I'd be a millionaire. I'm approaching 45 with low cholesterol, healthy blood pressure and resting heart rate, and within 5 pounds of my weight in 2000. The only supplement my body needs is Vitamin D and with regular consumption those levels are normal as well.
12
@Karin,
Vegans need vitamin B12 supplements, since we don’t get it from the foods we eat. Historically, we consumed it from lake and stream water, since it’s made and excreted by bacteria, but our sanitized water means that the main source of B12 these days is animal products. Or a supplement (which is obtained from bacteria grown in fermenters). Though B12 is also fed to animals these days, as they aren’t getting enough of it in their diets, either.
Interestingly, about 1 in 3 elderly people lose the ability to actively absorb B12 from their food, so they should also be taking supplements, since a B12 deficiency has several adverse effects, including anemia, tingling in the extremities, and dementia. Even 1 in 6 meat eaters are B12 deficient.
And though we do store B12 in our bodies, if we’re not eating it in our foods, this store will eventually become depleted.
15
You’re preaching!
1
@Karin Same here. 98% of all Americans get twice the amount of protein they need, and 93% don't get even the minimum amount of fiber. The funny thing is no one asks where you get your fiber.
8
I appreciate this column is meant well and I certainly support the reduction of meat and fish in our diets for the sake of animal welfare and the sustainability of the planet. And I know that this is a column about food, not nutrition per se.
As a longtime adherent to a low-carb diet, and now in its strictest form, Keto, I might find it difficult to give up a lot of meat, fish, eggs, and dairy. As I understand the science, there are compounds in these foods not available in beans and other vegetable products.
I'm not talking about balancing proteins, but rather obtaining nutrients essential for good health, including the omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA. To the best of my knowledge, these compounds are absent in vegetables.
I guess the way to go would be eating smaller portions of meat and fish, while supplementing with DHA and EPA pills. But I still wouldn't know how to eat a vegan diet with a prescribed Keto balance of 65% fat, 20% protein, and 15% carbs. But maybe I could do it vegetarian with eggs and dairy added.
5
@Gary J Moss Sorry, but your science is quite wrong. I strongly encourage you to read Dr. Greger's latest book, How Not To Diet. The Keto diet is actually pretty bad science and will screw up your body over the long run.
Nutritionally, you are much better off on a vegan diet. All studies have shown that vegans live the longest, followed by vegetarians. Heavy meat eaters live much shorter lives, and Dr. Greger explains clearly how it affects your systems.
14
@randy Dr. Greger is long known for his controversial views on veganism. I will not discuss with you the right or wrong of a ketogenic diet or a vegan diet. Let's just agree to disagree for now. We all must do what we believe is right for ourselves and let the chips fall where they may. As far as the planet is concerned, it would appear that eating less meat is better, so I'll aim for that while maintaining my keto diet. My labs are excellent so I'm good with that. Whether they are good for the long run, I'll have to see — and I'll take my chances. The physicians and researchers who promote the ketogenic diet also have science behind them. Long-term studies will be the only way to determine who is "right". It might be both. As we see over the millennia, the human organism is amazingly adaptable to different kinds of diet.
2
Keto is not a high protein diet. It’s low carb. One can eat plant based keto. In fact, avocados are a staple as are all veg.
Oh geeze, as if I needed another reason to adore Melissa. All her recipes are great, her cooking videos are top notch, and now she's making total sense on an approach to reducing a serious problem. I'm a heavy-duty carnivore and I also love cheese, but I'll now think about what I eat a bit more and try to reduce both.
Melissa may well be able to do what my cardiologist couldn't, and convince me to eat in a more healthy fashion (it's hard to do in the heart of Texas BBQ).
32
Thanks Melissa. You bring a playfulness and joy to cooking that I think you'll bring with you to this transition. I truly appreciate the journey and look forward to the recipes that I'm sure will accompany it.
7
Thank you for the article.
But I don't understand why the hook to eating less meat is just climate change and not an equally pressing concern: the suffering of the animals.
People in other countries get this, e.g. in the UK, where there is Veganuary, a challenge each January to go vegan. Saving the animals is a central message of this program.
So, please. No more articles just citing climate change as a reason to stop or reduce eating meat. The impact on the poor animals we unnecessarily slaughter and eat should count equally.
60
@Lady Detective,
Eating whole plant foods (avoiding animal products and processed foods) is also healthier. It decreases the risk of “lifestyle conditions/diseases,” such as cardiovascular disease, T2 diabetes, and kidney disease, and more, by up to 80% or more.
So, whole plant food eating is less cruel to animals and workers in the animal product industry, healthier for us, more sustainable (it uses fewer resources which are becoming increasingly scarce), is less environmentally degrading, releases far fewer greenhouse gasses, and contributes far less to the development of antibiotic resistances. All kinds of reasons to eat this way.
But wait: the food is delicious! I liked all of Melissa Clark’s suggestions for eating plant foods.
11
@Lady Detective I stopped eating meat 30 years ago not because of the environment or health but because I love animals. Thinking about those terrified innocent animals in those barbaric slaughterhouses is heart-breaking. Someday in the future those horrors (slaughterhouses ) will be shut down. Unfortunately, I will not live long enough to see it. Of course, the environment and health are added benefits to vegetarianism/veganism but animal suffering comes first, at least for me.
11
@Lady Detective
I agree re the suffering of the non-human animals. But some people see them as lesser than humans, so when that comes up we can point to the trauma experienced by slaughterhouse workers, many of whom are undocumented and are afraid to complain about the conditions. Even small farmers raising "humanely" say taking cattle to slaughter is a soul-destroying betrayal. Wonderful 15-minute documentary called 73 Cows that isn't graphic but very powerful on that subject: https://vimeo.com/293352305
3
As someone who has developed an serious allergy to mammal products (the result of a tick bite), I can tell that you may not WANT to give up meat and dairy, but when your life depends on it, you MUST.
I miss crispy bacon and oozy grilled cheese sandwiches. I miss ice cream and a medium-rare filet. But I don’t miss any of these things enough to risk my life for them.
Maybe if we all ate like our lives depended on it — if humans eliminated a significant portion of their animal products — we would all be in a better place and we would, for sure, leave a better Earth for our children and grandchildren.
21
I agree. I rarely have beef these days but when I do, I indulge and split a nice boneless ribeye with my wife. More veg, more grain, less meat/poultry/fish. Three times a year I have my guilty pleasure: center-cut tongue on seeded rye and deli mustard. Oh momma!
6
@Fast Marty my mom used to boil beef tongue always with cloves. Then serve with seeded rye and mustard.
I think I'll do that this week on a very fresh warm bagel. Thanks for the reminder.
1
@Teddy
Ugh. You have no idea how repulsive this sounds to a 40-year vegetarian.
@theresa I am not a vegetarian and it sounds repulsive to me, too. However, I have childhood favorites that sound repulsive to others, too.
This article is great and much appreciated. But the best thing anyone can do for the planet is not have kids, or not have very many of them, and to support birth control initiatives around the globe. There are too many of us. Full stop.
170
@Evelyn
On the other hand, producing kids is probably more fun than peeling potatoes... or dicing tofu. Some people "are into" both.
9
No, Evelyn, Not having children is not the solution. The best thing we can do is support all children, ours and those of others worldwide, with excellent, fully funded educations. That alone would lead to fewer humans, but all of them valued, and they would drive the solutions for ethical, technological advanced solutions to climate change.
13
@Evelyn
I guess you missed this part:
"Meat and dairy production alone account for 14.5 percent of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions — as much each year as from all cars, trucks, airplanes and ships combined. It’s a staggering statistic."
5
Excellent article! I became vegetarian years ago and switched to vegan later. Anyone wanting to reduce or eliminate animal products from their diet is not only being thoughtful of the planet but kind to animals (just google factory farming if you don't believe me). My advice is to eliminate one food category at a time from your diet if you want success. I started with meat. Thank you for this article Ms. Clark.
19
Great article Melissa, and kudos to you for embracing a VB6 style of eating.
I was shocked to see it's been 10 years since Mark Bittman published the column you linked in your article.
For me, vegan is easy as I do enjoy legumes, grains, and veggies.
For health reasons, I must eliminate added fat from my cooking. Now, THAT is hard to do!
I look forward to more plan-based recipes from you, and maybe even Sam?
7
If changing peoples eating habits is really going to save the planet it would help to have a sense of what changes matter the most. Apparently raising beef has an enormous cost in terms of greenhouse gas emissions. Maybe 10x more costly than poultry. Eggs are half as much as poultry.
So if you go vegan crazy all week and then celebrate with a Big Mac you’ve undermined your whole effort. That’s important to know. I can stop the beef and go more vegetarian and fish, but giving up dairy is too much for me and the advantage is minimal compared to that beef thing.
5
@RB The good news is that cutting down on any or all meat helps the planet in many ways. One Big Mac a week doesn't undermine your veganism the whole week. Growing beans is healthy for the planet, and eating them encourages farmers to plant more. Reducing the demand for beef does even better.
3
If some numbers accompanied the hard work that Melissa Clark is putting in, we would see that cutting back on beef and lamb is far and away the biggest way to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. If you move to pork or chicken or an abundant oily fish, you've made a huge difference. Check the numbers. The other things she is doing, to me, do not seem to be worth the effort. That said, smaller portions are sensible for just about every American.
6
Like so many others, I just want to say thank you. One of my aspirations for the new year is to reduce my meat and dairy consumption - both for my health and the planet's health. I used to be a vegetarian and I know a fair amount about non-meat cooking, but I am always happy to have more recipes and ideas. The Mushroom Bourguignon is going into the on deck circle.
8
Eating a plant based diet is not only good for the planet, but for our health as well.
The article also missed on referring to the ethical aspect of not eating meat. The fact that more than a billion animals are sacrificed each year in America alone to sustain our appetite for meat is incomprehensible.
Respect for the environment and all sentient beings is intertwined.
62
Best ways I can think of to cut down consumption:
1. Buy, cook, and eat better product. Better-quality, fresher food has more flavor, so a smaller amount is more satisfying than a big hunk of flavorless, lesser-quality meat, cheese, chocolate, whatever. (Of course, cost can come into play: if one can only afford a small amount, that's all to buy -- and then make the best use of.)
2. Think outside all your "traditional" culinary choices and learn about cuisines that use less meat and dairy (or none). Don't automatically reject something because it's not what you grew up on. Billions of other people can't all be wrong; they just grew up on different tastes.
3. Learn to taste. Eat every bite mindfully: think about what the food smells like, feels like. Slow down and smell the, um, rose family members.
4. Just eat less. Do you REALLY need a pound or half-pound of steak for dinner? Not if you follow 1, 2, and 3.
16
@ Concerned Citizen Anywheresville
I think that Suzanne F is not TELLING others what and how to eat, but she expresses her opinion. Although I am tired of reading "cut down consumption", it would have been consistent with the style of comments in Food Section, if a reader was ordering or telling others what to eat or not to eat.
"I get a local farm box of produce every week, and frequent the farmers’ market for more vegetables, as well as grains and ethically, raised meat".
I laugh at this idea of "ethically raised meat". There is no humane or ethical way to eat animals—so if people are serious about protecting animals, the environment, and fellow humans, the most important thing that they can do is to stop eating meat, eggs, and dairy products.
Besides ethics, there are many more reasons to be vegetarian today. Environmental reasons as pointed out in this article." Meat and dairy production alone accounts for 14.5 percent of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions — as much each year as from all cars, trucks, airplanes and, ships combined. It’s a staggering statistic".
How about health reasons? Vegetarians appear to have lower low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels, lower blood pressure and lower rates of hypertension and type 2 diabetes than meat-eaters. Vegetarians also tend to have a lower body mass index, lower overall cancer rates and lower risk of chronic disease.
That is enough for me to be a total vegetarian.
23
Melissa, I am so thrilled that you are publishing more plant-based dishes! My family became vegan a year ago, and one of the losses I most keenly felt was cooking many of your recipes. I can't wait for more wonderful Melissa Clark dishes to make! (And maybe some vegan baking recipes as well??) Cheers!
28
Thank you!
Vegan for five years in order to control my cholesterol, I started eating fish again this year just for some variety.
Still 85-90% plant based -- my diet is more flexitarian now because I like a little variety but don't need big hunks of meat to achieve it, just accents here and there.
9
The black bean tacos look delicious the butter chicken with chickpeas not so much. I wish I liked chickpeas better....so mealy.
4
@Marti Mart https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/coconut-ginger-chickpea-soup - I'm making this soup for the second time this holiday season and it may change your mind about chickpeas, as far as mealiness. I don't like them uncooked (like in salad bars) for the same reason!
Ms. Clark always has great recipes to share. Too bad the NYTimes requires subscribers to again subscribe to the Cooking section of the site to actually see the recipes. Allow your loyal subscribers to have access to the cooking section, please. I suggest the paper start making "Sports" subscription-only as well. I never read that section but for some reason, it's included.
432
@KB : Yes, she does -- and she deserves to be paid, as do the other innovative contributors to NYT Cooking.
Obviously the bean-counters at the NYT have assessed the pros and cons of upping the overall sub fee (to cover the cost of NYT Cooking) or asking the small subset of readers who most use it to pay. Another factor is the ads that various sections pull in; sports coverage, for example, pulls in a very large and very different demographic, and that's one reason it appears as part of the sub package.
If you're seeking great vegan recipes online for free, I recommend Post-Punk Kitchen, Minimalist Baker (far more than baked goods), and 101 Cookbooks (only some are vegan).
13
@KB Hear, hear! I go elsewhere for the recipes, after reading the article. NYT is doing Ms. Clark a disservice.
4
I went vegan once and never got so sick in my life. B12 deficiency wrecked my nervous system.
If you must go vegan, take your vitamins! It's an artificial diet--as my doctor tried to point out to me, no traditional diet on earth eliminates all animal products, except maybe Buddhist monks. And a vegan friend pointed out that they don't wash their veggies, so some animal matter (bugs, feces, etc.) sneaks in.
18
My whole family are non-B12 deficient vegans. We easily get enough from a once per week supplement. Nutritional yeast and some seaweed also provide non-animal B-12.
9
@Al Luongo Taking those vitamins is not difficult - most people are deficient in one vitamin or another. Agreed about the importance of supplementing B12 for vegans - and if you haven't tried nutritional yeast, it's delicious, no kidding!
1
Interesting that your concern for B12 has overlooked the fact that all farm animals are artificially supplemented with B12.
B12 is a Bacteria from the soil , our soil is so depleted that b12 must be supplemented , many meat eaters today need to take B12 too .
Getting nutritional advice from your physician is quite pathetic,medical students barely get any or just the minimum nutrition training.
Take a look a Dr Michael Greger book How Not To Die , or watch Forks Over Knives and maybe rethink your diet .
The link to the chickpea riff on butter chicken goes to Mushroom Bourguignon and I can't guess the right search terms to find it on the Cooking site :(
1
@CMT
Just google "Mushroom Bourguignon" and you will find several recipes, no subscription required. Or, better still, work out a recipe for yourself, based on what you already know.
1
Jacob's Cattle Beans are $11.00 a pound. Too expensive for my pocketbook.
4
@Beaglelover And Waygu beef sells for almost $100 a pound.
Go to the supermarket and buy a pound of beans for less than two dollars. Or search on Amazon to find beans at $0.17 an ounce. Even YOU can do that!
8
Look for them locally at farmers markets.
2
@randy don't get your knickers in a knot. I am simply pointing out that Ms. Clarke's choice of beans is mighty expensive for many budgets and that if she is encouraging changes to our diets, a more down to earth selection of foods is in order for those of us not in the 1%. Which is where you must be if you pay $100. for a lb. of beef. I never even heard of such beef. That is for the 1%, not the other consumers in the U.S.
It would behoove the N.Y. Times to come down out of the clouds.
2
Thank God I was raised on a Mediterranean diet. I was taught to enjoy food, not suffer through a twigs and gravel diet. Enjoy your thin bladed fescue..........
13
Another good idea is to watch the undercover videos showing where animal products come from. Once you see the atrocious cruelty, you may not want to be complicit. (And you'll learn that the labels suggesting less cruelty are highly deceptive.)
36
@Concerned Citizen
No matter how much you try to justify it, there is no way that animal slaughter is never not cruel or inhumane, regardless of how people like Grandin try to pretty it up. If you insist on eating meat at least own up to the misery you are causing sentient creatures by doing so.
3
@Concerned Citizen
I've read Temple Grandin. I won't give a cent to the industries for which she works.
2
@Polaris When I was a kid, we lived in the country for a period of time, and raised chickens. We older kids had to participate at slaughter time. Not for the faint. I found this to be unpleasant, but we were fairly poor and didn't really get much meat. I had to help slaughter 2 cows as well.
One person's cruelty is another person's doing what you have to.
No one has broached the subject of plants that take an enormous amount of water to produce. Avocado uses a tremendous amount of water to produce a single avocado. Almonds similarly take huge amounts of water. Shouldn't we identify these water suckers and eliminate them from our diet as well?
I would love to see an article about these plants and a call for their elimination from our diet.
34
@Fred Of course plants require water! But incase this isn't obvious, most plants require far less water than animals do.
Also, I'm pretty sure plants don't require... uh... um... how do I explain this next completely obvious point? Most, if not all plants that humans eat don't require the consumption of other plants in order to live and grow, whereas most animals that humans eat do require consumption of plants (at the barest minimum!) to live and grow.
Additionally, plants, by virtue of, well, being plants, don't tend to move around as much as animals do. At least as far as I've observed, anyway! And that is another reason why plants typically consume far less resources than they provide to those animals that eat them! Crazy, I know, right?
22
Good idea. But keep in mind that almonds and avocados still require less water than that required to raise plants for animal feed and animals for human consumption.
18
@Fred No one discusses it because the water required to grow avocados is nothing compared to the water necessary to grow farm animals. Around half of the world's freshwater is fed to livestock.
23
Last year, I had to see a dietitian because I had a developed a severe food aversion, as everything that I ate, or more specifically, did not allow myself to eat, seemed fraught with guilt over its impact on my health ( slender type II diabetic),on my husbands now amazing 75 lb WW led weight loss and his point counting, or the foods and its packaging's impact on the planet in general. She helped me get a better mindset, kept meat/poultry/ fish as a once a day item, required the addition of more dairy, more complex carbs, ( ignore the husbands diet, its not yours), let me eliminate the many veggies and mushrooms that caused me gastric upset and absolved me from the fact that most dairy comes in plastic containers. Yet, whenever I see an article like this, my BP rises and I think, oh, please, not again...
7
What's the point in publishing this if none of the recipes are available? I haven't opened a NY Times recipe in months, and I still can't access a single one here without being told that I need an extra subscription to Food.
14
Pay for the subscription. Worth every penny and not expensive. I love it and use it almost daily
6
@MJ
Don't bother paying to read recipes which, for the most part, require a lot of ingredients you do not have in your kitchen. Just google whatever you have available; there are millions of recipes online.
Example: I had two jars and two cans of vacuum-packed chestnuts. I just googled "chestnuts with sweet potatoes" and got a lot of recipes, many useless because of the extra ingredients required, but still full of ideas.
Try googling "sweet potato/tomato" soup, and see what you get!
Or just use your head and improvise. That's how all these fancy stews and sauces were invented: six or seven children plus a husband, and only five pieces of meat! Just make a sauce -- "gravy" for the British and some Americans: they still have to learn the difference between "gravy" (mostly grease and flour) and "sauce" (which you enjoy mopping up with a piece of bread, knowing full well that "it is not done").
And if you have plenty of free time, why not start a "Cook liberation" movement. Good luck!
2
@Mim It's more than I want to (or can) pay right now.
Once when I inquired, I was told by the Times that recipes are available for about 2 weeks after initial publication, then go into the archive, requiring a subscription. They've also said at times regular subscribers are entitled to 5 free a month or something like that.
I guess they've changed their policy.
Bread and noodles? Oh my, what will the anti carb crowd say?
5
This is nonsense mainly. We've been eating much less meat for years by cooking Chinese and other Asian. A quarter lb of pork or chicken seasons a dish for four.
5
One could also say it’s nonsense to “season” an otherwise healthy, planet-friendly meal with what was once a sentient animal.
5
As someone who has embraced a sustainable approach to eating my entire life (because my fab hippie parents did as well) I CRINGE at this fiction that a few entitled rich people’s segue from pate de foie gras to plant based items (margarine anyone?) will allay their tender virtue shame. It’s ridiculous.
18
@Mia This judgmental tone won't win anyone over. Ms. Clark's bridge will be far more effective for the cause. Most of us didn't have fab hippie parents.
1
I've been a vegetarian for over 30 years and certainly buy the argument for a vegan diet for environmental reasons.
Research from my alma mater - Oxford University in the UK - overwhelmingly supports this conclusion and there is great awareness and uptake of veganism in the UK (I believe Jan. or Feb is vegan month there for instance). It's spawning a hugely creative street food scene and vegan items are going mainstream, very exciting.
My main reason for writing though is to pass on my 21-year old daughter's comments when I told her about this column. "Oh please please please let Melissa Clark write a vegetarian Instapot cookbook!!!"
We both have Instapots (hers at Uni) and love your two books for the veggie recipes therein.
Melissa please think about our suggestion??
Happy New Year all!
15
@NYBrit,
Try Jill Nussinow’s pressure cooking cook books “The New Fast Food” and “Vegan Under Pressure.” Ms. Nussinow is an RD who has been teaching vegan eating for over 30 years. And, she is a great cook! Her books also contain cooking charts, for beans, grains and rice, and veggies, so it’s easy to convert other recipes to pressure cooking.
And I’ve owned an Instant Pot for 2 1/2 years, and I LOVE it!! It’s changed the way I eat — for the better. I’ve been vegetarian for almost 50 years, and a whole plant foods eater (avoiding animal products and processed food) for the past several years, and the Instant Pot was a revelation to me.
5
Hmmm....so the #1 reason we should stop eating red meat is climate change, while China is increasing its pollution and auto ownership every year and 3rd world nations have exploding populations. I'll take "White middle class hairshirting" for 100, Alex...while I enjoy my occasional steak and pork.
19
@Jen in Astoria What's the logical point behind what you're saying though? Either you believe the climate science but don't care because other populations are a part of the problem too, or you believe Earth has unlimited natural resources, which is a fallacy beyond what we could unpack here.
11
Just pointing out the vegan hypocrisy!
3
Happy New Year, Melissa! As long-time vegetarians (it makes keeping a kosher home easier) we look forward to more sumptuous plant-based recipes. Dr. David Jenkins from the University of Toronto (Portfolio diet) has long-argued for a plant-based diet, and even veganism, the latter not necessarily for individuals' health, but for health of our planet.
6
Great article - thank you for sharing these wonderful recipes. My goal is to become vegetarian in 2020 (or at least cut back on meat consumption significantly) but I’m always hunting good recipes to make the transition easier - thank you!
3
Thank you for writing this! I think it’s great that you and others are looking for ways to reduce your meat consumption! We can all look for ways to improve what we are currently doing. May you inspire others!
6
I commend Melissa Clark for evolving. Human food has an extraordinary diversity and all tastes are acquired. As a species we can learn to love foods that are good for us and the environment. If unconvinced, I would encourage all meat eaters to spend a day at a commercial slaughter house. It's a "marvelous" revelation.
10
Nice to see this article. I find the Times cooking section is overly dependent on animal flesh. Get with it! I gave up all the mammal meats. I am trying now to give up the chicken. I would really appreciate more vegetable receipes, less dairy too. Many of us have instant pots but you have very few receipes for that either. You could at least include the device in your cooking methods when using other pot based dishes
15
I have been vegan for nearly ten years now, and have learned how to make excellent yogurt, mozzarella, seitan, artichoke 'crab' cakes, and bean basics. I became vegan after half of my life being vegetarian, which I was because I believed chickens and cows 'gave' their eggs and milk 'willingly.' Of course in this I was mistaken, and, since my food choices were mostly for the animals, I decided to become vegan to take no part in animal exploitation.
The most difficult part of being vegan is not the food itself, but the time it takes to make everything. For instance, if I want to make cookies that call for 'butter,' I have to make the butter first and then make the cookies. Ditto if a recipe calls for mayo. I make the ingredients that are the ingredients in a recipe. It takes a lot of time. That said, I can veganize almost anything.
Fortunately, veganism is becoming more mainstream, and while I will likely always make my own foods, it is very good for the animals and the planet that people with little time or willingness to prepare and/or experiment with vegan cooking can also easily become vegan. At least some of the time.
I am happy to see this article in the NYT. Thank you.
18
@GBM—If you’ve been vegan for 10 years, I’m guessing you already know about Miyokos? The butter is amazing.
7
@GBM There is a reason that there are animals that produce food. They are going to waste if you don't eat them.
1
@GBM,
I don’t make vegan butter or vegan mayo — I just look for recipes that don’t call for either. I don’t use fake animal products at all — no need. There are lots of options out there; the internet makes it all much easier.
My cooking mantra is Simple, Easy, and Quick. I think that this is especially important for working people, even more so if they have kids. So I am putting in a request for more recipes that meet my criteria, and are healthy and tasty to boot. Many thanks!!
1
Good for environment, better for animals - AND: less fat and protein from meat and dairy is good for human health! Of course fats and proteins are needed- balance is key. But for heart health, weight, blood sugar, and cholesterol, getting more nutrition from veg, beans and (yes!) simple carbs, can show better outcomes.
As another poster says, basic Chinese cooking. And many other world diets too.
11
Reduce the population of the planet and this all becomes a non issue. We can't sustain the growth of the human animal in current conditions, but we could if there were fewer of us.
17
@EEFS - Exactly. We're constantly beaten over the head to switch from steak to chickpeas, but over the next 80 years the population of Africa will explode to 4 BILLION and not a peep from the media.
Certain nations, or in this case continents, aren't doing anything to curb birthrates and get zero criticism for it. Who or what is going to feed those 4 billion?
7
@EEFS Are you suggesting Soylent Green?
2
@K.,
It is my understanding that most of these exploding populations eat a plant-based diet. As should we all. And although the US population is about 4.4% of the world’s population, it uses about 20-25% of the world’s resources, and puts out a disproportionate percent of greenhouse gasses.
But I agree that population control is important world-wide, for so many reasons.
8
This is a good piece for people considering eating less meat, which as you note, will be important for reducing emissions absent federal policy to deploy renewable energy on the scale we need. I've been vegan or vegetarian for 9 of the last 10 years. Now I am a little more flexible in what I eat but I don't buy meat. It might also be persuasive to let people know that there is ongoing research about the role of foreign protein processing in diseases like Alzheimer's (some proteins form plaque in the brain) and cancer (some proteins mask cancer cells from immune cells).
1
I mostly try to eat and feed my family this way. For health, environmental and ethical reasons. And taste. But, unless more than the small minority of wealthy, first world people adopt it, it is more symbolic than anything else.
6
I have been vegetarian or pescatarian for the last 22 years and am now transitioning to a vegan diet for health reasons (bonus that it’s great for animals and the climate). I missed the taste of land animals when I stopped eating them. Now, this many years later, I greatly prefer the lighter taste of vegetarian foods. I like an Incredible burger or a Beyond Burger, but the Beyond beef tends to make my tacos and pasta too beefy. That being said, I am struggling mightily with not eating cheeses, yogurts and eggs. I love to cook, and those ingredients do so much for food. I am finding that fermented nut cheeses (different from super processed, plastic-y tasting “vegan cheese”) is a great addition to my cooking. Even if I do not stick with eating vegan, this is forcing me to try some foods I wouldn’t have bothered with before. Some Miyoko brand products are amazing in their own right—the butter is phenomenal, esp. w a little salt added, the black ash cheese is irresistible if you like funky fermented foods, the sun-dried tomato is flavorful and yummy, and the smoked mozz is a miracle on flatbread pizza. I am still looking for an adequate parm and plain Greek yogurt. The other day I had a vegan gelato at a shop in SF (Gio’s) that was amongst the best ice cream I’ve eaten in my life. I bought two pints to bring home. In my experience, many vegans have extremely low standards when it comes to food, so I never trusted vegans who raved about a dish or ingredient.
15
@C, SF
Miyoko's products are indeed delicious, though expensive. (Full disclosure: I went to college with her and reconnected with her a few years ago. She's an incredibly impressive, dedicated woman who runs a blockbuster business. More power to her!)
9
@Lisa Simeone—So great! I am wowed by her products and have just bought her cookbook. I think it’s so wonderful that she experimented to come up with new, real food, vegan answers to cheese and didn’t just settle for the other junk on the market. I’m a foodie who needs to go vegan for health reasons, and it’s sometimes felt depressing. She’s making it feel more possible and way less sad!
2
@Concerned Citizen,
Well, I dunno. My brother, about 15 years ago, was overweight and out of shape, and on all kinds of meds, including eventually for T2 diabetes. That was his wake-up call. He changed his eating to plant foods (eventually to whole plant foods, meaning he avoids animal products and processed foods), and starting exercising, and eventually lost 70 lbs and went off all his meds, including for T2 diabetes. He’s now 70, and doing very well.
And I know 2 T2 diabetics who had no interest in changing anything about their lifestyles, and each has now had one foot amputated, mid-calf. Very sad.
And a former president of the American Cardiology Association, Dr. Kim William, recommends that all his heart patients eat a vegan diet, as does he (he had his own wake up call). Because a whole plant food diet low in oil is the only diet shown to slow, stop, or even reverse heart disease.
That’s just for starters.
3
Maybe it's easier to aim for a Mediterranean diet. One that is mainly grains and vegetables, but includes seafood and poultry, along with some dairy might be an easier shift. Going straight to a tofu and beans menu doesn't seem realistic or sustainable for someone who has been regularly eating steak, bacon and camembert.
46
@Nancy My friend went to Mediterranean diet when his dr. told him he was on his way to diabetes. 3 months later, he went back for a check up and the dr. was basically amazed. Wanted to know what he did. Told him to keep up the good work.
And now we both really like whole wheat pizza.
12
@Nancy
Beans are OK with me (I always take some Beano before), but I am still a "tofu-virgin" and intend to keep it that way.
2
@Concerned Citizen
So glad dr. concerned citizen responded.
My father was diagnosed with type II diabetes in his early 50's.
He followed a low carb diet and never required insulin. He died at 85.
2
I struggle with these ideas: I can purchase grass-fed meats and dairy produced only three miles down the road from my kitchen. Or I can buy California almonds that require all the bees in Christendom to pollinate and seek out esoteric imported grains and spices. I try to build relationships with my meat/dairy producers and acknowledge their humane husbandry and local talent. Same with market gardeners and apiaries in my area. And couldn’t we all start to offset these deleterious environment effects by throwing some seeds in the soil and some herbs in a pot? Whatever we eat, a good homemade dinner is an act of community and kindness—and resistance. Thanks for the great recipe suggestions too.
38
@DD—What’s wrong with needing bees to pollenate plants?? I don’t really see the struggle here. It’s wildly better for the environment to eat vegan than to eat meat. No contest. If the struggle is about taste, I get that. Changing one’s diet can be challenging.
10
@C, SF:
Not so fast. It's not necessarily "wildly better for the environment to eat vegan than to eat meat," especially if your vegan ingredients are coming from halfway across the world (transportation fuel) and deforesting acres of land.
Cashews, for instance, are harvested in slave labor conditions, by people who are too poor to have any other options, people who are abused and badly injured in the process. That's just one example. There's also palm oil, coconut milk, avocadoes, coffee -- the list goes on and on -- all products that are often produced in horrible conditions, that wipe out miles of forests, and that require lots of fuel to transport.
Growing one's own vegetables or buying locally, however -- including buying meat locally from small farms with humane animal practices -- is more environmentally friendly.
I think we all need to take a step back and think about we do as consumers in general, and god knows I'm as guilty as anyone. Although I stopped eating meat years ago, I still buy clothes I don't need (though I don't discard them) and I still travel to far-flung places. I still use mail-order services.
In my experience, vegans can be quite sanctimonious, while they're contributing just as much as anyone else to the despoiling of the planet.
67
@Lisa Simeone,
So who do you think works in the slaughter houses? Raises animals in animal production facilities?
Our whole food system is rotten — watch the series on Netflix. But eating a whole plant foods diet is better overall, for us and for our planet. Though you are not wrong: we can and should do better for agricultural workers.
4
Melissa, I think you’ve given us several helpful approaches to cutting back on our meat consumption. For us the key is to maintain balance, recognizing that balance means reducing our meat consumption by eating it less frequently and by redefining what constitutes a “portion.” My personal reminder is growing up in an Italian family that ate an incredibly meat-heavy diet. Every meal, every day. None of the men lived to see 65. So, while I think it’s great to go plant-based for the planet, we should also do it for ourselves.
20
@Richard Frank
"None of the men lived to see 65." I have eaten meat or fish every day of my life, plus eggs and dairy products, and I am still alive (at 85). Perhaps the men you mentioned were not working hard enough and eating too much; how did the women fare? Dead at 65, like the men?
5
@Fran,
True. And some smokers live to 100. Only about 15% get lung cancer (though there are a myriad diseases associated with smoking). But, I am not going to start smoking. Would you?
4
Love, love, love this particular column, its message and its presentation of appealing recipes. Have followed a mostly plant-based diet for 30 years, and admire Melissa Clark's cooking ideas, although I ignore the meat recipes unless they can be adapted to vegetarianism (lots of herb seasonings and sauces are great over braised tofu or tempeh).Thank you Melissa and the NYT.
9
Started whole food plant based in February....not as difficult as it first seemed. If I have a 'taste" for meat, I go for it but that's very rare and the longer I've been on this eating plan, the less those occur. I loved fish but haven't had any nor even a desire for that since starting...Not depriving myself of anything makes it less desirable. Many YouTube channels for menus, with many ideas....TheHappyPear, Chef AJ, Plant Based Gabriel, Jane Esselstyn-- to name a few....I've discovered that one of the secrets is in use of spices.....An additional benefit is that my blood work is all within the normal range too....
6
I'll be making every one of these dishes. Great timing for the new year! I've been adding a lot more plant-based meals to my Mediterranean diet, enjoying food and not missing the meat at all.
As a daily hiker and gym rat, I do choose to supplement my protein intake. It's simple enough to do with a daily fruit and vegetable smoothie, using either whey or pea protein.
3
@Randy—Be careful with the protein. I used to use a lot of it for weightlifting. Then I developed a kidney disease and I can’t help but wonder if the massive doses of protein I was consuming contributed. From what I’ve been reading plant based proteins are safest if youre going to do it. Pea protein rather than whey.
5
@Randy Why? 97% of all Americans get TWICE the protein that they need. You likely do not need to add any more protein to your diet, which has negative consequences.
5
This is so good to read. We've also been eating less meat, and it's not a hardship. Other foods seem even more delicious. I think it might be healthier for human bodies to eat this way, as well as its being easier on the earth. I've learned a lot of good meatless recipes here on the Times and I have to recommend, if I may, Budgetbytes for some excellent low cost low meat or no meat meals.
7
Really helpful article for the huge number of people who are neither committed vegans nor unrepentant carnivores because it has a stronger environmental foundation than the low bar of Meatless Monday. Like the author, I strive to use beans and tofu most of the time, and mete out a small amount of meat for flavor to last the week.
10
I also fall in the type of person who loves to eat meat and dairy, but also trying to reduce for the sake of climate change and my own health. This year I did make one discovery - I love beans! Specifically black beans. I could eat a bowl of beans, rice, and hot sauce (albeit with a little cheese sprinkled on top) almost every day for lunch. I also try to eat local eggs only, and shop at farmers markets when things are in season. I switched to almond milk in my morning smoothies instead of regular milk. My husband and I just bought a home with an acre of land and in the spring we are thinking of starting a garden.
You don't have to do a complete diet overhaul all at once, you can start small. But just START.
27
@K
If you like beans, and if you eat canned beans, try this: put the beans in a colander and rinse them thoroughly to get rid of the salt, sauce, and whatever else was added. Then warm them up in a little oil and your favorite tomato or pizza sauce. Without or without added cheese, it makes a wonderful lunch.
4
Geez --at what point does all this moral equivocating take up more brain energy/time than just not eating products you clearly think /know contribute to the climate crisis? We have "staggering statistics"... followed by a long list of half measures taken in the past. And here is an entire article about some more half measures to be taken now that the news is even more dire. Which will have to be reevaluated next year when the next set of even less optimistic statistics shows up.
I'm all for "do what you can where you are", but at some point, all these mental calisthenics just become circular, performative conversations for upper class foodies. Think of all the time you could spend protesting or political organizing instead of worrying about how much beef is in your bourguignon.
26
Thank you for this comment.... the 'voting with you dollars/forks' argument should be examined for efficacy. Melissa Clark (whom I adore) unfortunately parrots the leap: meat industries produce greenhouse gas -> eat vegetarian. Where is the evidence that this works? Why not price beef with the carbon cleanup costs?
15
@dfc—It’s hard to see how eating vegan wouldn’t reduce greenhouse gases. Plants use less energy and land to grow. There are calculators online that will estimate how many animals are spared when you eat vegetarian. The one I looked at estimated that I’ve eaten 4,444 less animals than I would have in my 22 years of eating vegetarian. If I’d been eating vegan, that number would be even higher. That 4,444 animals that the meat industry never raised for my consumption. And I’m just one person!
13
@C, SF thanks for the response! Yes, certainly you have eaten fewer animals, which I agree is a morally good thing to do. But in those same 22 years, the cost for these proteins have cratered and Americans eat more meat than ever. The companies are not paying the price they should, and are not passing this along to consumers.
3
The easiest way to eat less meat is to simply eat less meat. Just do what you have been doing (assuming it's what you enjoy) and simply use smaller portions of meat. Particularly if you gradually diminish the quantity of meat in any meal/dish, you may not notice much difference. Or, even better, actually find yourself enjoying each taste (rather than looking at an empty plate without much recollection of having eaten). It's the approach we took with a "bottle of wine" a meal habit and now drink less wine with at least as much enjoyment.
40
Thanks for this article! I hope it encourages people to try going more plant-based--there really is no downside to this.
19
Wonderful recipes. Thank you! And always consider buying 100% grass-fed grass-finished beef, pastured chickens, pork and lamb from small farms and milk products from pastured animals. Yes, it's more expensive - eat better meat and eat less. Properly managed grazing promotes soil health, sequestration of carbon, and provides a natural, humane life for animals.
49
@Susan Tate
Perhaps, but the vast majority of labeling and marketing of these factors are highly deceptive, so people are not getting what they think they are getting. Behind almost all of these labels are atrocious factory farms.
8
@Polaris I agree. That's why I recommend buying from small farms which can be found at Farmer's Markets, on-line and smaller groceries. Organic Valley is a collective of small dairies - their products are widely available. I am aware that not all Americans have access to the best foods, but we can try harder
7
@Susan Tate Check out Washington Post's story "Why your organic milk may not be organic" from 2017. It's about Organic Valley.
Do not take marketing for honesty.
2
Learn basic Chinese cooking. A hearty dish contains a relatively small amount of meat, which is hardly missed.
40
"Meat and dairy production alone account for 14.5 percent of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions — as much each year as from all cars, trucks, airplanes and ships combined. It’s a staggering statistic." So, all together that makes 29%. The question is who/what contributes to the remaining 71% of emissions. Wouldn't it be smarter to focus on that?
7
@Dennis It depends on if you are talking domestic or global emissions, so the numbers vary, but mostly transportation and buildings (heating, cooling, and lighting) in about equal shares, with transportation edging into the top spot. People like me, an architect specializing in building science and sustainability, are doing our best to tackle those problems.
It's better to look at global indicators for agriculture and livestock since the products can be imported and exported. Also, you have to take land use and deforestation into account. 41% of available land in the US is used for pasture land for cows - BY FAR the biggest land user. It's not even close. Imagine what the true cost is if you factor in the land used in countries from which we import product.
The numbers are clear: a meat and dairy diet is a huge contributor to climate change, and is one of the BEST and EASIEST ways the average American can do his/her part.
If you want more in-depth analysis of all of the contributors to climate change, there is a good summary at Project Drawdown: https://www.drawdown.org/solutions-summary-by-rank.
10
@Dennis, that perspective is classic Eeyore. Why bother at all, if the world is doomed anyway?
Every change for the better helps, Dennis.
5
@Dennis Dennis, how much greenhouse gasses are used in growing, fertilizing, plant based? Mechanized harvesting. commuting costs for low paid workers (if they were paid a working wage, emissions would increase as they use their wealth to procure emission hungry products), processing, new technology - aka, new metal machines- to process plant base products, delivered in wax lined cardboard boxes that can’t be recycled, on door steps, when most do not recycle cardboard, with their plastic bags of non recycled waste, delivery with more drivers delivering, more exhaust gasses for convenience.
1
i agree on the impact of meat production on our planets resources, etc., but eating less meat is just better for your health. Is that true for everyone? Maybe not, but I'll bet it is for the vast majority. You'd have to believe in science tho....
7
One bit of advice on the chili - you can replace the meat with textured vegetable protein (tvp) which provides a similar texture. The neutral taste becomes well masked by the sauce. It thickens a bit and serves as a very convincing stand in for chili con carne
8
@William
Frozen then thawed, drained, and crumbled extra-firm tofu also works, and doesn't add any "processed" flavor that TVP can. (TVP is not neutral.)
1
@Suzanne F
I find TVP to be very neutral flavored. But frozen tofu is also great.
I am not mad keen on tofu either; I never buy it and I virtually never eat it. So what? There is a world of other tasty plant-based protein alternatives, such as chickpea hummus, falafel, homemade lentil soup (so quick and easy that I make it most days as a meal starter), and what about good old baked beans, either tinned or homemade? The trick is to experiment with herbs, spices, vinegars and oils. Mail order these if need be; even expensive seasonings last a fair while and are a good culinary investment. Fry start some carrots and onions, or anything else you fancy, to begin with to build up a base of flavour. Experiment and have fun. We can do this! The planet, and our arteries, will be the winners, and we will still get to eat healthy, tasty food. :-)
3
When I was in my 20’s, I tried a macrobiotic diet (no meat or dairy) for six years. The diet was balanced with yin/yang, complete proteins with rice and beans were eaten with care. I believed in it.
The problem was, I never felt that good. After reading Peter D’Amo’s blood-type diet (Type B) I started eating more meat, felt much better, and never looked back.
I think we all have different needs, and need to pay attention to our bodies instead of blindly following “diets”.
112
@Sam Kanter, NYC
I fully agree.
How you look and feel (e.g. are you healthy or overweight with a cache of diseases and ailments?) should play the largest role in determining how to eat.
I also think genetics of our individual cultures plays a larger role than scientists understand. For example, people who hail from colder climate cultures need more fat. Eating a large amounts of beans works for some cultures, but most people can't digest them.
I've been working with with one clean animal protein a day and two vegan meals. I don't eat any processed foods-just all whole foods.
I'm enjoying learning new ways to cook vegetables--instead of my roasting, steaming and sauteing standards.
16
Quack science.
7
@Sam Kanter, NYC I was a vegetarian for 24 years but had to give up grains after they wreaked havoc with my digestive system. I think most people are healthier for consuming a little meat, fish, poultry, and/or eggs. If you can possibly buy from local shops and farmers you trust to raise animals humanely, do it. Otherwise organic is your best bet. It's my observation that most practicing vegans eat a lot of heavily processed and packaged foods, refined grains and sugars - none of which are good for human and environmental health. Moderation! Balance! Mindfulness!
5
Those vegetables you-all like to eat are grown at the expense of prairies, a multitude of small animals which would be living in that habitat, the fish and amphibians which have their habitats destroyed as more water is taken fo irrigation——oh, and the fossil fuel that drives the combines which plant and harvest them. I’m no fan of feedlots, but you can grow an awesome amount of meat and dairy while enriching the soil and the habitat. It
20
@Lisa Scherf
This is utter nonsense. Plant-based agriculture is better for the environment by any measure. And the vast majority of land used for agriculture is growing grains that are then fed directly to...animals on feed lots. If we reduced meat consumption, we could free up land currently used to produce very inefficient calories. More prairie, not less.
158
@Lisa Scherf Pasture land uses about 4x more land than agriculture, and that's not including land that is devoted for livestock feed, which is about equivalent to the amount used for fruit and vegetable farming. So about half of the irrigation water allocated for farming is going towards feed, such as alfalfa, for animals that will used for human consumption. So those combines you mentioned are doing the same work for both people and cows. Liquid and solid waste from ranches and slaughterhouses are also major health hazards and groundwater polluters.
52
@Lisa Scherf What do you think they feed the animals? You know they eat plants right?
14
Melissa, you do a great job as a food writer.
However, a few thousand of us cutting down on our animal protein consumption will have almost zero effect on climate change.
Find something else to attack.
21
@Simon Sez OK. I get it. You just don't want to do something simple to fight global warming. Too much trouble, I guess.
And, you missed the point. This article is not about a "few thousand of us", but rather hundreds of millions of us doing the right thing.
By the way, I do not eat any meat at all.
93
@Simon Sez "Attack?" What's being attacked? Melissa is pretty clear that she's talking about her own environmental and ethical concerns. You get that with the statement that says "What follows is my own personal guide to eating less meat, and dairy too, with tips, strategies and plenty of recipes."
67
@Simon Sez "Attack"? I would not use that word to describe anything that went on in this article.
And, a "few thousand" changing their lifestyle and diets may inspire another thousand to do the same, and so on and so forth. Doing nothing is going to have zero effect as well.
51
What a great article! Easy resolution for 2020 if still looking.
13
“I’d always considered my food choices to be outside the problem.”
Therein lies the problem. Everyone feels that way.
75
@Concerned Citizen
Oh my - I shouldn't bite at the "lefty liberals" jibe but I will remind you our present government in the USA has cut off funding for birth control in many emerging countries. Now, as a Democrat working to restore funding for birth control, I find your comment either uninformed or hypocritical. You choose.
11
@Concerned Citizen
And those lefty liberals were right. For example, the US gives off twice as much pollution as India, even though India has three times the population.
It might make you feel good to blame climate change on other people having too many kids, but the fact remains that, for now, the blame actually lies with the few people (like us in the US) consuming way too much.
11
Thank you, thank you, thank you for these delicious looking recipes! I can't wait to try them!
Love,
A Vegan Subscriber
16