By Saundra McBrearty, Outreach and Volunteer Specialist
What can I do to save the Earth? There are choices we make that, if done habitually and collectively, reduce the impact humans have on the planet. Eating a plant based diet, free from meat and dairy, is one of the most impactful things we can do to help the earth. Plus, it is good for your body’s health.
“When you make a choice between any two competing ingredients or meals, you’re making important choices that cascade through the global landscape,” says Gidon Eshel, PhD, a researcher who focuses on geophysics, climatology, and agricultural environmental efficiency at Bard College. “From land use, to water supply, to greenhouse gas emissions, what you put on your plate has repercussions for the planet.” Visit Veganism and The Environment | Forks Over Knives to compare the environmental impacts of meat and plant foods when it comes to each of these key issues.
Many powerful reasons may provoke someone to replace meat and dairy products with plant-based food. For my family, the reason we shifted to eating vegan stemmed from a series of health scares my husband experienced which alerted us to the unhealthy cholesterol levels in his arteries. Switching to a vegan diet transformed his physical health and body composition in just a couple of months. He lost 30 pounds and his total cholesterol levels went from 199 to 111. We happily stick with the vegan food plan finding it easy to prepare, inexpensive, and delicious. I have been cooking vegan dinners for my family for the past year and am excited to share the strategies that have helped us enjoy a plant based diet.
We subscribe to a vegan meal planner called Forks Over Knives. Using this smart phone application takes the work out of deciding what to eat. A meal plan is sent to our smart phone each week, plus a dynamic grocery list. My husband, 11 year old daughter, and I customize the weekly plan together, talking about which meals sound delicious, are quick to make, and rated highly by others. It is an exciting family conversation we have regularly. Involving the household makes everyone a vegan stakeholder looking forward to the meals ahead.
Once we agree on our upcoming week of meals, we edit the grocery list based on what we need to buy. Then we hire Amazon Fresh to deliver the groceries right to our front door. We have found this delivery service easy, powerfully time and cost saving, and the produce is of high quality.
The fun and ease continue as I cook the meals while the recipes display on my smart phone. We enjoy a grand variety of pastas, burritos, salads, soups, stews, chilis, pizzas, sandwiches, casseroles, grain bowls, stir fries, and the list goes on and on. I have learned to make plant based sauces which replace the cheese, mayo, or dressings that usually come from animal products. Leftovers make for instant lunches, and by the end of the week we have enjoyed everything we bought. My family members are healthier humans, proud of the sustainable impact we make on the planet as we help the earth one bite at a time.
Check out the Forks Over Knives website. The documentary, beginners guide, meal planner, cooking course, and other resources are an outstanding resource.
By Saundra McBrearty, Outreach and Volunteer Specialist
What can I do to save the Earth? There are choices we make that, if done habitually and collectively, reduce the impact humans have on the planet. Eating a plant based diet, free from meat and dairy, is one of the most impactful things we can do to help the earth. Plus, it is good for your body’s health.
“When you make a choice between any two competing ingredients or meals, you’re making important choices that cascade through the global landscape,” says Gidon Eshel, PhD, a researcher who focuses on geophysics, climatology, and agricultural environmental efficiency at Bard College. “From land use, to water supply, to greenhouse gas emissions, what you put on your plate has repercussions for the planet.” Visit Veganism and The Environment | Forks Over Knives to compare the environmental impacts of meat and plant foods when it comes to each of these key issues.
Many powerful reasons may provoke someone to replace meat and dairy products with plant-based food. For my family, the reason we shifted to eating vegan stemmed from a series of health scares my husband experienced which alerted us to the unhealthy cholesterol levels in his arteries. Switching to a vegan diet transformed his physical health and body composition in just a couple of months. He lost 30 pounds and his total cholesterol levels went from 199 to 111. We happily stick with the vegan food plan finding it easy to prepare, inexpensive, and delicious. I have been cooking vegan dinners for my family for the past year and am excited to share the strategies that have helped us enjoy a plant based diet.
We subscribe to a vegan meal planner called Forks Over Knives. Using this smart phone application takes the work out of deciding what to eat. A meal plan is sent to our smart phone each week, plus a dynamic grocery list. My husband, 11 year old daughter, and I customize the weekly plan together, talking about which meals sound delicious, are quick to make, and rated highly by others. It is an exciting family conversation we have regularly. Involving the household makes everyone a vegan stakeholder looking forward to the meals ahead.
Once we agree on our upcoming week of meals, we edit the grocery list based on what we need to buy. Then we hire Amazon Fresh to deliver the groceries right to our front door. We have found this delivery service easy, powerfully time and cost saving, and the produce is of high quality.
The fun and ease continue as I cook the meals while the recipes display on my smart phone. We enjoy a grand variety of pastas, burritos, salads, soups, stews, chilis, pizzas, sandwiches, casseroles, grain bowls, stir fries, and the list goes on and on. I have learned to make plant based sauces which replace the cheese, mayo, or dressings that usually come from animal products. Leftovers make for instant lunches, and by the end of the week we have enjoyed everything we bought. My family members are healthier humans, proud of the sustainable impact we make on the planet as we help the earth one bite at a time.
Check out the Forks Over Knives website. The documentary, beginners guide, meal planner, cooking course, and other resources are an outstanding resource.
