A recent study, Reducing Climate Change Impacts from the Global Food System through Diet Shifts, highlights how an American diet dominated by animal products, especially red meat and dairy, can generate more than twice the emissions per calorie compared to diets in many other countries. Americans can dramatically reduce their dietary GHG emissions by reducing red meat and dairy and increasing plant-based proteins, such as legumes, nuts, and grains.
In high-income countries like the United States, animal products can comprise up to 71% of dietary emissions. This contrasts sharply with regions that rely on plant-based staples; for instance, in Indonesia, plant-based foods like rice contribute to 83% of calories yet keep emissions comparatively low.
A fundamental goal of the EAT-Lancet diet is to shift protein sources from high-emission foods like beef to plant-based proteins such as legumes and nuts and modest amounts of fish, poultry, and dairy. This change is designed to support the global dietary needs of a growing population while staying within the ecological limits of our planet.
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