What do you think? Should every one be eating a plant based diet?

Should every one be eating more plants?

Could more beans and less beef help us, and the planet, live longer? That is a yes if you accept the findings of research from McGill University in Montreal, which provides evidence that partially substituting animal with plant protein foods can increase life expectancy and decrease greenhouse gas emissions. Importantly, the report published in Nature Food also suggests that benefits depend strongly on the type of animal protein being replaced. A person’s diet-related carbon footprint drops by 25% when they replace half of their intake of red and processed meats with plant protein foods. Dairy substitutions showed smaller reductions of up to 5%. It was also estimated that if half of the red and processed meat in a person’s diet was replaced with plant protein foods, they could live on average, nearly nine months longer, stemming from a reduced risk of chronic disease. Males seem to have more to gain than females when it comes to longevity. The study modeled partial replacements (25% and 50%) of either red and processed meat or dairy with plant protein foods like beans, nuts, seeds tofu and fortified soy beverages, on a combination of nutrition, health and climate outcomes. This suggests that co-benefits for human and planetary health do not require major dietary upheaval and excluding certain food groups altogether, but instead can be achieved by making the rather painless dietary change of wedging in more plants and a bit less steak. 

Do you agree that we should be eating less red and processed meat for health and environmental reasons? Have you been trying to reduce your meat intake and eating more plant-based foods? Do you believe that the emphasis on reducing meat intake is unwarranted? Can the nutritional benefits of meat and dairy outweigh the risks? Share your thoughts in the comments below. 

Want to learn more? 5 Affordable Plant-Based Proteins to Meal Prep