By Hillary V.
The most sustainable diet is a plant-based diet, meaning a diet based on plants and little or no animal products. That’s because of the ways we raise animals for food, including concentrated animal factory farming and deforestation.1 Importantly, animal products include more than just meat – a plant-based diet avoids any product made by animals, including dairy and egg products. There are common misconceptions about undertaking a plant-based diet, especially here in America’s DairyLand! If you are committed to eating more sustainably but have concerns, here are some things that should not hold you back!
But protein??!??!?!
A common misunderstanding about avoiding animal products is that you will be deficient in protein and will become unhealthy/sickly. Fortunately, it is in fact very easy to get adequate protein on a plant-based diet. The Recommended Dietary Allowance for protein is only 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight, and plenty of grains, vegetables, and even fruits include protein.2 In fact, the American Dietetic Association found that vegetarian and vegan diets not only provide enough protein, but are “healthful, nutritionally adequate, and may provide health benefits in the prevention and treatment of certain diseases.” Protein-rich non-meats foods include beans, lentils, tofu, green peas, whole grains, and potatoes.
Okay, but calcium!
Here in the Midwest we all had it drilled into our brains that milk builds strong bones! I fondly remember having a glass of milk at every meal growing up. However, plenty of plant-based foods are high in calcium as well as bone-strengthening vitamin D, including broccoli, kale, almonds, and beans. Moreover, it is actually easier for your body to absorb calcium from some plant-based sources than from dairy products.4 In fact, a recent study compared plant-based eaters to dairy and meat-eaters and found no difference in bone density.5
But I love my cheeseburgers!
This is a tough one, because many of us have grown up consuming animal products, and they not only taste good, but provide comfort to us as well. The good news is that it is 2021 (!) and the taste of animal product alternatives improves every single day as the market responds to health and climate-conscious consumers. Two popular meat replacements – Impossible Burger and Beyond Meat – have both passed taste tests when compared against animal meat burgers.6 Personally, I’ve thought twice after taking a bite of a well-prepared Impossible Burger, wondering if I just ate meat! In addition, milk replacements (oat, almond, soy, cashew, etc.) have been on the market for a long time and there is likely one kind that will quench your dairy thirst. I won’t lie – cheese is a challenge to give up! But again, alternatives are getting better all the time and there are great home recipes with simple ingredients to try.7 Ultimately, we hope you agree that sometimes a potentially small sacrifice in taste is worth eating sustainably for ourselves and for the planet!
Okay, but it must be really inconvenient.
While we do not know everyone’s individual lifestyle, the only way to figure out if a plant-based diet is the right choice for you is to try it! Next week we will tackle practical tips for transitioning to a plant-based diet. And always remember, an imperfect plant-based diet is still better for the planet than following the animal-heavy diets many of us are used to. Plus, convenience-wise, tons of fast food chains are now offering plant-based meal options, including our very own Midwest-born Toppers Pizza (vegan Topperstix)!8 Along with national chains like Burger King’s Impossible Whopper, Dairy Queen’s Non-Dairy Dilly Bars, Dunkin Donuts’ Beyond Sausage Sandwich, and virtually anything at Taco Bell if you swap out meat for beans and remove cheese!
Do you have more questions and concerns about plant-based diets? Drop them in the comments! And tune in next week for practical tips on how to transition to a more sustainable diet.
Notes:
1 – See Part I of this series for more information on food and sustainability.
2 – See Harvard Medical School’s article on how much protein we need.
3 – Read the Position of the American Dietetic Association on vegan and vegetarian diets here.
4 – See the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine thoughts here.
6 – See a review of multiple meat replacement burgers by the New York Times here.
7 – See a fun review of cheese alternatives by FabFitFun here!
8 – I personally order Toppers about once a week. That’s a lot of pizza, but from a Buffalo Chicken-Less pizza to Nashville Hot N’ Crispy, there is something plant-based for everyone: https://toppers.com/menu/plant-based-menu/
Sustainable Saplings 
Plant-based diets are healthy and sustainable. Thank you 😊
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