A Plant Based Diet

A few facts from the book "Food Matters" by Mark Bittman: it takes about 10 times as much energy and resources to raise an animal than it does a plant; we currently raise 60 billion animals a year for food consumption, by 2050 that number will double and will require more land and resources than currently exist on earth; it takes 40 calories of fossil fuel to produce 1 calorie of beef protein; if we all ate the equivalent of 3 fewer cheeseburgers a week we would cancel out the effects of all the SUV's in the country!  As you can see eating more protein than we need not only effects our health but the environment as well.

The average man needs 56g of protein a day and the average woman needs 46g, about the amount of protein in 6 ounces of chicken or beef.  However, most of us get double this amount everyday.  Lets look at a sample day of meals to see how much protein someone might be eating beyond what they actually need.

Breakfast -
Tall latte
Bacon and egg breakfast sandwich
Protein - 28 grams

Lunch -
Turkey and Cheddar Sandwich
6oz yogurt
banana
Protein - 42 grams

Snack -
Apple
1T peanut butter
Protein - 4 grams

Dinner -
4oz chicken breast
1 cup Rice
1/2 cup Broccoli
8oz glass of milk
Protein - 49 grams

Total = 123g of protein!! and this is really a conservative number because many people will have a snack between breakfast and lunch and after dinner.  Extra protein means extra calories and if it comes mostly from animal sources it can mean extra saturated fat as well. Not to mention the effects on the environment I listed at the beginning of this post.  So what can we do to get enough protein and be good to our bodies and the earth at the same time? Eat a plant based diet.

A plant based diet isn't necessarily a vegetarian one, it just focuses on fruits, vegetables and whole grains instead of on meat.  For instance if you usually use 1 pound of ground beef in your spaghetti you could make it more plant based by cutting the meat amount in half and adding sauteed mushrooms and onions and grated zucchini and carrots to bulk up the sauce.  Not only will you cut down on calories and fat but you will boost the fiber, vitamins and antioxidants.  You could make it even healthier by using local grass fed beef and whole wheat pasta! But one step at a time is fine! I would challenge you to try cutting down on the animal products in your diet for one week.  You may find that you feel better and might even lose weight! Since vegetables and whole grains are high in fiber and water you will feel fuller and eat less over all.  Look in the recipe section for a chicken corn chowder that uses half the normal amount of chicken but is still delicious and satisfying!