April is the best month to update your green strategy and give something back to planet earth. 22nd April is Earth Day, and each year, this celebration helps to improve the awareness of some of the most pressing issues facing our planet.
We all know how important it is to recycle and avoid using fossil fuels wherever we can. However, scientists are beginning to discover that the way we eat could be having a negative impact on the planet too. If you’re already doing your part for the planet in other areas of your life, now could be the perfect time to take green-living to the next level.
Today, we’re going to explore how and why it might be worth going meat-free for Earth day.
Going Green: Your Diet Has a Huge Impact
According to the Harvard T.H Chan school of health, agriculture is the number one cause of the environmental changes happening to our planet. In other words, the way we grow and use food influences climate change, deforestation, and even damage to oceans and coastal reefs.
If you weren’t aware of how important your diet is to the planet before today – don’t worry, you’re not alone. A study conducted in 2018 found that while 46% of consumers were aware of the importance of buying local foods, only 16% knew that buying meat may be harmful to the environment.
The good news is that millennials and younger generations are becoming increasingly aware of their responsibility to live sustainably. Even better, if you want to be part of the solution, then you can start with the smallest of steps!
In celebration of Earth Day, try going meat-free for a whole day.
If you like the experience of going green, you could even go veggie once a week!
The Benefits of Adding More Meat-Free Days to Your Routine
The biggest benefits of going green and cutting down on meat consumption is a healthier planet. The more fruits and vegetables you eat, the less likely it is that you’ll contribute to the significant livestock problem facing the planet. However, there are other benefits to consider too. Such as:
- Cutting down on processed meats: Processed meats rank close to cigarettes as a primary source of cancer according to the World Health Organization. As delicious as bacon might be, reducing your consumption of it could be crucial to your health.
- Help prevent heart disease: Eating foods with animal fats in them is worse for your cardiac health. Many experts say that coronary heart disease is linked to a heavily meat-based diet. However, you can counteract some of the effects by adding more plants into your routine.
- Enjoy more nutrients: Fruits and vegetables are an excellent source of essential nutrients, vitamins, and minerals. The more you eat, the more you pack your body full of the great things that keep you feeling your best. Veggies are also high in fibre, which means they’re great at keeping your body working as it should.
- Fighting world hunger: More than half of the crops in the world are used to feed farm animals for consumption, rather than people. It seems bizarre that this would be the case when there are so many starving people out there. Imagine what we could do if we all agreed to cut down on meat, and give crops back to the people who need it?
- Enjoy some new flavours: Going vegetarian or vegan for just one day a week is an excellent way to push yourself into trying some new flavours. There are tons of fantastic recipes out there to explore, including one that we’re going to share here today! The more comfortable you get with your veggie lifestyle, the more you can experiment.
Eat Healthy: Save the Planet
Cutting down on meat for one day a week is an excellent way to reduce your impact on the planet. However, if you want to really celebrate Earth Day with a major change, why not try completely reworking your diet? You don’t have to give up on meat entirely, but you can remove some other products that are harming your health, and the planet too.
A study from the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found that various dietary choices could be dangerous for our planet. The analysis assessed the environmental impact of 15 foods that usually appear in western diets, and found fruit, veggies, wholegrains, and beans were best for the climate and avoiding disease.
On the other hand, eating red and processed meat caused great levels of pollution and ill-health. Alongside meat, high-sugar foods like cakes and fizzy drinks have a significant impact on the planet (and on your long-term wellbeing).
Consider giving up on some of the most problematic foods in your diet for one or two days a week to begin with, then make the decision to cut back to zero over time.
Get Started with a Delicious Avocado Salad Cup
The effect of bad diets on human health is well-documented around the world.
We’re constantly seeing new studies that demonstrate how detrimental red and processed meats can be to our health. However, many people still don’t know how dangerous their meal choices can be on a global scale. In honour of Earth Day, it’s time for all of us to give something back with a new healthy eating strategy.
If you’re keen to try going veggie once a week, we’re here to help.
Try this delicious avocado salsa crispy cup recipe for the perfect Earth day meal!
Ingredients:
- Half a small cucumber
- A quarter of a tomato
- 1 Avocado
- 1 white peach
- Wonton pastry (6 sheets)
- Lemon juice (2 teaspoons)
- 1/8 teaspoon of salt
- ¼ teaspoon of sugar
Wash your cucumber and tomato and cut them into even chunks, before peeling and mashing your avocado. Add lemon juice to prevent your avocado from browning, then peel and chop white peach. Put the peace, salt, sugar, and avocado into a food processor to make a soft puree and place the mixture in the refrigerator. Heat your oven to 200 degrees Celsius and add your wonton pastry to a muffin tray to give the pastry a cup shape. Bake for around 10 minutes until slightly crispy.
Add the avocado puree to your cup, and top with cucumber, tomato, and any other diced vegetables you might like!
Let us know how your Earth Day goes, or if you have better recipes to top off ours, feel free to share in the comments below!
Once again, happy Earth Day, Circler! Stay healthy, for both you and Mother Nature.
On another note, don’t forget to find out what diet works best for you with CircleDNA!
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