Switch to a plant-based diet

Why this pledge is so important

‘A vegan diet is probably the best way to reduce your impact on planet Earth.’ Joseph Poore, School of Geography and the Environment, The University of Oxford.

5 reasons why we should eat plant-based 

1. Reduce carbon and methane emissions 
   • A plant-based diet could reduce your carbon footprint from food by up to 73%.
2. Reduce impact on land
   • Animal farming uses up 83% of agricultural land, but only provides 18% of global calories.
3. Prevent deforestation and wildlife destruction
   • 40% global warming is caused by forest clearance to make way for animal agriculture, threatening 25,000 species with extinction. 
4. Protect fish and ocean wildlife
   • For every 1kg of fish caught, up to 5kg of marine species are caught and thrown away as by-kill. We’ve already killed 90% of big ocean predatory fish.
   • By 2048 it’s predicted that we’ll run out of saltwater fish all together.
5. Reduce water consumption 
   • A plant-based diet reduces water used for food production by up to 50%.
   • It takes 1,000 litres of water to make 1 litre of dairy milk, compared to 297 litres for 1 litre of soy milk.

Eating plant-based is a global growing trend because of the impact our diet has on the planet. Due to popular demand there is now a plant-based alternative for pretty much everything, so it’s easier than ever. 

4 easy plant-based swaps 

1. Eggs for tofu - perfect swap for breakfast, try tofu scramble
2. Dairy milk for oat milk - perfect swap for coffee and cereal 
3. Butter for olive oil - perfect swap for bread and cooking 
4. Cheese for nutritional yeast - perfect swap for sauces and on top of pasta

A must try plant-based recipe - Crispy Chilli Tofu from Bosh!

Give yourself a challenge, see if you can stick to a plant-based diet for a month. There are some brilliant health benefits too.