I’m not a vegetarian… but through the lens of personal health and environmental sustainability, this doesn’t always matter. Indeed, a vegetarian diet is, in most cases, more sustainable due to the lack of meat consumption (take a look at Should you eat meat? to learn more). However, it is my belief that a lack of understanding around the food system and food choices means that people aren’t aware of the fact that eating meat can be an important part of a healthy, environmentally friendly diet.
This isn’t to say that everyone, or even no one, should eat meat, it simply comes down to proper education enabling informed decisions based on personal preference. It is also my belief that labels used in the context of diets can often hinder more than help, this article explores why.
First of all it’s important we understand vegetarianism. A vegetarian diet consists of no meat, only plants and animal products such as eggs and milk. Therefore, if I were to eat one small cut of meat, even just once a month, technically I’m not able to call myself a vegetarian. This is completely fair enough, as vegetarians are, by definition, people who eat no meat at all, and have every right to be protective over their label. Someone who has worked very hard to strictly stick to 'the rules' may get frustrated with someone who calls themself a vegetarian, but won't say no to a drunken kebab after a night out (we all know someone who fits this category!).
As mentioned, it is this feature of a vegetarian diet that can make it more sustainable. This is one of the major reasons someone might decide to adopt this style of eating - and in doing so they are likely becoming a more conscious consumer than the vast majority of the population by default.
However, whilst a vegetarian diet scores highly on sustainability, it doesn’t mean it is the only style of eating that can be beneficial to the environment. Informed decision making is at the heart of creating a sustainable food system - not one particular diet. This is where the use of labels can hinder. We must not let them get in the way of better understanding our food, and its impacts on our health and the planet.
Here is an example of a situation where I believe labels can get in the way of achieving this...
In the eyes of some people, vegetarian diets may seem extreme (let alone vegan diets). To fully qualify for the label of vegetarian, it would require them to adopt a significant change in their eating habits, as it involves giving up a major component of their diet… “What? No more bacon!?”.
This perceived ‘extremeness’, I believe, has a consequence – busy people living their busy lives exposed to such extremeness can often respond negatively, since they see it as too great a lifestyle change to make, and too great a sacrifice to make, despite the environmental benefits they hear it comes with. This repulsion to the idea of 'no meat' turns people away from the concept of changing their meat-eating habits altogether, meaning they miss out on an alternative, middle-ground solution. As a consequence, an “I either eat meat or I don’t” theme develops in our society and means people overlook the idea of simply reducing meat consumption. This is evidenced by the fact that meat consumption per person in the UK has increased over the last decade, despite growing awareness about the environmental impacts.
So, is the solution to create and popularise a label for this reduced meat style of eating? Maybe a ‘low meat diet’? Or perhaps flexitarian? I’ve even come across a ‘reducetarian’ before... would these solve the problem? Possibly, but in my opinion labeling diets isn’t the answer. For me, the solution lies with education – education from our schools, education from our health system, and education from our government. Education that is science-based and teaches about the ways of eating that genuinely benefit our health and the environment – not education that is influenced by Big-Ag, Big-Pharma, or any other misaligned industry.
Imagine if every person in the UK reduced their meat consumption, even just by a little – think of the impact. This is why education is key. It provides people who want to eat more sustainably, but don’t want the rigidity of vegetarianism, with the tools to do so. Alternatively, if someone does want to go veggie, for reasons such as animal welfare, allergy/health reasons, plus the benefit of sustainability - then they should go for it! But they should do so not because they believe it's the only way to have a more sustainable diet. After all, meat is only one component of a diet - the decisions we make regarding other food groups play important roles in making a sustainable diet.
So, when it comes to reducing your meat consumption, there are a 101 great hints and tips regarding easy and fun ways to achieve this, and in turn actually expand your diet as you become exposed to the phenomenal variety and excitement of the plant kingdom. For these tips, I hope to be producing content on these soon. But for now, there is an ever-growing world of internet content that will help you do just this.
Some key considerations, in my opinion…
- It’s important people understand what meat is. It has begun to feel like the meat we consume, whether at home or restaurants, is just another ingredient, with a farm to fork journey synonymous with that of the vegetables served with it. This makes sense though – why would an industry actively remind you that the food you’re buying from them came from a slaughtered animal – they want to paint the picture that meat is just another ingredient… but I digress. I needn’t detail the slaughter process to remind you that there is one. And the purpose of me making this point isn’t to convince you it’s horrible and gruesome – the process is quite the opposite; industry regulations (particularly in the UK) require an enormous number of steps to be taken to minimise animal suffering. The purpose of me making this point is to simply remind you that meat is not equivalent, on any metric, to most other foods. Red meat production, for example, involves artificial insemination of a mother, who gives birth to an infant which will be raised for months in often not-so-fantastic conditions to be slaughtered in a factory then sliced up for commercially valuable cuts. The point is that understanding the full farm to fork journey is important in making an informed decision on whether to eat a certain food. If you can’t stomach part of the journey, then you should reconsider your decision to eat what that journey produces.
- I’ve spoken in great detail about this in another post, but I believe meat should be seen as a treat, one that is therefore eaten infrequently, in moderation, and when eaten it should be high quality – with a price that reflects this (but still cost effective since less is bought). Eating a steak from a 100% grass-fed cattle that has been raised with great care in a local farm and that you bought through your local butchers – thus having benefits to your health, reducing carbon emissions, and supporting your local economy – is a completely different ball game to eating chicken popcorn from KFC. Through the lens of sustainability, considerations include the type of meat, how it was raised, where it was raised, how it has been transported, etc. Again, the question of how to benefit your health and the environment through your meat consumption choices can be more complex than “I either eat meat or I don’t”.
- Change your perspective on meat ‘alternatives’. Whilst these are great stepping stones to vegetable-focused plates, it is possible, and very useful, to see them as valuable in their own right – not just as a secondary, alternative to meat. I’ll give some examples – Pulled Pork vs Jack Fruit – the latter is lower in saturated fat and sodium (making it a great healthy low-calorie option). It is also higher in fibre and vitamin C. Swapping chicken for tofu in a stir fry increases calcium, iron, magnesium and folate. Or swap your beef burgers for pea-protein or lentil burgers. Paneer/chickpea curry instead of chicken. Quorn mince in your lasagne or shepherd’s pie… Essentially, don’t try these as a ‘substitute’ for meat, just try them because they taste and look good, just as you would with a new dish at a restaurant.
So, it all comes down to proper education regarding food production and the system it currently operates in. This, in turn, allows people to make informed decisions regarding the food they consume. Someone may decide to adopt a specific diet, someone else may not. Either way, they have done so for good reasons. Plus, let's not forget that the choices made regarding all foods, not just meat, play a big role in influencing an individual's ethical, health, and environmental impact.
I give conscious consumers 10/10
...
Some food for thought...
There are examples of where perhaps adopting a vegetarian diet could limit a diet's sustainability/impact to the environment. If I never ate chicken strips, burgers, bacon, and even avoided dairy and honey – but I dabbled in Sainsbury’s Smoky BBQ Crunchy Roasted Crickets, I am not vegetarian or vegan. Insects, however, are an incredibly sustainable source of healthy protein eaten all over the world, the consumption of which provides many benefits to the planet and your health. If you’re committed to the label of vegetarian, however, then you are restricting your ability to contribute to an industry that may encourage others to consume less mammalian meat, not to mention denying yourself an easy, healthy protein-fix.
It’s important to note, however, that this scenario resembles one small puzzle piece of sustainability, and therefore in no way means that vegetarianism is a less sustainable option. It is simply something to consider by someone who might be thinking about becoming a vegetarian purely for its sustainability benefits.
One final thought… Once grown efficiently enough for mass production, cultured meat (animal muscle grown from stem cells) will offer a price-competitive, sustainable replacement for our steaks and chicken popcorn. However – does it class as vegetarian? No animal has been killed, or even harmed in its production. Does this come down to personal preference? It probably does. However, through the lens of sustainability and animal welfare, perhaps it would only be a detriment to disqualify it from vegetarian consumption (though a different stance could be taken for veganism).
Please get in touch if you have an opinion on this and want to share it!
Comments