On April 22, we’ll be celebrating Earth Day — although at Ambrosia, we like to celebrate the Earth every day!
When asked to think of personal ways to help with the climate crisis, most people probably think of driving less or recycling more. However, eating more plantbased foods is a great way to reduce your impact on the planet.
Curious about how eating less meat can actually make that big a difference? Here are just a few ways eating more plantbased foods can be a great contribution to saving the planet.
1. Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Studies have shown that going vegan can dramatically reduce your personal contribution to greenhouse gas emissions.
One study published by the Worldwatch Institute showed that 51% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions came from animal agriculture. Another study by Oxford University found that meat-eaters create 2.5 times as much greenhouse gas emissions per day.
This is because the meat industry is responsible for a whole lot of pollution. Essentially, the agricultural process of raising, feeding, and shipping animal products contributes to greenhouse gas emissions in several ways. Methane is emitted from the animals as they eat. It’s also emitted from animal’s manure.
2. Waste Less Water
Animal production and deployment requires a lot of water. A shocking one quarter of global freshwater is currently being used to contribute to the meat and dairy industries. That’s 92% of humanity’s overall freshwater footprint.
As the CIWF noted, grass-fed animals require less water as they eat grass that is grown thanks to rainfall. However, grain-fed animals require a lot of water for growing their food.
So, why is water conservation so important? Well, freshwater is a scarce resource that we don’t have limitless supplies of. The more we use, the more our flora and fauna suffer. It’s also a key element of preserving the environment.
3. Preserve Natural Habitats
As humanity expands and grows, our planet’s natural habitats are shrinking. According to WWF, the planet’s vertebrate and wildlife populations have shrunk by 60% in the past 40 years.
You may not have realized it, but eating less meat and dairy can actually help to keep our planet’s remaining wildlife populations safe.
Livestock covers roughly 45% of the earth’s surface — with fewer agricultural farms, there would be more room for natural habitats. Fish consumption also has devastating effects on marine life, creating “dead zones” in our oceans.
Try Some of Ambrosia’s Favorite Plant-Based Foods
At Ambrosia, we offer a wide variety of delicious plant-based and vegan food alternatives. We believe that a vegan or plant-based diet should never be boring. Looking to try something new? Here are some new vegan food products that we’ve recently brought in!
- Just Egg – A plant that scrambles like an egg?! YEP! Just Egg’s egg alternative uses beans that can be used to create delicious brunches without having the harmful impact of real eggs. What’s the bean? They use aprotein-rich legume called the mung bean, which have been used in the global food system for thousands of years… just never as an egg alternative! Until now!
- Nut Crumbs – A bread crumb alternative! Swap your bread crumbs for these vegan, gluten-free, and paleo and keto friendly nut crumbs. What are they made of? These nut crumbs are a blend of raw and premium cashews, pistachios and almonds, creating a healthy texture and flavour boost to ANY recipe!
- Star Puffed Crackers – It can be hard to find tasty vegan snacks! Insert: Made Good Star Puffed Crackers! For a crunchy, savoury vegan snack, try these yummy vegetable crackers.
