Plant-Based Eating

A plant-based diet is a diet consisting mostly or entirely of plant-based foods. It encompasses a wide range of dietary patterns that contain no or low amounts of animal products and high amounts of plant products such as vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes, nuts and seeds. Adopting a plant-based diet is one of the most efficient ways to mitigate climate change by reducing greenhouse gases, and preserving water and land.

If you want some inspiration of where to find restaurants and cafes serve plant-based food, check out the Happy Cow website, which gives a good (albeit not exhaustive) list of the businesses that offer plant-based food near you.

There are other changes to your diet that can be made that can also reduce your environmental impact:

Buy seasonal - try to buy fruits and vegetables that are in season, to avoid them having to be imported from far away. Examples of buying produce in season includes purchasing rhubarb and spring onions in April, and then cherries and blueberries in July. Imported goods will have a larger carbon footprint due to the air miles that they use.

Buy local - local businesses are far more likely to use local suppliers than larger retailers, which reduces transport emissions. Buying locally also supports jobs and businesses throughout the local supply chain. Buy from your local shop, who in turn buys from the local farmer, who also uses local farm suppliers. Supporting local businesses is also a vote for local jobs, reducing the number of people who need to commute outside of the area for work and cause additional congestion and pollution.

It is important to remember that every small change helps. So even if you don't want to commit to a fully plant-based diet, by having a few plant-based meals a week, you will be making a big difference!