Veg Out

“But where do you get your protein from?”

This print is all about cutting back on your meat intake to help reduce your carbon footprint. The design heroes the very best protein greens - Broccoli, Peas, Beans, Kale, Sprouts, Artichoke and Spinach. These beautiful veggies are packed full of protein and mean you can easily move away from having meat with every meal.

The meat and dairy industries are some of the biggest contributors to greenhouse gas emissions around the world. Livestock farming alone contributes 18% of human produced emissions. This is more than all emissions from ships, planes, trucks, cars and all other transport put together.

Meat and Dairy production also takes up huge areas of land. Whilst these products provide only 18% of our calories, they account for 83% of farmland usage and produce 60% of the total agricultural greenhouse gas emissions.

So, by reducing how much meat you eat, you can easily reduce your carbon footprint.

One of the most common misconceptions about doing so is that you can’t get enough protein. What a load of bull! A food that contains all essential amino acids is considered a complete protein source. Many of the complete protein sources are animal products; however, in 2016 the Academy for Nutrition and Dietetics stated it is easily possible to get complete protein by eating only plant-based foods. 

This isn’t to suggest everyone should instantly become vegan but there are plenty of opportunities to consider where you can introduce more veg and reduce your meat intake on a daily basis.

Allow yourself to start the journey at the pace you need. Even if it is one day a week it can easily become part of your routine - give Meat Free Mondays a go!

This is a yummy journey, enjoy it, experiment and challenge yourself with new ingredients. Support and try plant based restaurants and cook books for inspiration.

Education from an early age is also important, so help kids to understand the importance of a healthy and balanced diet, and help them get green fingers from an early age to engage with the issue.

Talk about it. Word of mouth is powerful, so the next time someone compliments your Gung Ho print, tell them about how easy it is to eat more plant based.

By purchasing this print you are supporting charity organisations that advocate for a more sustainable food system - thank you!