Going cold turkey on animal products: an environmental and healthy eating solution?

I’m sitting at a table on a breezy summer afternoon. Glancing over a menu, I take out my phone to look up pictures of veal. I freeze in shock at what I’ve just seen. An image of a baby cow floods my vision and I immediately lose my appetite. 

As a lover of food and an advocate for environmental health, I’m always searching for how my two interests intersect in ways where I can both enjoy my food and contribute to protecting the earth. 

According to the California Air Resources Board, Dairy and livestock are responsible for over half of California’s methane emissions. This shows how continuing to incorporate animal products into our diets can result in a large amount of greenhouse gasses polluting the environment. The effects of these greenhouse gasses are critical to the climate change crisis.  

In turn, a 2015 study from the Johns Hopkins Center for a Liveable Future found that if trends in meat and dairy intake continue, global mean temperature rise will more than likely exceed 2° C, even with dramatic emissions reductions across non‐agricultural sectors.

Upon learning the importance of plant-based diets on the environment, I set out on a challenge for myself. I became vegan for a week to see see if veganism was a truly manageable approach to help slow climate change. In this, I’ve noticed that eating restrictions coinciding with veganism makes it very difficult to avoid animal products. For example, I have nut allergies, and many vegan foods use cashews to replicate the creaminess that milk and butter give to dishes. Henceforth, by not being able to consume nuts, I was missing an essential source of protein and fat that vegan diets usually incorporate. 

However, it is important to note that, veganism, could be less accessible for certain cuisines. Being Korean American, a lot of the food I am accustomed to eating indirectly incorporates animal products. Many Korean dishes, from seaweed soup to spicy rice cakes, use seafood as a base for flavor. It made me aware that the cultural food combinations people grow up with can influence the process of going vegan for individuals. 

Additionally, after being vegan, it’s hard to eat at social gatherings. Going out to restaurants with friends and trying to avoid animal products is difficult. There were times when following a vegan diet made me look picky about my food, which made me feel like no fun when I’m usually more of an explorative eater. 

Despite the difficulties of adjusting to a vegan diet, the benefits from this style of eating is much more rewarding

For one, not finding many worthwhile vegan options at restaurants led me to be more involved in the kitchen at home. My dad and I cooked our meals ourselves, and while this could be viewed as time-consuming, I saw it as an opportunity to learn how to cook, save money, and bond with my family. 

Additionally, cooking allowed me to control what ingredients went into my food. Being vegan helped me work more whole ingredients into my diet, and I became more mindful of the quality of my food. I became concerned with how fresh each piece of produce was and the result was meals that were much less processed. I had to pay attention to how I was getting the nutrients I needed from a narrower scope of available food options. I was encouraged to take full advantage of plant proteins like seeds and tofu. Taking this much care into my diet and eating mindfully also stopped my tendencies to snack or overeat.

Being vegan, I felt empowered by the small actions I was taking to aid our planet’s health. Not only saving baby cows from becoming veal but mitigating the immense greenhouse gas emissions from producing animal meat.

According to the United Nations, the carbon footprint of one kilogram of beef is 70.6 kilograms of greenhouse gas emissions. Veganism made me believe in the positive environmental impact everyone could have if they made little choices to eat more plant-based every day.

Upon finishing my week-long vegan challenge, I didn’t feel much of a craving for meat or animal products as I expected. Instead, I realized I was eating a lot more animal protein in my diet than I had expected or noticed before this challenge. Trying veganism inspired me to gradually make my diet more plant-based. 

Going cold turkey on animal products may not be sustainable for those new to veganism, but I believe in the value of trying to incorporate more plant-based diet habits. Trying to reduce my animal product consumption opened my eyes to new delicious plant-based foods, creative solutions for more climate-friendly meals, and foundational healthy eating habits.

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