Harmonisation 1.3 - Protein

I have battled between pescatarianism (eating fish) and vegetarianism all my life and I have always struggled with deciding which is the best diet for me. Personally, what determines a good diet is its health benefits, low environmental impact and of course, variety and taste. One thing that I feel is lacking in my diet is protein and I have been on the search for the best way for me to get my fix.

Lentils, beans and peanut butter all the way! Taken from: http://imgur.com/BQiIk8V

During my research I came across this graph which really hammered home that being a vegetarian is much more environmentally friendly. At one end you have lentils, the environmentally friendly and vegetarian option and at the other end is lamb, which has a carbon footprint a lot larger than its hoof! What’s more, lentils actually contain a lot more protein than most meats (except turkey), so surely this is the most viable source of protein.

The main problem with lentils compared to meat is taste. While the thought of a sizzling sirloin steak leave most drooling at the mouth, lentils do not. But this is no reason to dismiss them, it may just take a few recipes too make you see lentils in a different light. Here are 32 recipes which prove that lentils can be used to create a variety of tasty goods. It may not be meat but it is much better for your conscience!

Realistically, most of you won’t want to give up meat completely and that’s fine! It is important however to try and eat organic meat when you do. According to Hamerschlag (2011) a lot of the emissions come from chemical fertilisers, feed, fuel, water and pesticides which are somewhat reduced in organic and grass fed meat. Ruminant enteric fermentation (cow farts) are a big part of the of the problem and counts toward 50% of beef production emissions, so try and steer away from lamb and beef.

Opt for chicken over beef, the meat tastes morally correct! Taken from: Hamerschlag (2011)

So the good news is you can still eat some meat, but also mix it up with a few lentils and dried beans for a super healthy, moderate environmental impact and a great variety and taste. I myself will be sticking to the fish but will be cutting down on my cheese intakes.