An Ultimate Guide to Climatarian Diet 

Are you keen to reduce your carbon footprint, but daunted by the idea of going fully vegetarian? The climatarian diet could be for you. Created by doctors at global nutrition app Lifesum the latest eco-diet is all about considering where your food comes from rather than completely cutting things out. If followed correctly, its founders say a climatarian diet could reduce your CO2 by 1.5 tons annually. 

So, what does it involve? 

Read on for an ultimate guide to Climatarian Diet! 

What Is Climatarian Diet? 

In simple terms, the climatarian diet encourages eating less of some foods and more of others. Though a plant-based diet is rooted in sustainability, greenhouse-grown vegetables flown across the globe to fill our plate may actually be increasing our carbon footprint. 

Instead, the experts at Lifesum suggest a Climatarian diet can improve health and save the planet by reducing our CO2 by 1.5 tons annually – by eating plant-based, locally sourced produce when it’s in season.

What can you eat on the Climatarian diet?

Lentils and beans

These eco-heroes are delicious and nutritious, and replacing beef with lentils and beans could get us up to 74% closer to meeting our carbon emissions.

Local and seasonal fruits and veggies

These have a particularly low carbon footprint, and buying local and seasonal reduces processing, packaging, transportation and food spoilage.

Whole grains, including pasta, brown rice and wheat

Lots of health benefits and less processing and energy requirements environmentally, which lowers our carbon footprint.

Nuts and seeds

The most eco-friendly include peanuts, hazelnuts, sunflower seeds, watermelon seeds and pumpkin seeds – a great protein source with a lower carbon footprint.

Chicken

Meat production, particularly beef and lamb, requires more land and water, and has higher carbon emissions. Swapping beef for chicken can decrease your carbon footprint by nearly half.

Being a climatarian is about thinking of the whole picture not just about where your food comes from, the miles it travelled and the resources used in its production.

It’s about choosing food that’s not wrapped in plastic, buying in bulk or loose to cut down on packaging, reducing food waste, composting food scraps, freezing leftovers, walking or cycling to the shop instead of driving. 

These all contribute to a more climate-friendly diet.

“Eating more seasonal and local vegetables and less and better meat and dairy, while reducing food waste are the best things you can do to eat better for you and the environment. 

Rules for the Climatarian Diet

Since it has the reduction of carbon emissions as its main goal, the climatarian diet looks very different from most other diets. Few foods are outright banned from a climatarian diet, and a greater focus is placed on where the foods were grown and under what conditions. Here are a few of the most important climatarian diet guidelines, from the folks over at climatarian.com:

• Eat less meat. Meat is one of the most carbon-intensive food sources available, so cutting even one meal per week will drastically reduce your carbon footprint.

• Avoid food waste. Shop carefully and plan ahead, and make sure to store your food properly so it doesn’t go to waste.

• Choose local, seasonal food whenever possible. The less a food has traveled to get to you, the lower its carbon footprint.

• Grow your own food, if you can. A small planter box with veggies and herbs goes a long way towards reducing your total carbon load.