As global temperatures rise, many people are looking for ways to lessen their carbon footprint. One method is to change your food—specifically, to follow a “climatarian” diet.
Unlike conventional meal plans, which concentrate on human health, the climatarian diet prioritizes mitigating the effects of climate change and improving the health of the world. It prioritizes locally farmed and healthy foods over items that cause environmental damage. As a bonus, it is also beneficial to your health.
What is a Climatarian Diet
Climatarian is a healthful, environmentally sustainable diet. A climatarian diet is excellent for both the environment and your health. It focuses on the environmental implications of various foods, prioritizing those that are produced more sustainably while restricting those that drain resources and harm the ecosystem.
For a climatarian, the sort of food you eat (meat, fish, eggs, etc.) is less important than the carbon footprint you leave behind after you finish your meal. The goal is to choose food that has had the least amount of environmental impact during manufacturing. Source
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How Can A Climatarian Diet Help You Lose Weight
A Climatarian diet is a healthy option that can help you avoid cancer, heart disease, and stroke. Red and processed meat have been linked to an increased risk of colorectal, breast, prostate, pancreatic, and stomach cancer in large studies.
These hazards are reduced by following a Climatarian diet that excludes beef and lamb from daily meals and consumes less meat overall.
Substituting high-quality plant protein for red meat, such as tofu, lentils, nuts, and seeds, can reduce your risk of heart disease and stroke. It has been determined that red meat may cause colorectal, prostate, and pancreatic cancer. Processed meat is carcinogenic and has been linked to colorectal, stomach, and breast cancer. Source
How Climatarian Diet Is Helpful For Diabetes And Prediabetic
The Climatarian Diet’s main guideline is to eat pure and whole foods that are excellent for both the environment and you. Those who eat a lot of plant-based food have a lower risk of acquiring inflammatory, chronic health conditions like cancer, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and stroke, according to research.
Prediabetes can develop to type 2 diabetes, however, it does not always. Some foods can help you manage your blood sugar levels. Reducing the number of refined carbohydrate items you eat, such as white bread, white rice, and white pasta. Source
Integrating fiber to achieve a daily fiber goal of 25 to 30 grams by eating a variety of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. Choose lean protein and low-fat dairy to limit saturated and trans fats.
Other Health Benefits Of Climatarian
- Promotes Mindful Eating – A Cimatarian Diet focuses on ingredient sources as well as nutritional and cultural qualities of food, which leads to a greater emphasis on one’s well-being.
- Consists of organic, locally sourced foods – A Climatarian diet also includes eating plant-based meals from local sources and exercising portion management. Meat production, by far, has the highest carbon footprint of any protein source.
- Lower the Risk of Health Problems – Those who consume a lot of plant-based foods have a lower risk of getting cancer, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and stroke, which are all chronic, inflammatory health problems.
- Weight Management Help – A diet free of processed foods and refined sugar will help in weight management, increase energy levels, and lower inflammation in the body. Source
Foods That You Can Eat In a Climatarian Diet?
- Bean and legume foods include organic tofu, lentils, black beans, mung beans, pinto beans, kidney beans, and fava beans.
- Whole grains like rye, barley, spelled, fonio, millet, rice, teff, and sorghum.
- Certain nuts and the majority of seeds, including watermelon seeds, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, flax, chia, hemp, sesame, and hazelnuts.
- Certain nuts and most of the seeds, including watermelon seeds, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, flax, chia, hemp, sesame, and hazelnuts.
- Eggs
- Algae and sea vegetables of various types.
- Bison meat and, to a lesser extent, unlimited chicken or grass-fed meats.
Foods To Avoid In Climatarian
- Consume less meat.
- Milk, cheese, and yogurt are some dairy products.
- Production of palm oil (produced from the fruit of some palm trees)
- Sugar-free diet foods include, among other things, sugar-free sweets, syrups, puddings, sweeteners, and desserts.
- Sugary foods include soda, fruit juice, smoothies, cake, ice cream, and candy, among other things. Source
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A Sample Climatarian Meal Plan For 1 Week
To help get you started, here’s a sample Climatarian diet meal plan for one week:
Monday
- Breakfast Apple Oats
- Lunch Vegetable and tofu soup
- Dinner Sweet potato salad
Tuesday
- Breakfast pancakes and pear compote
- Lunch Spicy tofu
- Dinner Chia oats
Wednesday
- Breakfast Toast with scrambled tofu
- Lunch Zucchini fritters with salad
- Dinner Kale pasta
Thursday
- Breakfast Banana and blackberry smoothie
- Lunch avocado shrimp salad
- Dinner Roasted beans with vegetables
Friday
- Breakfast Banana oats
- Lunch Chicken and bean patties with potato and broccoli mash
- Dinner Taco salad
Saturday
- Breakfast Egg and pea toast
- Lunch Sweet potato stew
- Dinner Vegan bolognese with pasta
Sunday
- Breakfast Yogurt Bowl
- Lunch Fried tofu with rice
- Dinner Lentil soup
Tips And Tricks – Climatarian Diet for Beginners
Although getting started on the Climatarian diet can be difficult, there are some suggestions and tricks that can help.
- Emphasizing whole grains such as pasta, brown rice, and wheat, as well as locally produced fruits and vegetables, nuts and seeds, lentils, and beans.
- Consider including plant foods in every meal, switching to a 100% plant-based breakfast, or having plant-based weekends.
- Analyze the sort of meat you consume.
- Seasonal eating is an important aspect of the climatarian diet.
- Fish consumption should be minimized as well, and when you do buy it, consult the Good Fish Guide to learn how and where it was produced.
- Make a concerted effort to reduce food waste, and meal prep like a pro.
- Some ingredients should be avoided. That means reducing back on sugary foods will benefit not only your health but also the health of the environment.
- Eat at eco-friendly restaurants.
Side Effects Of Climatarian
The climatarian diet, like most diets, has drawbacks. Understanding what they are can help you decide if this diet is right for you — or how to make it so.
A climatarian diet may be good for the world, but “there’s no guarantee that a climatarian diet is going to be healthful.
According to research published in April 2021 in One Earth, while many diets in India are low in carbon, probably because the population consumes meat at a relatively low rate, people are deficient in 11 out of 25 important nutrients. According to the report, as a result, 61 percent of fatalities in India can be attributable to chronic disease, and one-third of children under the age of five are undernourished.
Risk Of Climatarian Diet
The following foods are often avoided by climatarians due to their detrimental environmental impact:
- Red Meat.
- Dairy Products.
- Palm Oil.
- Sugar.
- Highly Processed Foods.
Conclusion
A climatarian diet does not have a rigid set of prohibited foods. It emphasizes knowledge of the methods used in food production, processing, and transportation instead. Both the environment and your health are protected. Local, seasonal produce, nuts, mushrooms, whole grains, and pulses like beans and chickpeas are all acceptable foods on the climatarian diet. Red meat, dairy products, sugar, and processed food are a few of the foods to stay away from.
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