Question:
I want to change my family’s diet to be more sustainable and have fewer meat-based meals but I’m unsure how to start. What easy steps can I take to make this change?
Answer:
Shifting your family to a more sustainable diet is like navigating a family road trip when everyone has different ideas about the destination. Parents may want to eat more sustainably but juggling a family’s different tastes and food preferences can be challenging. But with clever planning and small, manageable changes, you can create a more sustainable menu that satisfies everyone, without turning mealtime into a battleground.
The world’s food system is estimated to be responsible for 19-29% of planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions. Key contributors include agricultural practices such as fertiliser use (nitrous oxide), emissions from livestock (methane) and changes in land use (deforestation for farming), as well as energy used for food production and transportation. And let’s not forget food waste – when we waste food, all the resources and emissions used in its production, processing and transportation contribute unnecessarily to greenhouse gas emissions.
Globally, efforts to create more sustainable food systems typically focus on reducing these emissions by improving agricultural efficiency, minimising food waste and shifting diets towards more plant-based foods. The latter two are where households and families can contribute.
An estimated 4% of New Zealand’s total greenhouse gas emissions come from food and organic waste, so reducing waste can make a difference to national emissions. Fruits and vegetables are the most frequent food-waste items, followed by meat, fish and leftover takeaway foods. All these are refrigerated goods, so it’s an excellent idea to pay more attention to your fridge contents and plan meals around them. Check your fridge each week, then plan food shopping around the foods you already have and need to use.
The general rule is that selecting more plant-based foods will result in a more sustainable diet. In 2019, University of Otago researchers published a review of 12 studies that used optimisation modelling to determine which dietary patterns had better sustainability measures. In all 12 studies, these diets included more plant-based foods and fewer meat-based meals, particularly ruminant meats such as beef and lamb.
But reducing your family’s meat intake may be more difficult in practice than theory, note researchers in a study this year published in the journal Appetite. They found a desire to maintain family harmony resulted in meals including meat to accommodate certain family members and ensure they met everyone’s preferences. Children, in particular, can make these transitions difficult if they object. The researchers also found our reliance on established meal and recipe routines made transitioning more challenging.
We can create a plan to transition to a more sustainable diet and keep children and other meat-loving family members onside by doing it gradually and having a bit of fun.
Use the strategies suggested in the box at left to ease the shift to protein-rich, non-meat foods including legumes (beans, lentils, chickpeas), peas and pea protein, tofu and tempeh, quinoa that’s ethically sourced, nuts and seeds (bearing in mind some nuts, such as almonds, are less environmentally friendly due to the volume of water used to grow them).
If that all sounds like a tall order, don’t give up. You can choose how to create meal plans that meet your family’s preferences and lifestyle and balance your goals for health, sustainability and food enjoyment. One size does not fit all families, so find your fit with these tips.
