A recent study compared the carbon footprints of six common diets, revealing that different dietary choices have varying impacts on the climate. The study found that a vegan diet has the lowest carbon footprint, generating only 0.7 kg of carbon dioxide per 1,000 calories consumed. In contrast, the keto diet, known for its high fat and low carb content, was found to be the least sustainable, producing almost 3 kg of carbon per 1,000 calories consumed – more than four times worse than a vegan diet. The paleo diet, which includes meats, nuts, and vegetables but excludes grains and beans, also had a high carbon footprint at 2.6 kg of carbon dioxide per 1,000 calories.
The study utilized data from over 16,000 adult diets collected by the CDC’s National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey to rank different diets based on their environmental and nutritional impacts. Vegetarian and pescatarian diets were found to have lower carbon footprints than omnivore diets, which include both plant and animal-based foods and are followed by 86 percent of survey participants. Within omnivorous diets, the study found that adhering to the Mediterranean diet, which includes more vegetables, or the DASH diet, which limits meat consumption, can lead to improvements in both carbon footprints and nutritional quality.
Professor Diego Rose, the senior author of the study, emphasized that adopting a plant-based diet can reduce an individual’s carbon footprint and promote better health. However, he also noted that it is possible to make improvements in both health and environmental impact without completely eliminating meat from one’s diet. Rose highlighted the importance of understanding the spectrum of dietary choices and their varying climate impacts, as people may switch between different diets throughout their lives for health reasons or personal preferences.
The study identified a potential opportunity to significantly reduce carbon emissions by encouraging individuals on omnivore diets to transition to a vegetarian diet. If one-third of omnivore diet followers made this switch, it could have an equivalent impact of eliminating 340 million passenger vehicle miles per day. This demonstrates that small changes in dietary choices can have a significant positive impact on the environment. Rose also underscored the importance of exploring how different policies could further promote healthier and more environmentally friendly diets.
Overall, the study highlights the importance of understanding the environmental impact of dietary choices and the potential for individuals to make meaningful changes in their diets to reduce their carbon footprint. While a vegan diet was found to have the lowest impact on the climate, there are still ways to improve sustainability and nutritional quality within omnivorous diets by focusing on plant-based options and limiting meat consumption. By considering the environmental consequences of their dietary choices, individuals can contribute to efforts to combat climate change and promote a healthier planet for future generations.
