EAT LESS MEAT AND DAIRY

Make meatless and cheese-less Mondays part of your life; on at least two other days, make meat a side dish, not a main course. For more information, visit: meatlessmonday.com

EAT “GREENER” MEAT WHEN YOU DO EAT IT

When shopping, look for:

• Grass-fed or pasture-raised meat. It has fewer antibiotics and hormones and in some cases may have more nutrients and less fat; livestock live in more humane, open, sanitary conditions.
• Lean cuts: less fat will likely mean fewer cancer-causing toxins in your body.
• No antibiotics or hormones: reduces unnecessary exposure and helps keep human medicines effective.
• Certified organic: keeps pesticides, chemical fertilizers and genetically modified foods off land, out of water and out of our bodies.
• Humane Certifications: Animal Welfare Approved, Certified Humane, Global Animal Partnership and Food Alliance Certified ensure that animals were raised humanely with enough space for natural behaviors and without growth hormones or antibiotics.
• Unprocessed, nitrite-free and low-sodium: avoid lunchmeats, hot dogs, prepackaged smoked meats and chicken nuggets.
• Seafood: avoid airfreighted fish and most farmed salmon. Consult Monterey Bay Aquarium’s list of the most sustainable seafood choices.

When you buy less meat overall, you can afford healthier, greener meat.

If you can’t find these healthier products, ask your grocer to carry them. Consult eatwellguide.org or eatwild.com to find a nearby store with greener, pasture-raised meat.

EAT MORE PLANTS

Good, low-impact protein foods include grains, legumes, nuts and tofu. Choose organic when possible.

WASTE LESS MEAT

Buy right-size portions and eat what you buy. On average, uneaten meat accounts for more than twenty percent of meat’s greenhouse gas emissions!

EAT LOWER-FAT DAIRY PRODUCTS

Choose cream cheese, part-skim or fresh mozzarella, gouda, feta, muenster, cottage cheese and non-fat yogurt. Choose organic when possible.

SPEAK OUT

Ask your representatives to change policies, such as:

• Strengthening regulation of concentrated animal feeding operation (CAFOs) to prevent pollution and unnecessary use of antibiotics and hormones.
• Cutting taxpayer subsidies for animal feed and funding programs that support pasture-raised livestock and diversified, organic crop production.
• Strengthening conservation requirements on farms that collect subsidies.
• Serving less meat and more fresh fruits and vegetable in school lunch programs.
• Enacting comprehensive energy and climate policies.