By now it's well established that meat and dairy are at least partly to blame for the climate crisis. And without coming off our addiction to animal products, we won't be able to avoid dangerous levels of global heating.
What is less clear is what to replace your burger and cheese with. What's best for your health and the planet? And what about your wallet? These are the questions I tried to answer in a new study.
I combined assessments of meat and milk alternatives which compared their nutritional profile, health benefits, environmental impact and cost. Among these plant-based alternatives were traditional products such as tofu and tempeh, processed options such as veggie burgers and plant milks, products still under development such as lab-grown beef and unprocessed foods like soybeans and peas.
The assessments featured several ways of comparing foods, including per serving or calorie, and on their own or when replacing a person's present intake of meat and dairy.
The findings show that unprocessed plant-based foods, such as soybeans, peas and beans are best suited for replacing meat and dairy.
Choosing legumes over meat and milk would halve nutritional imbalances – the overall difference between current and recommended intake of nutrients – in high-income countries like the UK, US and across Europe. And it........