Beyond the veggie burger

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Now my favorite foods are a luxury, not a necessity

By Jemima Kiss

Food is a powerful cultural force. Our diets and shopping choices become part of our identity, complicated by nostalgia and aspiration and comfort. Changing our diet means resisting the stories we tell ourselves about old food habits, and weaving new stories of adventure and discovery.

For our family, cutting down on dairy is a challenge. Among the stories I tell myself is one about the comfort of a simple bowl of cornflakes with cream of the milk and a sprinkling of brown sugar; it reminds me of snacking after school in front of the TV. Another of my stories is that there is no cheese I don’t like, from a bossy, crystalline cheddar to a Roquefort so salty it takes the skin off the roof of your mouth.

We know that guilt and sacrifice are not good motivators for people, particularly not during challenging times when we are seeking more comfort. Certainly not for me. But novelty and discovery can help us find a way forward, and we don’t have to make drastic changes all at once. 

My kids and their morning homemade almond milk

Already meat free, our family decided to reduce our dairy intake by buying less cow’s milk, cheese and butter, and opting for non-dairy alternatives at least half the time. We use vegan butter for baking and sandwiches when we can’t notice the difference, and when we do buy cow’s milk now it’s an occasional treat. We discovered how easy it is to make oat milk and nut milks at home, and that felt extremely satisfying and saved us money.

And those cheeses, well, they’ve been upgraded in my mind to a luxury that we have on special occasions. Maybe they taste all the more delicious because of it.

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The Hothouse Challenge: Leveling up your action

Taking personal action helps us understand an issue, motivates us to take action and can send ripples of interest out to those around us. But on its own, it’s simply not enough. Here’s how to level up. 

Step One: Personal

• Swap out a protein: The proteins we eat account for most of the carbon emissions in our diet. Cutting out or cutting down on beef is the single most impactful change you can make, but it doesn’t have to be a sacrifice. Forget those old prejudices against beans and lentils and revisit them with a dahl, stew or Ottolenghi’s crushed puy. The meat replacements are better than ever too; try making your own Impossible Whopper at home (you won’t be able to tell the difference).

• Swap out a meal: Keep it simple — it’s easy to start by swapping out just one meal each week. Start with Meat-free Mondays, which was launched by one Paul McCartney in 2009 and includes recipes as well as advice for schools who want to get on board.

Step Two: Community

• Donate: Wholesome Wave is just what the doctor ordered. Its mission is to “ensure low-income communities have equal access to healthy and healing foods.” The non-profit lets doctors write prescriptions for fruits and vegetables for families to prevent diet-related diseases (it makes a meaningful difference, according to the CDC) and subsidizes federal benefits to encourage more produce purchases.  Donate $10 (or more) today. In the UK, check out the Social Farms & Gardens network of hundreds of community garden projects.

• Volunteer: To instill a love of vegetables, start early. Millions of children enter school rarely eating fruits and vegetables, and far fewer grow their own. Building gardens at school (or home) can transform lives. One of the most impactful things you can do is help children discover the delights of eating fresh produce they helped grow, and a host of organizations exist. Big Green builds Learning Gardens in schools around the US, the Royal Horticultural Society organizes volunteers in the UK, and of course, you can always start one in your own backyard tomorrow.  

Step Three: Governance

• Just like nutritional information, adding carbon labeling to products would help consumers make more informed decisions about the products they will buy. Several companies, including Quorn and Nestle, are already introducing or exploring carbon labeling, but there are currently no proposals from either the US or UK governments. We can let our representatives know we want action.

• In the US, email askusda@usda.gov and ask: “Will the US require carbon labeling showing the climate impact of our food?  Private companies have begun to do this, and national guidelines are needed for all companies. As the most pressing agricultural and environmental challenge of our time, please consider making carbon labeling mandatory in the US.”

• The UK should introduce both carbon labeling and a carbon tax on emission-heavy foods, according to the UK Health Alliance on Climate Change, a group that includes The Lancet and the British Medical Association. Experts on both health and climate are in agreement — now we just need the government to act. Use our letter for inspiration and tell your local MP why carbon labeling matters. You can find your MP, email them and track your request through the excellent WriteToThem.com.

That’s it! We’ll have something a little different next week, before we start on our month of coverage about the climate impact of our digital selves.

Hothouse is a weekly climate action newsletter written and edited by Jemima Kiss, Mike Coren and Jim Giles. We rely on readers to support us, and everything we publish is free to read.