Food and Diet

Change your diet to combat climate change in 2019

By Lisa Drayer, CNN

Updated 1157 GMT (1957 HKT) January 2, 2019

Vegan soy bratwurst has become a popular choice in Germany, allowing meat-lovers to cut meat from their diets without necessarily changing them too much. Meat-free diets have come a long way, with a variety of alternative options.
Photos: The top meat substitutes
Vegan soy bratwurst has become a popular choice in Germany, allowing meat-lovers to cut meat from their diets without necessarily changing them too much. Meat-free diets have come a long way, with a variety of alternative options.
Hide Caption
1 of 9
Fried cabbage with bread crumbs -- the vegan version of traditional German schnitzel -- looks just like its meat counterpart but with healthier ingredients.
Photos: The top meat substitutes
Fried cabbage with bread crumbs -- the vegan version of traditional German schnitzel -- looks just like its meat counterpart but with healthier ingredients.
Hide Caption
2 of 9
Organic tofu is the base for many vegan and vegetarian meals.
Photos: The top meat substitutes
Organic tofu is the base for many vegan and vegetarian meals.
Hide Caption
3 of 9
Seitan is a meat alternative made from gluten, or wheat protein.
Photos: The top meat substitutes
Seitan is a meat alternative made from gluten, or wheat protein.
Hide Caption
4 of 9
Tempeh is a traditional Indonesian product made from fermented soy.
Photos: The top meat substitutes
Tempeh is a traditional Indonesian product made from fermented soy.
Hide Caption
5 of 9
"Turkey" made from tofu or seitan -- often sold under the Tofurky brand -- is especially popular around the holidays.
Photos: The top meat substitutes
"Turkey" made from tofu or seitan -- often sold under the Tofurky brand -- is especially popular around the holidays.
Hide Caption
6 of 9
Quorn is a meat alternative derived from fungus, mixed with an egg- or potato-based binder.
Photos: The top meat substitutes
Quorn is a meat alternative derived from fungus, mixed with an egg- or potato-based binder.
Hide Caption
7 of 9
Patties made of potatoes, green peas, carrots and green beans, garnished with green onion, are another option for lunch or dinner.
Photos: The top meat substitutes
Patties made of potatoes, green peas, carrots and green beans, garnished with green onion, are another option for lunch or dinner.
Hide Caption
8 of 9
Slices of halloumi cheese can serve as a meat alternative at barbecues.
Photos: The top meat substitutes
Slices of halloumi cheese can serve as a meat alternative at barbecues.
Hide Caption
9 of 9
01 going meat-free02 going meat-free03 going meat-free12 going meat-free13 going meat-free14 going meat-free15 going meat-free04 going meat-free05 going meat-free

Story highlights

  • The production of animal products generates the majority of food-related greenhouse-gas emissions
  • Sustaining a healthier planet will require a shift toward more plant-based diets, experts say

(CNN)You may be aware that a plant-based diet can make you healthier by lowering your risk for obesity, heart disease and Type 2 diabetes. But research shows there's another good reason to regularly eat meatless meals. By filling your plate with plant foods instead of animal foods, you can help save the planet.

One study, published in October in the journal Nature, found that as a result of population growth and the continued consumption of Western diets high in red meats and processed foods, the environmental pressures of the food system could increase by up to 90% by 2050, "exceeding key planetary boundaries that define a safe operating space for humanity beyond which Earth's vital ecosystems could become unstable," according to study author Marco Springmann of the Oxford Martin Programme on the Future of Food at the University of Oxford.