When I started changing my own eating habits five years ago, I found myself holding up a judgmental mirror to those closest to me. Yes, I was that vegan. Sorry, Dad. 

The more I educated myself about the meat industry—the grip it has over our idea of what constitutes a healthy diet and its environmental and ethical cost—the more entrenched my belief that eating meat either made you ignorant or thoughtless. I didn’t hold back my criticisms over dinner. Even though I was sure the evidence I presented to my dad in passionate speeches would demand radical change (my vegetarian mom wasn’t spared either), he didn’t suddenly ditch his steak dinners for tofu scramble. Meanwhile, I found myself becoming more obsessive about my own diet and guilt-ridden over small slip-ups.

I realize now that my approach towards others and myself was neither compassionate, realistic, nor successful. My all or nothing attitude, in fact, alienated my friends and family and made me anxious about food. If I could go back in time, I would have adopted the reducetarian philosophy instead. 

Reduce-a-what?

Reduce-tarian. You may think it’s yet another addition to the pile of confusing labels used in our diet-obsessed culture, but it actually describes a movement with a simple message. Even cutting out some meat and dairy on a regular basis can add up to a healthier, more humane planet.

Founded in 2014 by Brian Kateman, the Reducetarian movement is pointedly against an “all or nothing” approach. If you are a reducetarian, you’re a conscious eater who is aware of the consequences of factory farming, but you decide how much you want to cut back on certain food groups like red meat, poultry, eggs, seafood, and dairy. And you decide why. 

Maybe it’s because you care about... 

Lowering your carbon footprint

While overall emissions estimates vary and depend on which aspects of the industry are being analyzed, livestock farming is undeniably one of the top contributors to climate change. More than the entire transportation sector, in fact. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, about 20 percent of all greenhouse gases come from animal agriculture. And cows, by far, are the biggest culprit.  

Biodiversity loss

Livestock require a lot of land. About one-third of all ice-free land on earth is needed for grazing and growing feed crops. Converting natural or undeveloped areas (like the Amazon rainforest) into agricultural land not only releases carbon into the air, but destroys critical habitat. While the industry’s impact on biodiversity losses can be difficult to quantify, the livestock sector is one of the largest contributors to global habitat degradation and species extinction. 

Conserving clean water

More than half of all water in this country is used for animal agriculture. At the same time, the dwindling supply of freshwater we do have is being contaminated by the industry. Large factory farm operations, according to the EPA, are the leading cause of our nation’s polluted lakes, rivers, and groundwater.

Taking a stand against animal cruelty

Farm animals are not covered under the Animal Welfare Act of 1966. Of the more than 9 billion farm animals killed in the US every year, nearly all are kept on factory farms where they suffer from extreme confinement, painful physical violations, and inhumane slaughter. The less meat and dairy we eat, the fewer factory farms.

Human health and safety

Despite recently (debunked) news that eating red meat isn’t bad for your health, all major health organizations still assert that heavy meat consumption is linked with premature death, cancers, and heart disease. Other public health concerns related to animal agriculture include increased foodborne illness and antibiotic resistance. Slaughterhouses are also among the most dangerous places to work. In fact, the chicken industry has a higher rate of injury than coal mines and construction sites. 

Or perhaps you’re just curious about meat-less meat, excited by innovative food technology, or want to save money. 

The point is, whatever motivates you, matters.  

What’s the difference, really?

Anywhere you fall along the reducetarian spectrum is a win, according to Kateman. Data shows that more meaningful change happens when the average American reduces just a fraction of their meat consumption than when a vegetarian turns vegan. As the chart created by research group, Shrink That Footprint, shows below, a meat lover who only cuts out beef slashes their carbon footprint by almost half and nearly matches the CO2 levels of vegans and vegetarians.

On a global scale, according to a 2016 study by Oxford University, if everyone reduced meat consumption and increased their appetite for fruit and veggies, greenhouse gas emissions could be reduced by one-third. While that’s still not significant enough to keep us below the 2 degrees Celsius tipping point, it’s certainly better than business-as-usual diets and probably more realistic. Senior researcher, Dr. Marco Springman, concluded, “We do not expect everybody to become vegan, but climate change impacts of the food system will be hard to tackle and likely require more than just technological changes.” Small changes on the individual level should be celebrated and encouraged as much as possible. 

The reducetarian approach recognizes that not everyone is able or wants to commit to vegetarianism or veganism. I know from personal experience that you can’t force someone to change, even when you have facts on your side. And, it turns out, my own veganism wasn’t sustainable. I had to take a step back from my strict diet and now empathize with others struggling with dietary changes. As for my Dad, he’s changed at his own pace. Now, he’s more plant-based than ever.

How to adopt a more plant-based diet

If you’re not able or willing to go all the way, consider taking the reducetarian pledge instead. Maybe you’re already a reducetarian and didn’t know it until now. Maybe you want to take a step further. Choose a strategy or make up your own. 

Green Mondays

A comfortable place for a lot of people to start is to swear off animal products on Mondays. There’s a science to this. Mondays are perceived as a fresh start and you’re more likely to keep your intention for the day. 

Pescetarian 

You follow a mostly plant-based diet, but seafood is your main source of protein. You may also consume eggs and dairy. (If you decide to eat fish, consider choosing fish for its sustainability.)

Vegetarian before 6 PM 

Or vegan before 4 PM. This rule simply limits your meat and/or dairy consumption to one meal per day. 

Weekday Vegetarian

It’s much more tempting to break your diet when you’re out to eat with friends. And that mostly happens on the weekend. When you do cook or buy food for yourself, choose plant-based.

Check out our own archive for delicious plant-based recipes here.

Emily Castle is a Stone Pier Press News Fellow based in the Greater Philadelphia Area.

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