Eating more nutritious, plant-based foods can reduce harm to the environment and improve health outcomes.

Animal-based proteins (especially red meat) have a large impact on the environment. They produce more greenhouse gases (which contributes to climate change) and consume more resources such as land that is cleared for animals, and water required to grow animal feed. Plant-based foods (e.g., vegetables, fruit, legumes, nuts and seeds) require fewer resources to grow and produce far less greenhouse gases. 

Choosing less meat aligns with the Canada’s Food Guide recommendation  to eat plant-based foods more often, without necessarily excluding animal foods altogether. Eating more plant-based foods also reduces the risk of developing chronic diseases, such as heart-disease, diabetes and some cancers.

Learn more about why and how you can eat more plant-based foods, here. 

Ultra-processed foods, such as soft drinks, candy, baked goods, sweetened breakfast cereals, chicken nuggets, hot dogs, heat and eat meals and packaged snack foods, are made mostly from fats, starches, added sugars and hydrogenated fats. Ultra-processed foods go through many processing steps which increases the amount of energy and resources needed to produce them. They often require a lot of packaging, which increases overall waste.

Ultra-processed foods and drinks are usually higher in sugar, salt, saturated fat and additives and do not contain the beneficial nutrients our bodies require. Canada’s Food Guide  suggests limiting these foods. 

Choosing healthy, local, sustainable foods is a powerful action you can take to combat climate change.