Sustainability

 By Dana Lemke

    News articles have touted that going vegan could be the single biggest way to reduce environmental impact on the earth (Petter, 2020). The belief is that by decreasing consumption of meats and animal products can decrease an individual’s carbon footprint from food by up to 73% (Petter, 2020). I was curious what scientific research is being conducted to verify these statements. The following results are what I have found in research and what I am able to conclude. A study demonstrated that analyzing dietary choices rich in vegetables i.e., vegan, vegetarian, etc. to diets rich in meat the overall environmental profile was improved looking at the vegetable diets (Gonzalez-Garcia, 2018). The estimation of both the carbon footprint and nutritional quality scores couldn’t be specifically calculated because of limiting factors within this study (Gonzalez-Garcia, 2018). They did see a decrease in these values which supports the ideology that carbon footprints can decrease if a plant-based diet is followed. Further research suggests that the foods suggested on the food pyramid to be consumed most frequently are those that are exerting less of an environmental impact (Ruini, 2015). These results are depicted in the figure below. The environmental needs to produce meats for consumption are higher than those to produce vegetables. These would support the overall hypothesis that following a more plant-based diet is more sustainable overall. Concluding, research is just beginning for the topic of sustainability so further investigation is still needed to further understand the relationship between dietary intakes and the carbon footprint that it can have. I have provided a recipe for a delicious vegan Shepard’s pie that my family has used for several years for thanksgiving. This is just a single step that our communities can take to move towards a more sustainable environment for everyone.

Ruini, LF, “The Double Pyramid for Adults, 5^th edition” Working toward Healthy and Sustainable Diets: The "Double Pyramid Model" Developed by the Barilla Center for Food and Nutrition to Raise Awareness about the Environmental and Nutritional Impact of Foods. 2015

Vegan Shepard’s Pie

Shultz, Dana “Vegan Shepard’s Pie” The minimalist Baker October 12^th, 2015.

PREP TIME 15 minutes

COOK TIME 45 minutes

Filling

·       1 medium onion (diced)

·       2 cloves garlic (minced)

·       1 1/2 cups uncooked brown or green lentils (rinsed and drained)

·       4 cups vegetable stock

·       1 tsp dried thyme

·       1 10-ounce bag frozen mixed veggies: peas, carrots, green beans, and corn

Mashed Potatoes

·       3 pounds yukon gold potatoes, partially peeled (thoroughly washed)

·       3-4 Tbsp vegan butter

·       Salt and pepper (to taste)

Instructions

1.     Slice any large potatoes in half, place in a large pot and fill with water until they’re just covered. Bring to a low boil on medium high heat, then generously salt, cover and cook for 20-30 minutes or until they slide off a knife very easily.

2.     Once cooked, drain, add back to the pot to evaporate any remaining water, then transfer to a mixing bowl. Use a masher, pastry cutter or large fork to mash until smooth. Add 3-4 Tbsp of vegan butter and season with salt and pepper to taste. Loosely cover and set aside.

3.     While potatoes are cooking, preheat oven to 425 degrees F (218 C) and lightly grease a 9×13 pan.

4.     In a large saucepan over medium heat, sauté onions and garlic in 1 Tbsp olive oil until lightly browned and caramelized – about 5 minutes.

5.     Add a pinch each salt and pepper. Then add lentils, stock, and thyme and stir. Bring to a low boil. Then reduce heat to simmer. Continue cooking until lentils are tender (35-40 minutes).

6.     In the last 10 minutes of cooking, add the frozen veggies, stir, and cover to meld the flavors together.

7.     OPTIONAL: To thicken the mixture, add 2-3 Tbsp potatoes and stir. Alternatively, scoop out 1/2 of the mixture and whisk in 2 Tbsp cornstarch and whisk. Return to the pan and whisk to thicken.

8.     Taste and adjust seasonings as needed. Then transfer to your prepared oven-safe baking dish and carefully top with mashed potatoes. Smooth down with a spoon or fork and season with another crack of pepper and a little salt.

9.     Place on a baking sheet to catch overflow and bake for 10-15 minutes or until the potatoes are lightly browned on top.

10.  Let cool briefly before serving. The longer it sits, the more it will thicken. Let cool completely before covering, and then store in the fridge for up to a few days. Reheats well in the microwave.

Nutrition Information:

Serving: 1 serving Calories: 396 Carbohydrates: 72 g Protein: 17.7 g Fat: 5.3 g Saturated Fat: 1.6 g Trans Fat: 0 g Cholesterol: 0 mg Sodium: 109 mg Fiber: 19 g Sugar: 4 g

References

González-García S, Esteve-Llorens X, Moreira MT, Feijoo G. Carbon footprint and nutritional quality of different human dietary choices. Sci Total Environ. 2018 Dec 10;644:77-94. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.06.339. Epub 2018 Jul 4. PMID: 29981520

Petter, O. (2020, September 24). Going vegan is 'single biggest way' to reduce our impact, study finds. Retrieved November 16, 2020, from https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/veganism-environmental-impact-planet-reduced-plant-based-diet-humans-study-a8378631.html 

Ruini LF, Ciati R, Pratesi CA, Marino M, Principato L, Vannuzzi E. Working toward Healthy and Sustainable Diets: The "Double Pyramid Model" Developed by the Barilla Center for Food and Nutrition to Raise Awareness about the Environmental and Nutritional Impact of Foods. Front Nutr. 2015 May 4;2:9. doi: 10.3389/fnut.2015.00009. PMID: 25988137; PMCID: PMC4428432. 

Shultz, Dana. (2015, October 12). 1-Hour Vegan Shepherd’s Pie. Minimalist Baker. https://minimalistbaker.com/1-hour-vegan-shepherds-pie/