If you already focus on creating a lifestyle with a low carbon footprint, you may want to check out the climatarian diet. This diet focuses on selecting foods that avoid higher carbon emissions by enjoying climatarian diet recipes.
Our eating habits are a major factor in greenhouse gas emissions, mainly due to consuming animal products. We can encourage a healthier planet by choosing plant-based foods and avoiding processed and packaged foods. Bonus, a climatarian diet also provides health benefits.
Continue reading to learn about the climatarian diet, from details on how to follow it to meal kit options that make the diet easier while helping you avoid food waste.
What Is A Climatarian Diet?
The climatarian diet doubles as a healthy lifestyle that helps the planet. By focusing on foods that are less damaging to the planet to produce, you can help cut down on your carbon footprint.
Generally, this diet includes whole plant foods, protein sources that are better for the environment, local and seasonal fruits and vegetables (when possible), and minimally processed foods.
Science-Based Tactics For Eating Healthier And Eco-Friendlier
Consuming this diet means more than reaching for fruits and vegetables. It also incorporates other tactics for helping the planet, which benefit your health simultaneously. Below are a few tactics for eating healthier and more sustainably.
- Purchasing local food from farmers’ markets helps you enjoy more sustainable options.
- Avoiding particularly beef, lamb, and mutton, which are some of the food industry’s top greenhouse gas producers.
- Proper meal planning helps reduce food waste and encourages you to consume healthier home-cooked meals.
Benefits Of The Climatarian Diet, According To Health Experts
As the climatarian diet encourages the consumption of whole foods, including produce, seeds, grains, etc., you’re eating a nutrient-rich diet. These nutrients can help decrease the risk of inflammatory issues, such as cancer, type 2 diabetes, and heart disease. While it’s not guaranteed these health benefits will come with a climatarian diet, multiple studies back up these potential benefits.
The Carbon Footprint Of Food Production And Food Waste
Multiple recent studies have determined that food production and spoilage are at the forefront of issues such as deforestation, greenhouse gas emissions, fewer natural resources, and other related climate issues. About 34% of greenhouse gas emissions (man-made) are created due to the food systems currently in place.
What To Eat On A Climatarian Diet?
Every climatarian eats a little bit differently. Some climatarians choose a fully plant-based diet, while others incorporate less meat or only certain meats.
In general, you want to limit red meat, dairy products, processed foods, and sugar.
Focus on consuming the below Plant-Based Foods
- Fresh, seasonal fruits and vegetables from local sources
- legumes like beans, lentils, peas
- Whole grains like brown rice
- Nuts and seeds like pumpkin or sunflower seeds
- Natural oils like olive oil and nut oil
- Limited amount of eggs, dairy products, seafood, Chicken, or pork, if you elect to eat meat as part of your Climatarian diet.
Best Climatarian Meal Kits
Any meal kit that delivers local ingredients with vegetarian options and sustainably sourced meats is a great contender for a climatarian meal kit. The below options will work well for those interested in this lifestyle.
It’s worth noting many of these meal kit companies also feature recyclable or mostly recyclable packaging. So, they are not as damaging to the planet as foods you buy at the grocery store, which come in plastic or other non-recyclable packaging.
1. Martha Stewarts & Marley Spoon
Climatarian Diet & Plant Food Meal Kit Options Every Week
Featuring recipes crafted by the famous Martha Stewart, Martha & Marley Spoon boasts high-quality locally sourced produce. Many recipes include free-range meats, organic produce, and sustainably sourced ingredients.
You’ll find plenty of options depending on how much poultry or fish you consume in your personal climatarian diet. Many choices include chicken or a vegetarian source of protein. You can even find climatarian-approved dishes by the tags listed under each recipe.
Climatarian Diet Meals To Try From Martha & Marley Spoon
- Vegetarian Pot Pie with Parmesan-Herb Drop Biscuits
- Falafel Burgers with Mint Pesto, Tahini Sauce & Fries
- Mediterranean Stuffed Peppers with Israeli Couscous & Herb Oil
- Roasted Sweet Potatoes & Crispy Chickpeas with Tomatoes & Tahini Dressing
2. Green Chef
The Eco-Friendly & Organic Meal Kit Choice
Green Chef has conveniently sorted meal kits, which are color-coded to ensure you know which ingredients match each recipe. They have high-integrity-ingredient standards, meaning they thoroughly check their suppliers before partnering with them. All eggs and produce are certified organic.
This meal kit company has vegan, vegetarian, and chicken-based recipes that can easily fit into a climatarian diet. However, there is no convenient dietary tag, so you’ll need to sort through the meals to find options that suit this lifestyle.
Climatarian Diet Meals To Try Tried From Green Chef
- Central American Spiced Cauliflower with Avocado Salsa, Zesty Rice & Chimichurri
- Spiced Tofu and Udon Curry Soup with Sugar Snap Peas and Sambal Drizzle
- Ginger Cauliflower and Cashew Curry with Brown Rice
- Creamy Truffle and Mushroom Fusilli with Tenderstem® Broccoli (low emission recipe)
3. Dinnerly
Dinnerly may be the best option if you want to pursue a climate-friendly diet but are on a tighter budget. You can expect more straightforward recipes (including some side options) with high-quality ingredients when using Dinnerly, with some meal kits including organic selections.
Dinnerly also features helpful tags under the recipe images, making it easy to select climatarian recipes. Look for the label “climate hero” for climate-friendly dishes from the 45+ recipes each week.
Climatarian-Diet-Friendly Meals To Try Tried From Dinnerly
- Creamy Tomato & Basil Risotto with Fresh Baby Spinach
- Vegetarian Pad Thai with Carrots, Snow Peas & Peanuts
- Black Bean Burrito Bowl with Crema & Cilantro
- BBQ Plant-Based Ground Beef & Mashed Potato Casserole
4. Hello Fresh
A Classic Meal Kit service That Supports Healthy Eating
You can feel good about ordering from the HelloFresh meal kit subscription service, as it’s a carbon-neutral meal kit company. This company uses methods like renewable energy sources, shorter distances from suppliers to customers, and balancing emissions through carbon offsets to accomplish carbon neutrality.
Out of the extensive Hello Fresh weekly menu of meal kits, search for veggie recipes, and add one more chicken or seafood recipe to stay within the climatarian diet. Ensure you select recipes without processed meat alternatives (like Beyond Beef).
Climatarian-Friendly Meals To Try Tried From HelloFresh
- Vegan Street-Cart-Style Chickpea Bowls with Yellow Rice & Garlicky Hummus Sauce
- Curried Chickpea Lettuce Wraps with Sweet Potato, Peas & Red Pepper Cilantro Sauce
- Vegan Baja Cauliflower Tacos with Slaw, Pickled Jalapeños & Radishes & Guacamole
- Vegetarian Summer Rolls with Peanut Sauce
5. Home Chef
Easy Meal Kits with Some Light-Climatarian Options
This convenient meal kit delivery service has options for oven-ready, microwavable, express meals, and more which can be ordered online or picked up at Kroger stores. Home Chef focuses on seasonal and organic ingredients when possible.
While there are vegetarian options on the menu, they are more limited with Home Chef. This meal kit service is ideal for climatarians who still want to include some meat or seafood in their diets.
Climatarian-Friendly Meals To Try Tried From Home Chef
- Almond-Crusted Salmon with garlic edamame rice
- Chipotle Refried Pinto Bean Flautas with queso fresco and sour cream
- BBQ Mushroom Flatbread with ranch drizzle and cilantro
- Korean-Style BBQ Salmon Rice Bowl with sesame seeds
Final Notes
All of the above climatarian diet meal delivery services will help you create a healthier lifestyle for yourself and the planet. While many meal kit services offer vegetarian and plant-based meal options that you can craft from fresh produce, the above choices have a more extensive selection of meals that align with the climatarian diet. In particular, Martha & Marley Spoon and Dinnerly are the most convenient option for those interested in a climatarian lifestyle as the meals are clearly labeled.
