Taking care of ourselves and thinking about the Planet: in addition to sustainable mobility, we can also do our part at the table and celebrate Mother Earth (April 22 is International Day).
One way is certainly to reduce the intake of meat, responsible for gigantic carbon emissions and have 80% plant-based nutrition, as the experts of the European Medical Institute of Obesity (IMEO) underline.
"We must be aware that our diet affects not only our health, but also the health of the planet," says Rubén Bravo, nutrition expert and spokesperson for the Institute.
The current food system needs to be transformed to reverse the curve of negative impacts on the environment,
and this change starts from the way we make our dish on the everyday table.
Another challenge is reducing the high levels of obesity in the population.
Aside from the health issue, it is estimated that each obese person is responsible for the emission of nearly one ton more CO2 per year than a fit one, which causes one billion more tons of carbon dioxide emissions.
Therefore, IMEO nutrition experts recommend choosing and combining plant and animal protein sources, taking into account their bioavailability and nutritional value, to achieve this ideal proportion without risk of deficiencies.
Sources of vegetable protein
According to the United Nations, the world's population will reach 8.6 billion people by 2030, which would trigger demand for food, posing a challenge for the sector when it comes to offering alternatives to animal proteins that ensure sustainability of the food chain.
In this sense,
legumes are vital for global food health, as their production is sustainable, economical and environmentally friendly.
"For
reduce the consumption of animal sources and eat an 80% vegetable diet
but in small quantities - be covered.
This wouldn't be a problem if your vitamin and mineral intake is adequate and if you eat one
varied diet with fruits, vegetables and complex carbohydrates, in addition to proteins
, "says Marqués.
To complement the protein from plant sources,
the nutritionist recommends combining legumes (lentils or beans) with rice, starchy foods
(for example, batter a hamburger of lentils with wholemeal flour)
or add vegetables and
nuts (chickpeas with spinach and pine nuts or lentil salad with cashew nuts).
In turn, rice or pasta can be combined with nuts and vegetables
(rice with vegetables and cashews or pasta with fresh tomatoes and pine nuts).
In this way we will obtain complete proteins of plant origin and adequate vitamin and mineral requirements.
Furthermore, we will reduce the consumption of sources of animal origin (beef, pork, chicken, sheep), helping to reduce carbon emissions on our planet.
In this sense,
flexitarianism
has gained a lot of ground with the concept of healthy and sustainable nutrition.
It does not imply a completely vegan diet, but it reduces the consumption of animal proteins in favor of vegetable proteins.
Within this diet model, animal-based proteins are consumed less frequently, 3-4 times a week, giving priority to plant protein sources in the rest of the intakes.
As for veganism, it is important to remember that in its stricter guideline it may be necessary to supplement with iron and vitamin B12.
"Also, ultra-processed vegan foods should be avoided, because most are not nutritionally healthy," concludes Marqués.
Animal protein sources
A healthy and sustainable diet should consist mainly of foods of plant origin (legumes, cereals, seeds and raw and cooked vegetables) and of protein foods, which can be of plant origin (legumes, nuts) or animals (meat, fish, dairy products) .
"However, it would be advisable to moderate the consumption of sheep, pork and beef because of their higher carcinogenic risk, thanks to its content of saturated fat, cholesterol, salt and nitrites", emphasizes Estefanía Ramo, nutritionist at IMEO, expert in food technology. .
The WHO recommends
consuming red meat at most once a week
and white meats, between 3 and 4 times a week.
The best red meat options from a nutritional standpoint would be lean beef, horse or ox.
They have a lower fat content, high biological value proteins, B vitamins that help convert ingested carbohydrates into glucose and obtain energy, as well as essential minerals such as iron, necessary to transport oxygen from the lungs to different parts of the body.
White meats, such as chicken and turkey, would also be recommended in this regard for consumption.
Physical activity and environment
The increase in obesity in the population is another factor that has a negative environmental impact.
It is estimated that an obese person needs almost 20% more calories to meet your energy needs, as well as consuming more food and using the private vehicle, which is therefore polluting, much more.
Therefore,
staying fit and controlling our body weight is good not only for our health, but also for the planet.