5. Chicken
For dedicated carnivores, switching to chicken is the way to go. Producing just 11 pounds of CO2 per pound of meat, the only animal protein that’s more environmentally friendly than chicken is fish.
6. Fish
Fish have one of the lowest CO2 emissions per pound of all meat at 7.5lbs. However, it’s best to avoid tuna and salmon. Tuna is overfished, resulting in a declining population of the species, and most salmon is farmed, which has its own ecological impacts.
What you can do today:
- Try replacing that steak on your plate with a grilled chicken breast or wild-caught fish. Not only are these healthier meat options, but you can actually reduce your environmental footprint by a whopping 44 pounds of CO2 (per pound of meat)!
- Also, try swapping those meat-based meals for beans or legumes. They’re high in protein and can be thrown into a variety of tasty vegetarian or vegan recipes.