How much meat can a sustainable dietary person eat per week?
Diets can be consistent with planetary limits and health targets at the individual level | Nature Food
https://www.nature.com/articles/s43016-025-01133-y
A sustainable diet leaves room for two chicken breasts a week
https://www.dtu.dk/english/news/all-news/a-sustainable-diet-leaves-room-for-two-chicken-breasts-a-week?id=9f92aab8-678d-4e81-a651-110b464fed82
Scientists Calculated How Much Meat You Can Sustainably Eat in a Week : ScienceAlert
https://www.sciencealert.com/scientists-calculated-how-much-meat-you-can-sustainably-eat-in-a-week
In recent years, it has become widely known that livestock farming is bad for the environment, and an increasing number of people are thinking about reducing their meat intake in order to protect the environment. In addition, there are also research results showing that eating red meat and processed meat has a negative impact on health , and some people are avoiding meat for health reasons.
However, it is difficult for people who have been eating meat for a long time to suddenly give up meat, and many people want to find a line that satisfies their desires while protecting the environment. 'Most people now recognize that they should eat less meat for both environmental and health reasons, but it can be difficult to relate how much 'less' means and whether it will really make a difference in the big picture,' said Caroline Guevara, lead author of the paper and a postdoctoral researcher at the Technical University of Denmark.
Guevara and her team investigated how to create a sustainable, yet healthy diet for the planet. They assessed the environmental and nutritional characteristics of more than 2,500 foods consumed in the United States, taking into account factors such as carbon footprint, water use, land use, and health impacts, to determine how much an individual could eat in a week without putting a strain on the planet.
The analysis showed that the amount of meat that people who eat a sustainable diet can eat per week is 255g of chicken or pork. This is about the amount of two blocks of chicken breast sold in supermarkets, and about
The results also showed that even small amounts of red meat such as beef and lamb are not sustainable. 'This is probably because more land must be cleared to raise livestock like cows and sheep. They also emit methane , which is 28 times more potent than carbon dioxide, and nitrous oxide, which is 270 times more potent than carbon dioxide , through their waste and feed crops,' Science Alert points out.
'Based on the environmental factors examined in this study, our calculations indicate that even moderate amounts of red meat in the diet are incompatible with the planet's renewable resources,' Guevara said.
While a sustainable diet is quite restrictive in terms of meat intake, diets such as vegetarianism, veganism, and pescatarianism (vegetarianism plus seafood) are reported to be sustainable for the planet. It is also possible to combine different foods according to your situation and needs, such as being vegetarian but consuming dairy products and eggs.
'For example, our calculations show that it's possible to eat a healthy, climate-friendly diet and still eat cheese if you want to. The same goes for eggs, fish and white meat, assuming of course the rest of your diet is relatively healthy and sustainable,' Guevara said.
However, the study did not take into account the global impact of food system change, or factors such as the accessibility, affordability or cultural acceptability of ingredients. 'To achieve truly sustainable diets, universal access is necessary and must be supported by policymakers at all levels,' the paper said.
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