“We have to stop destroying the planet as we feed ourselves,” a World Bank official said, as red meat and dairy drive CO2 emissions.
Cows and milk are out, chicken and broccoli are in — if the World Bank has its way, that is.
In a new paper, the international financial lender suggests repurposing the billions rich countries spend to boost CO2-rich products like red meat and dairy for more climate-friendly options like poultry, fruits and vegetables. It’s one of the most cost-effective ways to save the planet from climate change, the bank argues.
The politically touchy recommendation — sure to make certain conservatives and European countries apoplectic — is one of several suggestions the World Bank offers to cut climate-harming pollution from the agricultural and food sectors, which are responsible for nearly a third of global greenhouse gas emissions.
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The paper comes at a diplomatically strategic moment, as countries signed on to the Paris Agreement — the global pact calling to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius — prepare to update their climate plans by late 2025.
Honestly, it makes sense. Something’s gotta give or we’re all fucked. We should already be eating less red meat and dairy anyway since they’re less healthy than white meat and milk alternatives - adding the economic incentive would be a push in the right direction to be healthier and more eco-friendly.
Beans, chickpeas and lentils are my favorite daily superfoods. So cheap, so tasty, so healthy. Meat is so far in the rearview mirror I don’t even understand the concept anymore.
Care to share a favorite recipe or two? I’ve been meaning to step up my legume game for a minute.
Thanks in advance, but also no presh! 🤙
This is not my native language and I’m too lazy to translate whole recipies, so here are just a few tips:
Black bean tacos. Whatever you do with beef, use a can of black beans instead
I tried putting black beans on my grill but they fell through the gaps. Help?
No thats okay, the charcoal adds to the texture
Dried beans are even nicer and cheaper, although I get they require a little more work.
I like emerald dol.
Rinse, then soak 1.5 cups of dried lentils for at least 20 mins.
Bring to boil then cover and simmer for 15 minutes in 3.5 cups of water (I just soak them in the pot and turn on the burner). Add 0.5 tsp of salt, turmeric, and chili powder at start of simmer.
Add 1 lb of chopped spinach (I use the frozen blocks for this, basically leave it simmering while they thaw, stirring occasionally to break up the blocks quicker).
In a separate pan, melt 2 tbsp of butter (or whatever equivalent butter-like substance), I add a bit of coconut oil also because I don’t have coconut milk and generally use almond milk instead, so the oil gives it some if that coconut flavour. Chop up an onion and add it to the butter. I also add some fresh garlic and pickled minced ginger, but these are modifications I’ve made to the recipe.
Add 1 tsp of mustard seed and cumin (I use whole cumin seeds but powdered also works).
When the onions are done to your liking (recipe says when they are translucent, but I personally like fresh onions so don’t always cook them that much), add in 0.5 cups of coconut or almond milk (or whatever, even dairy milk would probably work well if we weren’t avoiding it), plus 1 tsp of garam masala and mix all that in to the lentil/spinach pot.
It’s pretty much done at this point, but I’ll keep the (low) heat going for a bit. Watch the moisture level, it should have a consistency of a thick stew.
Put some naan bread in the oven @400 F for ~10 minutes or to however cooked you prefer it. I like to break off pieces and spoon some dol on top as I eat. You can dip it, but it’s too runny to pick up a lot that way.
All measurements are suggestions; pretty sure I use more than that for the spices and one package of frozen spinach blocks is a bit less than a pound (500g).
It scales up pretty well (I usually do a double batch) and freezes well.
India has a lot of vegetarians and a lot of foods that don’t just try to be vegetarian versions of meat dishes, so I suggest checking out more Indian recipes if you’d like more options.
I really like misr wat. If you can find the berbere spice mix and red lentils I highly recommend it.
Chicken broth + lentils + whatever veggies you got lying around = tasty as shit soup
Just make sure to wash the lentils first
And to REALLY up your game use a mirepoix as the base.
Any advice for a person who doesn’t really like the mushy texture of beans or chickpeas? I love hummus but I can’t do whole chickpeas.
I love hummus, too!
You can roast them in an airfryer. Chickpeas in particular come out well that way.
Roasted chickpeas with cauliflower is the bomb, especially with some cajun seasoning
Whole chickpeas do have a disagreeable texture. Black beans and edamame don’t squick me the same way, so maybe give them a try if you haven’t already?
There are several recipes that call for mashed chickpeas. Especially sandwishes.
You can make burger patties with mashed beans or mashed chickpeas, and another ingredient that holds it together such as crumbled bread.
When you have cooked black beans, you can blend them, with onions, garlic, salt, and romarino, and use them as filling for soft maize tacos, with spicy sauce. I’ve also been meaning to try them as a dip for maize chips, haven’t done that yet.
There’s also something weird that I sometimes do, in that I’ve never heard of anyone else doing that or seen any recipe for that, it’s just something I do: I blend romano beans into a pizza sauce. I put a generous amount of sauce on my pizza, and lot of vegetables. I love my pizzas like this and it makes for a complete meal with protein.