{"id":28589,"date":"2026-08-07T21:31:12","date_gmt":"2026-08-08T00:31:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mysupernews.com\/?p=28589"},"modified":"2026-08-07T23:56:15","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T02:56:15","slug":"8-ways-your-eating-habits-are-affecting-climate-change","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mysupernews.com\/en\/28589\/lifestyle\/8-ways-your-eating-habits-are-affecting-climate-change\/","title":{"rendered":"8 Ways Your Eating Habits are Affecting Climate Change"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Does what you eat really matter in today&#039;s world? The answer is a resounding yes.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"custom-gallery\"><div class=\"custom-gallery-main\" style=\"position: relative;\"><button id=\"prev-image\" class=\"gallery-nav\" style=\"position:absolute; top:50%; left:10px; transform:translateY(-50%);\">&#9664;&#xfe0e;<\/button><img decoding=\"async\" id=\"custom-gallery-main-img\" src=\"https:\/\/mysupernews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/wayy2wogb8w-e1786143668951-1-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"How much do our eating habits affect climate change?\"><button id=\"next-image\" class=\"gallery-nav\" style=\"position:absolute; top:50%; right:10px; transform:translateY(-50%);\">&#9654;&#xfe0e;<\/button><\/div><small id=\"custom-gallery-description\" class=\"source\" style=\"font-size: 11px; text-align: left; text-transform: uppercase; color: #888; display: block; margin-top: 5px;\">\u00a9 Unsplash \/ Jamie Matoci\u00f1os<\/small><div id=\"custom-gallery-thumbnails-wrapper\" style=\"max-width:100%; margin-top:10px; overflow-x:auto;\"><div class=\"custom-gallery-thumbnails\" style=\"display:flex; gap:5px;\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"custom-gallery-thumb\" src=\"https:\/\/mysupernews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/wayy2wogb8w-e1786143668951-1-300x300.jpg\" alt=\"How much do our eating habits affect climate change?\"  data-full=\"https:\/\/mysupernews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/wayy2wogb8w-e1786143668951-1.jpg\"  data-title=\"How much do our eating habits affect climate change?\"  data-description=\"\u00a9 Unsplash \/ Jamie Matoci\u00f1os\"  data-credit=\"You know the expression, &quot;you are what you eat&quot;? This age-old proverbial saying implies that in order to remain healthy and in shape, you must eat foods that promote both of these qualities. The same can be said about what we eat vs. the health of our planet&#039;s environment. On a collective level, our dietary choices can have a significant impact on the earth&#039;s climate. And our individual choices either contribute to or help to offset global warming, a significant component of climate change that is currently progressing at an unprecedented rate. Here are 8 facts you need to know about how food contributes to global warming.\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"custom-gallery-thumb\" src=\"https:\/\/mysupernews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/ddc0vuvh_lu-1-300x300.jpg\" alt=\"The global food system produces...\"  data-full=\"https:\/\/mysupernews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/ddc0vuvh_lu-1.jpg\"  data-title=\"The global food system produces&#8230;\"  data-description=\"\u00a9 Unsplash \/ Randy Fath\"  data-credit=\"about 1\/4 of man-made greenhouse gas emissions each year. Food production begins with agriculture, which involves farming and harvesting the land, breeding and raising livestock. Next, there&#039;s food and livestock transportation, food processing and packaging, followed by distribution and storage. Once the food is distributed from large scale manufacturers (farmers, factories, producers) to consumer-facing businesses (restaurants, supermarkets and other retailers), the next step is cooking the food and then, of course, eating it! But that&#039;s not all. Whatever gets thrown in your garbage that isn&#039;t recyclable then gets transported to landfills to rot, releasing more greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. All of these processes generate more than 17 billion metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions per year.\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"custom-gallery-thumb\" src=\"https:\/\/mysupernews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/cow-2559383_1920-1-300x300.jpg\" alt=\"Cattle are the leading agricultural source of greenhouse gases worldwide, with one cow belching about...\"  data-full=\"https:\/\/mysupernews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/cow-2559383_1920-1.jpg\"  data-title=\"Cattle are the leading agricultural source of greenhouse gases worldwide, with one cow belching about...\"  data-description=\"\u00a9 Pixabay \/ tombock1\"  data-credit=\"220 pounds of methane per year. While its lifespan is shorter than that of carbon dioxide (CO2), methane is about 25 times more potent at trapping heat in the atmosphere, making it particularly detrimental to climate change and a worrisome factor in the fight against global warming. Beyond cattle, the carbon footprint of livestock in general accounts for 14.5% of greenhouse gas emissions. For every 50 g of beef protein, the average greenhouse gas impact is 17.7 kg of CO2. In contrast, for every 50 g of bean protein, that number shrinks to 0.4 kg of CO2.\n\nIn addition, the consumption of animal-based proteins is on the rise in both developing and developed countries around the world. This growing demand reflects an increase in agricultural production of animal-based food products, further highlighting the necessity to render related food system processes more efficient and sustainable.\n\nWhat can you do?\nStart eating more plant-based foods and reduce or eliminate your consumption of beef, lamb, farmed crustaceans and other foods that have a bigger carbon impact.\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"custom-gallery-thumb\" src=\"https:\/\/mysupernews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/gbvdile8yvi-1-300x300.jpg\" alt=\"Greenhouse gas emissions related to food transport account for...\"  data-full=\"https:\/\/mysupernews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/gbvdile8yvi-1.jpg\"  data-title=\"Greenhouse gas emissions related to food transport account for...\"  data-description=\"\u00a9 Unsplash \/ Gabriel Santos\"  data-credit=\"only about 6% of the food system&#039;s emissions on a global scale. This might come as a surprise to anyone who&#039;s been led to believe that eating locally is the best option for the planet. The truth is, what you eat matters much more than where it comes from. Different factors come into play regarding the carbon footprint of various types of food, including how they&#039;re transported (ex. by plane, ship, truck or car) and their energy efficiency related to production, packaging and distribution processes. Local produce that was produced in an energy-sucking greenhouse with fuel-run machinery is a worse choice than buying the same foods produced elsewhere, using much more eco-efficient practices.\n\nWhat can you do?\nEat seasonally, to reduce the necessity of air-freighted food imports and to decrease the demand for out-of-season produce, which spurs the creation of unsustainable greenhouses used to grow foods year-round. Also, avoid foods with a very short shelf life, and check the country of origin, if possible. Stick to those that didn&#039;t have to travel very far.\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"custom-gallery-thumb\" src=\"https:\/\/mysupernews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/ed-e7uq-rao-1-300x300.jpg\" alt=\"This in-demand seafood has one of the highest carbon footprints...\"  data-full=\"https:\/\/mysupernews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/ed-e7uq-rao-1.jpg\"  data-title=\"This in-demand seafood has one of the highest carbon footprints...\"  data-description=\"\u00a9 Unsplash \/ Yuval Zukerman\"  data-credit=\"farmed shrimp, emitting 4.8 kg of CO2 per every 40g of protein. It&#039;s actually one of the worst seafoods to consume for a couple reasons. First off, many shrimp farms are created by destroying coastal mangrove forests. This is even worse for the environment than clearing rainforests to make pastures for cattle. Secondly, not all farms follow fair labor policies, and there are widespread instances of forced labor, child labor and desolate working conditions, among other grim reports. Thirdly, overuse of antibiotics is a common practice in countries outside the US, which heavily pollutes the surrounding environment. Wild shrimp, on the other hand, are more of a rarity, cost more expensive and still provoke high carbon emissions due to the fuel consumed by fishing boats.\n\nWhat can you do?\nTry to limit or eliminate your consumption of shrimp, opting instead for mollusks like oysters, scallops and mussels, which have a low carbon impact. Check for endorsements of environmental sustainability on the packages: Global Aquaculture Alliance&#039;s (G.A.A.) Best Aquaculture Practices (B.A.P.) in the US and the Aquaculture Stewardship Council (A.S.C.) in Europe.\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"custom-gallery-thumb\" src=\"https:\/\/mysupernews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/kpqaqug998y-1-300x300.jpg\" alt=\"This type of cheese has a higher carbon footprint than chicken...\"  data-full=\"https:\/\/mysupernews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/kpqaqug998y-1.jpg\"  data-title=\"This type of cheese has a higher carbon footprint than chicken...\"  data-description=\"\u00a9 Unsplash \/ Waldemar Brandt\"  data-credit=\"hard cheese. Bad news for cheese-lovers! Hard cheeses like cheddar and parmesan contribute 14kg of CO2 per 1 kg produced and 13.5kg of CO2 per 1 kg produced, respectively. Chicken has a lower emissions rate of 6.9kg of CO2 per 1 kg. Part of the reason why some cheeses have a higher carbon impact is due to the fact that they require 10 pounds of milk to produce one pound of cheese. On the other hand, softer cheeses with a higher moisture content are made with less milk, require shorter or no aging processes, and therefore use less energy overall.\n\nWhat can you do?\nIf you can&#039;t imagine your life without cheese, stick to softer varieties like cottage cheese, feta, brie, camembert and goat&#039;s cheese. Try to reduce your consumption of cheese overall, or substitute vegan options every once in a while. Most importantly, don&#039;t buy more than you can eat before it goes bad\u2014more than half a pound of CO2 is emitted for every ounce of cheese that goes uneaten.\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"custom-gallery-thumb\" src=\"https:\/\/mysupernews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/2594538-1-300x300.jpg\" alt=\"The market for plant-based milk is expected to reach...\"  data-full=\"https:\/\/mysupernews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/2594538-1.jpg\"  data-title=\"The market for plant-based milk is expected to reach...\"  data-description=\"\u00a9 Pixabay \/ Couleur\"  data-credit=\"27.6 billion USD by 2030, although since the Covid-19 pandemic hit, these figures may be moderately impacted by trade restrictions. Nowadays, you can find multiple non-dairy milk options, and they all have significantly smaller carbon footprints than dairy milk. Oat milk is an exceptionally good choice, with a low carbon footprint of 0.9 kg of CO2 per liter and low environmental impact with regards to both land and water use. Almond milk has an even lower emission of 0.7 kg of CO2 per liter but uses 323 more liters of water than oat milk.\n\nWhat can you do?\nDairy has a higher carbon footprint and uses more land and water than plant-based alternatives. Try to limit or eliminate your consumption of dairy milk, by alternating or replacing it with plant-based ones.\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"custom-gallery-thumb\" src=\"https:\/\/mysupernews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/uaaclyxf0w0-1-300x300.jpg\" alt=\"Switching to a vegetarian diet can potentially reduce your food-based carbon footprint by...\"  data-full=\"https:\/\/mysupernews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/uaaclyxf0w0-1.jpg\"  data-title=\"Switching to a vegetarian diet can potentially reduce your food-based carbon footprint by...\"  data-description=\"\u00a9 Unsplash \/ Dan Gold\"  data-credit=\"a third or more. Going vegan and eliminating dairy- and other animal-based food products would cut it down even more. That&#039;s not to say everyone absolutely has to go 100% plant-based in order to save the planet. Even just reducing your consumption of meats (especially red meat) and dairy products with a higher carbon impact can help decrease emissions, both on an individual and collective level.\n\nWhat can you do?\nIf you&#039;re not quite ready to give up meat completely, you can start out by trying a flexitarian diet. This eating lifestyle puts a heavy emphasis on plant-based foods, while still allowing for the occasional consumption of beef, poultry, fish and pork. If you&#039;re not a big meat-eater anyway but still enjoy seafood, try going pescatarian, and be sure to choose sustainably sourced fish.\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"custom-gallery-thumb\" src=\"https:\/\/mysupernews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/tcdf9nlz2kk-1-300x300.jpg\" alt=\"On a yearly basis, global food waste adds up to...\"  data-full=\"https:\/\/mysupernews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/tcdf9nlz2kk-1.jpg\"  data-title=\"On a yearly basis, global food waste adds up to...\"  data-description=\"\u00a9 Unsplash \/ John Cameron\"  data-credit=\"roughly 1.4 billion tons or 1\/3 of all foods produced for human consumption, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. That includes food that&#039;s lost or becomes spoiled and goes uneaten. What&#039;s more, the US is at the top of the list for throwing out the most food per year: about 40 million tons (80 billion pounds), or approximately 219 pounds of waste per person. Food waste not only has disastrous effects on the environment but it also represents wasted energy at all levels of the food production process. Everything you throw out ends up rotting in landfills, which produces large quantities of methane.\n\nWhat can you do?\nDon&#039;t buy more food than you need. Try to create weekly meal plans so you can anticipate the quantities you need. Stick to buying shelf-stable foods in bulk, while limiting perishable items to reasonable quantities that can be stored in the fridge or freezer. Start composting leftover food scraps, if possible, or look for ways to reuse them in other dishes.\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"custom-gallery-thumb\" src=\"https:\/\/mysupernews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/abgyl-ue5xo-1-300x300.jpg\" alt=\"5 things you can start doing today to reduce your carbon footprint\"  data-full=\"https:\/\/mysupernews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/abgyl-ue5xo-1.jpg\"  data-title=\"5 things you can start doing today to reduce your carbon footprint\"  data-description=\"\u00a9 Unsplash \/ Matthias Heyde\"  data-credit=\"Limit your consumption of red meat as much as possible, or eliminate it entirely.\n\nEat seasonally, to avoid driving the demand for out-of-season produce, which generally comes with a higher carbon footprint.\n\nIncrease your consumption of plant-based foods, and eat a wide variety, in order to diversify your nutrient intake.\n\nIf you&#039;re not ready to remove animal products from your diet, stick to the most sustainable options within each food category.\n\nStop wasting food, by buying only what you need and planning your meals ahead of time.\n\nWhile dietary choices only represent a small fraction of our individual carbon footprints, the more eco-conscious we all are with regards to food, the more impact these small changes and decisions can make.\n\nHungry for more? Check out Zero Waste: Food Preservation Basics Everyone Should Know.\"><\/div><\/div><\/ br><h5 id=\"custom-gallery-title\" style=\"font-size: 18px; text-align: left; font-weight: 500; margin: 5px 0;\">How much do our eating habits affect climate change?<\/h5><p id=\"custom-gallery-credit\" style=\"font-size: 16px; text-align: left; line-height: 1.8; font-weight: 100; font-family: Manrope, sans-serif;\">You know the expression, &quot;you are what you eat&quot;? This age-old proverbial saying implies that in order to remain healthy and in shape, you must eat foods that promote both of these qualities. The same can be said about what we eat vs. the health of our planet&#039;s environment. On a collective level, our dietary choices can have a significant impact on the earth&#039;s climate. And our individual choices either contribute to or help to offset global warming, a significant component of climate change that is currently progressing at an unprecedented rate. Here are 8 facts you need to know about how food contributes to global warming.<\/p><\/div><div style=\"height:45px;\"><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Does what you eat really matter in today&#039;s world? The answer is a resounding yes.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":29127,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"MSN_Categories":"Uncategorized","MSN_Publish_Option":false,"MSN_Is_Local_News":false,"MSN_Is_AIAC_Included":"Empty","MSN_Location":"[]","MSN_Add_Feature_Img_On_Top_Of_Post":false,"MSN_Has_Custom_Author":false,"MSN_Custom_Author":"","MSN_Has_Custom_Canonical_Url":false,"MSN_Custom_Canonical_Url":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[132,5,2],"tags":[2793,2790,2392,2788,2791,2792,2057,2035,2789],"thb-sponsors":[],"class_list":["post-28589","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-food_curiosities","category-good_food","category-lifestyle","tag-aquecimento-global","tag-dicas-de-dieta","tag-dieta","tag-ecologico","tag-meio-ambiente","tag-mudancas-climaticas","tag-nutrition","tag-tips","tag-verde"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mysupernews.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28589","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mysupernews.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mysupernews.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mysupernews.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mysupernews.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=28589"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/mysupernews.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28589\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":29085,"href":"https:\/\/mysupernews.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28589\/revisions\/29085"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mysupernews.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/29127"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mysupernews.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=28589"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mysupernews.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=28589"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mysupernews.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=28589"},{"taxonomy":"thb-sponsors","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mysupernews.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/thb-sponsors?post=28589"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}