We’ve heard it over and over again: eat less meat, go green, think climate. But how much is “less”?
A group of researchers from the Technical University of Denmark (DTU) has crunched the numbers and come up with a precise limit
Their extensive study, which analyzed over 100,000 diet variations across environmental and health factors, arrived at one clear benchmark: 255 grams of poultry or pork per week.
That’s the maximum amount of meat you can eat if you want to stay within the Earth’s regenerative limits. And red meat doesn’t even make the cut.
More than just carbon footprints
The DTU researchers didn’t stop at greenhouse gas emissions. They also included factors like land use, freshwater consumption, and biodiversity loss, alongside nutritional impact.
They found a comprehensive framework that tells you exactly how much is too much.
Lead researcher Caroline H. Gebara, a postdoctoral fellow at DTU Sustain, explains that this isn’t about guilt – it’s about guidance.
To put things into perspective, a typical supermarket pack of two chicken breasts weighs around 280 grams.
That’s already over the weekly limit for a single person, according to the new guidelines.
It’s not all or nothing
Crucially, the study doesn’t advocate for extreme dietary shifts. You don’t have to go vegan overnight.
In fact, the research shows that a wide range of diets – pescatarian, vegetarian, and even some that include dairy, eggs, or small amounts of meat – can still be sustainable.
It’s about smart choices and balance. If cheese or eggs matter to you, they can still fit into a healthy and climate-friendly lifestyle, as long as the rest of your diet supports it.
The same goes for fish and poultry – but within that weekly 255-gram limit.
This article is based on information from Via Ritzau.