Summer’s here, and it’s time to fire up the grill. Burgers, dogs, and steaks are as synonymous with summer as swimming pools, sunscreen, and mosquitos, yet beef is by far the most challenging of the meats—both for our health and the planet.
With Planetarian Life, very little is ever off limits, but eliminating beef is the one thing that could drastically reduce your carbon footprint. We’re not challenging you to give up beef forever, just try it for the season.
I usually offer several statistics to paint the picture, but this simple graph from Environmental Working Group says it all:
If you’re up for the No Beef (or Low Beef) Summer, try flexing your culinary muscles and find other entrées you and your loved ones enjoy: chicken, fish, pork—even better, veggies! See our inspiration below.
Last week, a beef-loving friend sent me a photo with the accompanying text, “So I grilled tofu last night and thought of you! It was a ‘wing it’ thing, but it was popular!”
There’s plenty to grill besides tofu, but you might be surprised what does the trick, nestled on a plate with a bunch of other sides. I’m willing to wager that come fall, you won’t be asking, “Where’s the beef?”