Plant-Based Protein: The Real Cost

How Much Does a Plant-based Protein Source Really Cost?

Consuming animal products is detrimental to the health of the planet. Find out what the real cost of animal protein is vs. a plant-based protein source in the infographic below.

"Worldwide, an estimated 2 billion people live primarily on a meat-based diet, while an estimated 4 billion live primarily on a plant-based diet. 

The US food production system uses about 50% of the total US land area, 80% of the freshwater, and 17% of the fossil energy used in the country.

The heavy dependence on fossil energy suggests that the US food system, whether meat-based or plant-based, is not sustainable.

The use of land and energy resources devoted to an average meat-based diet compared with a lactoovovegetarian (plant-based) diet is analyzed in this report.

In both diets, the daily quantity of calories consumed is kept constant at about 3533 kcal per person. The meat-based food system requires more energy, land, and water resources than the lactoovovegetarian diet.

In this limited sense, the lactoovovegetarian diet is more sustainable than the average American meat-based diet."

A Plant-Based Diet not only saves the lives of countless animals but preserves our resources and saves many humans from starvation. Switching to a plant-based protein source will conserve more of the planet’s resources, creating a better future.