Water for a Pound of Beef
The water footprint of meat is a college number than many people might realize. While many Americans look to eat a certain amount of meat, and they might recollect, "Well, I don't eat that much," they might exist surprised by only how much meat (and dairy) they actually consume every day. This is an of import consideration considering the water footprint of meat and dairy can be much college than that of plant foods. With a little awareness and guidance from the USDA, it's easy to see daily protein needs without consuming then much meat.
Americans eat a lot of meat and dairy
Hither'southward a quiz: How many pounds of meat does the boilerplate American eat every yr? The reply might be a little shocking to some. According to USDA data, in 2021, Americans ate virtually 225 pounds of cerise meat and poultry, which works out to more than half a pound a day. Many probably think, "I don't consume that much meat," but if they kept track, they might exist surprised by just how much meat (and dairy, for that thing) they actually consume.
The Water Footprint Reckoner (WFC) includes questions about diet, specifically well-nigh how much meat and dairy people consume in a day. As many users have discovered, their diet can be the about significant component of their daily water footprint, particularly if they consume a lot of meat and dairy. Simply what does that hateful and why do people underestimate their consumption past then much? Just how much is one portion of meat and dairy and how much should we eat in a day?
Daily Meat Consumption in the The states
Every bit shown in Figure one, US per capita consumption of beef, pork, lamb and poultry has hovered effectually 200 pounds per year but has been steadily increasing since the 1970s. This is an important consideration when it comes to h2o conservation considering meat and dairy production has a large water footprint. The actual number varies from animal to animate being and depends on where the and how the animals were raised – whether they were grass-fed or grain-fed – and whether or non their feed came from irrigated crops.
Take beef, for case. The water footprint of meat is contested by some in the livestock industry who disagree with how the water footprint is calculated. Nevertheless, research suggests that, on average, it takes well-nigh 1800 gallons of water to produce i pound of beef, which translates to around 450 gallons for a quarter-pound hamburger.
Interestingly, since 1970, the data indicates that the trend is for Americans to consume less beefiness and more pork and chicken. In 1970, per capita disappearance of beef (USDA-speak for consumption) was 85 pounds, whereas in 2017 that number had dropped to 57 pounds.
Effigy i. The states per Capita Consumption of Beef, Pork, Lamb and Poultry
Meat and Dairy Portion Sizes
One reason why it's hard for people to discern portion sizes, according to the National Institutes of Health, is that portion sizes in the United States accept doubled or fifty-fifty tripled over the last twenty years. Our sense of what constitutes a serving has go skewed. A McDonald'southward hamburger patty (the original McDonald'due south Burger® ) has i.six ounces of beefiness, while a Big Mac® has twice that amount at 3.two ounces, a Quarter Pounder® has 4 ounces, and now there'southward even a Double Quarter Pounder® that features a full 8 ounces (a one-half a pound) of beefiness. People may be getting ameliorate economic value when they get bigger portions for a few pennies more, but there is a high environmental cost associated with that value.
It'southward hard to guess what a USDA-recommended portion of beef, chicken or cheese looks like. Visual cues are helpful; for instance:
- A portion of meat varies from the size of a deck of cards to a checkbook (3 ounces)
- A portion of cheese is the size of 3 dice (1 ½ ounces)
- A portion of yogurt is the size of a baseball game (ane cup)
Meat and Dairy Serving Recommendations
A much more complicated result is determining how much meat and dairy people should consume on a daily basis. The USDA's MyPlate nutrition guidelines practise not brand coating recommendations about meat and dairy. Their guidance states instead that, "The amount of food from the Protein [and Dairy] Foods Group you need to eat depends on historic period, sexual activity and level of physical activity." Still, MyPlate by and large recommends v to 6 ounces of "protein equivalents" per day for adults which includes beans, nuts and eggs in addition to meat. It also recommends 3 cups of "dairy equivalents" per day, which include cheese, yogurt and calcium-fortified soymilk.
Conspicuously, people in the US are exceeding this guidance each twenty-four hour period. Remember, in that location is protein in tofu, beans, quinoa, leafy green vegetables and many other foods, so these foods can aid reduce the amount of meat required to run across daily protein needs. The MyPlate guidelines are a useful starting point, of course, but ultimately people have to listen to their own bodies and practice what feels best for them. And the water footprint of tofu is significantly less than the water footprint of meat and dairy.
By existence more witting of how much meat and dairy they actually swallow and trying some of the non-meat protein sources mentioned above, people tin make significant reductions in their daily h2o footprint. In this instance, beingness "below boilerplate" is a good thing for the health of the planet. If people are making a witting endeavour to reduce their water footprint, eating a little less meat is a cracking way to do it.
Find out the water footprint of over 100 food items with the Water Footprint of Nutrient Guide.
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The food people eat has an impact on their health, the environment and on the welfare of animals and workers. FoodPrint has many tools and resources to assist people eat sustainably.
Source: https://www.watercalculator.org/footprint/meat-portions-900-gallons/