Feeding Plant-Based Food To Children Will Help Save Water

For almost all of human history, people ate whatever they could get their hands on: availability, habit and taste preferences were the factors that drove food choices.

That changed a mere century or so ago when the new science of nutrition revealed that food was more than just something to eat—it as part of an approach to optimal health.

But, in the past few decades, we've come to understand that what we eat has more far-reaching effects. Not just on our health but on the lives of the animals who share this planet with us and on the very future of the planet itself.

Today, there are a lot of reasons to embrace a vegan diet or a plant-based diet. Apart from nourishing your child, a plant-based diet is also environment-friendly.

Did you know even if one family embraces a plant-based diet, they are contributing towards the conservation of nature and our planet? Globally, 2.1 billion people live without safe water and around 4 billion people - nearly two-thirds of the world's population - experience severe water scarcity during at least one month of the year.

One step towards adopting a plant-based lifestyle can thus go a long way in saving the earth of its precious resources.

Why you must switch to plant-based eating?

1. Meat processing industries require enormous water use

It takes an enormous amount of water to grow crops for animals to eat, clean filthy factory farms, and give animals water to drink. The world is on the brink of water shortage and by going vegan one person can contribute towards water conservation. Based on a global average of water consumption, it takes about 460 gallons of water to produce just one quarter-pound beef hamburger.

2. Livestock and animal rearing requires more water

Farming (animal and plant) accounts for about 70 percent of water used in the world today, up to 92 percent of freshwater, with nearly one-third of that related to animal farming and growing crops to feed to animals.

3. Animal agriculture predisposes to water pollution

Runoff from factory farms and livestock grazing is one of the leading causes of pollution in our rivers and lakes. The Environmental Protection Agency notes that bacteria and viruses can be carried by the runoff and that groundwater can be contaminated. Animals raised for food are far more in number and produce more excrement. Without proper sewage-treatment plants, these waste products are just dumped into landfills or nearby rivers and lakes causing water pollution.

4. There is a threat to marine biodiversity

Intensive animal farming can cause serious water pollution such as eutrophication, an excessive amount of algae in the water caused by run-off of animal feces and leftover feed, often leading to loss of fish and other aquatic wildlife.

A meat-free diet can cut our water footprint in half!

Studies show that a healthy meat-free diet reduces our water footprint by up to 55%. The United Nations Environment Assembly says that plant-based burgers require between 75-99 percent less water; 93-95 percent less land; and generate 87-90 percent fewer emissions than regular beef burgers.

To summarise, by changing our diet or replacing meat, dairy, and eggs with more water-friendly plant-based foods, we can all help to preserve the world's water. By inculcating this lifestyle into your child, you are securing a cleaner and greener planet for him to spend his/her life in.