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Jun 10, 2008 9:58 pm US/Eastern
Oprah's Vegan Diet: Good For Health & Environment
Oprah Has Gone Vegan For 3 Weeks
MIAMI (CBS4) ―
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Tofu is a true vegetarian food but did you know that eating vegan meals can also be good for the environment?
CBS
Some people say not eating meat or meat by-products is better for both your health and the environment. Even talk show queen Oprah Winfrey is trying it. But did you know changing your diet can also change your carbon footprint?
When Oprah, announced her 21-day body cleanse which cuts off caffeine, sugar, alcohol, gluten and animal products she wondered, "What's left?"
Actually, the answer to that question is quite a lot and Oprah even said on her blog, "I never imagined meatless meals could be so satisfying,"
"I think vegan food gets a bad rap, definitely," said Brooklyn Chef Matteo, who specializes in vegan food. He says it's because in the past, vegan food has been known as being bland and items like granola and tofu are thought of as kind of hippie.
But vegan food these days has changed. For example, there's Cashew Cheese Ravioli. The "pasta" is made from thinly-sliced turnips. It has a cheese flavor but it's actually made from ground nuts, but is it really good for the planet?
"You can feed a lot more people with a vegetarian based diet than with a standard diet," said Chef Matteo.
Recent studies say eating a plants-only diet produces far fewer gases than an animal-based diet and shrinks one's so-called "carbon footprint." Dr. Gidon Eshel co-authored one study for the University of Chicago.
"If you only eat plants, your footprint drops by a ton and a half of CO2 per person per year," explained Dr. Eshel.
The USDA says the average American eats more than 117 pounds of red meat every year. Dr. Eshel says eliminating meat is better for the environment than switching a Toyota Camry to a hybrid Prius. That's because producing food from "cows" creates more carbon monoxide and methane gas.
Dr. Eshel compared two dishes with a similar calorie count: a six-ounce steak and a plate of veggie stir fry. He found the production of just one steak creates 24 times the amount of greenhouse gases as the vegan meal.
Oprah Winfrey has decided to blog about her 3-week vegan experience on her website as well as provide menus and
recipes for those who want to join her in the experience.
Oprah says her goal is to see what her attachments are to certain types of food as well as to try and think differently about eating.
Click here to see some of the vegetarian recipes being created for Oprah by Chef Tal Ronnen.
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