It pays to be a picky eater—at least, when it comes to meat. A study published ….in Scientific Reports suggests that certain plant-based diets can provide the same amount of nutrition as meat products and simultaneously protect the environment. While experts agree that meatless meals provide myriad benefits, going vegetarian is not a realistic option for many. Nor will it do much to slow down climate change.

…

Marty Matlock, a professor of ecological engineering at the University of Arkansas, who was not involved in the study, points out that [the new] assessment does not reflect the reality of the U.S. food system …. There are many “food deserts,” he says, where vegetables are expensive and even hard to find—not to mention the fact that it also takes an environmental toll to grow asparagus in Mexico or Peru before shipping it to the U.S.

…

The authors of the new study do acknowledge that one of the environmental downsides to their proposed shift away from meat is that …. [although] the change would reduce greenhouse gas emissions, it would only do so by 6 percent.

Read full, original article: These Plants Can Replace Meat—but Will Doing So Help the Environment?