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I watched the news report on Monday about cows and their contribution to climate change with disbelief. Not disbelief that the Ten O’clock News had a report on flatulence. Nor disbelief that tents are erected around the cows to monitor their methane production. Not even disbelief that scientists are looking for the perfect grass mix to reduce levels of farting.

My disbelief was that not once in the whole report was it suggested that one solution would be if we all less ate meat. Is that really such a revolutionary thought? We all stop eating beef when we thought there was a risk to our health and we would all turn into mad cows. So why not sacrifice a few burgers to save the planet?

I speak as a lapsed vegetarian, wife to a recently reconverted vegetarian. Although technically according to the Vegetarian Society, we were never vegetarians, because we happily ate fish. Actually, I can see their point, but in the eighties, eating out as a vegetarian was a nightmare and fish was a welcome relief to cheese omelette.

I have never been a great fan of beans and pulses, but the reborn vegetarian in the house is uber excited to be rediscovering lentils, aduki beans and chick peas. Sharing a bed with him will take me back to our “windy” beginnings - although middle age has similar side effects, it seems!

But doesn’t the diet of the whole nation need reviewing? What if we were rationed to one portion of beef, chicken and fish each a week? How about imposing our own rationing? Why is no-one suggesting such food self-sacrifice?

Yes, you are what you eat. But to some extent, the life expectancy of the planet is governed too by what we eat.

Bring on the beans!

Filed under: simpler lifestyle, cooking on July 13th, 2007