Half meat, half plant-based = twice as smart

More and more Belgians say they want to choose a meal without meat or fish more often. That’s smart. Smart choices on your plate are good for people and the planet. That is exactly what the Half/Half campaign from Gezond Leven proposes: less meat, more plant-based. Not everything, but a little different. And that not only has benefits for your health, but also for the water on our planet.

What does your lunch have to do with water?

Food production takes a big bite out of our water supply. A lot of water is needed in the process to produce food. Meat is one of the biggest consumers of hidden water in our daily lives. It is not on your plate, but it is in the chain. From animal feed to slaughterhouse, to transport: everything requires water. A lot of water.

• For 1 kg of beef, an average of more than 15,000 liters of water is needed.
• For 1 kg of chickpeas? You need 1,600 liters.

That difference is gigantic. By choosing a plant-based alternative or a smaller piece of meat more often, you drastically reduce your water footprint.

Why choose Half/Half?

The Half/Half approach is feasible, healthy and sustainable. You don’t have to choose between “all or nothing”, but consciously make room for more plant-based food on your plate. It is a small adjustment that yields a lot.

• Good for your health: less saturated fat, more fiber, vitamins and minerals.
• Good for the environment: fewer greenhouse gases and less water consumption.
• Easy to do: easy to apply to your sandwiches, pasta, soup or salad.

And the beauty? You don’t have to completely eliminate meat. You can just shift things around a bit: replace beef with chicken or turkey, for example.

• 1 kg of chicken requires approximately 4,300 liters of water,
• 1 kg of beef needs 15,000 liters before it ends up on your plate.

So even if you want to continue eating meat, you can still make a water-conscious choice.
Make it tasty and fun. And above all, opt for more: more vegetables, more variety, more fun.

What can you do – today?

• Choose 1 or 2 days this week when you consciously eat half/half. Vegetarian at lunch, a piece of meat at dinner, for example.
• Try a plant-based sandwich filling.
• Replace beef or lamb with chicken or egg.
• Share a Half/Half recipe with your colleagues or plan a lunch together without meat.
• Use www.halfhalf.be as a source of inspiration.