8 Meals
8 Meals is a call-to-action to reduce our animal product intake by 40%– or eating just 8 plant-based meals per week.
It’s attainable and it’s the most important thing we can do to protect our planet, as animal agriculture creates 18% of worldwide carbon emissions.
The Problem
Animal agriculture is responsible for more than 18% of greenhouse gas emissions worldwide. It contributes to land and water degradation, biodiversity loss, acid rain, coral reef degeneration and deforestation.
Eating meat is also unnecessarily resource intensive: just 1 pound of beef requires 8,000 gallons of water to produce!
Learn more about this on our plant-based Call to Action page.
Climate change is now at an ‘all hands on deck’ urgency.
We cannot wait for governments and corporations to act. Perhaps the single greatest contribution we can make as individuals is to change our diet. The carbon footprint reduction of committing to at least 8 plant-based meals a week is on par with switching to a hybrid automobile for the average American family.
Dr. Martin Heller, Research Specialist, Center for Sustainable Systems, University of Michigan
Our Solution
Scientists agree that one of the most important actions we can take to combat climate change is to adopt a plant-based diet.
A study at the University of Michigan and Tulane University inspired us to create the #8meals challenge. If we all decrease our animal protein intake by 40-50% we could make significant progress in reversing climate change.
It doesn’t have to be all or nothing.
Going 100% vegan has been unattainable for many people. Rather than focus on becoming fully plant-based, let’s focus on taking “imperfect” action to take the pressure off, while still making change.
If we each swap 8 meals per week to plant-based, then collectively we can do more than fewer of us going fully vegan.
“Better all Americans cut meat consumption
by 40 percent than 3 percent of Americans cut
it out completely.”
Benefits of Eating Plant-Based
There are so many health benefits to plant-based nutrition. Plants span such a wide array of food types, and contain vitamins, fiber, water, and even protein…Habits of Waste’s partially plant-based campaign, #8meals, is a wonderful starting point to incorporate more plants into your diet.
Nina L. Shapiro, MD , Author of HYPE, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA
Our Impact
30K+
impressions
10K+
sessions
Used Globally in 13 Countries
Take Action
Download our 8 Meals Habits of Waste app to help you swap 8 meals each week for plant-based options instead.
Find interesting recipes! The 8 Meals app has a myriad of wholefood, low-cost, plant-based options.
Select 8 plant-based meals and plug them into your calendar. Mix it up to your liking!
Share on Social Media
Scientists recommend we cut our animal protein intake by at least 40% in order to protect the planet.
That’s 8 meals a week. Who’s in? I’m joining @howchangers to be #imperfectlyvegan through their campaign called #8meals
Post your favorite plant-based recipes and tips and tag @howchangers to get featured. Learn more and get involved at habitsofwaste.org
#howchanger #8meals
Pledge $10 to help support 8 Meals!
Press & Partnerships
8 Meals App Testimonials
“I would have made the change a long time ago had I know the effects on the world it was having.
I’m so grateful to have found this challenge and to learn from you guys. ”
“Honestly I thought it was going to be difficult because my family and I have always eaten meat with every meal but I had no idea what that meant for the planet. It’s actually been fairly easy to keep up with, my family didn’t notice a difference in my meals and overall I feel really good! ”
“I found it re-invigorating for my cooking! I have gotten tired of the endlessness of planning and preparing meals… but this lit a happy healthy fire under my butt. And I do love a challenge. Excited for a delicious week! And I like the idea very much that all meat need not be eliminated. Just less.
Thank you!”
“It’s so nice to know that my effort makes a difference. I’m enjoying finishing new recipes and feeling like I’m contributing to the health of our planet while I’m also contributing to the health of my family”
“This is so doable !”
“I could never go fully vegan but this I can do!”
