5 cutlets. 6 meatballs. 4 pieces of crumbed chicken. 1 piece of extra cheesy beef lasagna.

After several months of being a vegetarian (to cut back on my greenhouse gas emissions), I lapsed on Easter Sunday lunch of this year.

The vegans and vegetarians of the world would have been disgusted with me and I have to confess I felt pretty disgusting the following day (bloated, full of gas and slower in my step).

Adopting a vegetarian diet has been a challenge for me. For starters, I’m Italian. Imagine if you were brought up on a diet of meatballs and cutlets and then suddenly (after 24 years) you decide to stop. All relatives tell you that you have ‘gone psycho’ for making such a decision. Friends tell you ‘You won’t have any energy!’ and ‘Why do that to yourself? Meat tastes so good!’

After doing a bit more research on the impact of the meat industry on the environment recently, meat (particularly beef) does not seem so appealing to me anymore. Check out the following facts:

Even the Chairman of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), Dr Rajendra Pachauri, stated that the most recent IPCC report highlights the importance of lifestyle changes. He urges us -

‘Please eat less meat. Meat is a very carbon intensive commodity’.

I realise people need more than facts and information to make such dietary changes in their lives. Even cutting back on meat one or two days a week may seem like a massive challenge to some.

So how can you do it (especially if you’re a full on, die hard meat eater like I was)?

Ease into it: Swap beef for kangaroo (if you’re Australian)
Non Australians reading this, don’t be shocked. We can eat our national symbol and it is socially acceptable to do. Over the past year, it has become trendy and sustainable to eat kangaroo since these creatures don’t emit greenhouse gases, are low in fat and have less impact on our fragile, ancient soils. If you’re wondering where you can buy some from, try your local IGA store.

Get some vegetarian/vegan friends
It helps to have people around you who support and understand your decision to cut back on meat or become vegetarian. Earlier this year, I went on a hike with several vegetarians (who also happened to be really good cooks). Whilst being with these people I didn’t have to justify or feel anxious about not eating meat.

Treat yourself to a tasty vegetarian meal
I realised just how good vegetarian food was after several delicious dinners at a vegetarian friend’s place. This inspired me to borrow some vegetarian cookbooks from the library and experiment in my own kitchen.

Make yourself sick of the stuff
As a last resort you could always do what I did - why not try eating so much meat in a short space of time that you make yourself so sick that you never want to touch or go near it again?

Believe me it works.

I used to think vegetarians and vegans were all crazy. I mean, who on earth would pass up eating a juicy steak or a crispy chicken wing?

Someone who knows their facts, that’s who.

It turns out that simply by eating less red meat, we can save a lot of greenhouse gases. Going completely vegan can save more greenhouse gases than using a hybrid electric car. The reason is livestock belch out methane and nitrous oxide (both potent greenhouse gases). Large quantities of energy are also required for food processing, to grow feed crops, etc.

Sustainabilty consultant and creator of a greenhouse gas calculator, Ben Rose, worked out the amount of carbon dioxide (Kg) that is emitted per kilogram of food below.

• Fresh local fruit and vegetables - 0.6 Kg
• Dried fruit and nuts - 2.4 Kg
• Chicken - 3.5 Kg
• Beef and Cheeses - 12.0 Kg

What impact does the simple cheeseburger have on the planet? Jamais Cascio (co-founder of www.worldchanging.com) calculated that every time you buy a cheeseburger from a fast food outlet you are emitting anywhere between 3.6 Kg and 6.1 Kg of CO2. This is due to all the processes that were involved to get the burger in front of you (clearing the land for the cattle, growing the feed for the cattle, storing and transporting the components as well as cooking and packaging). In America, the greenhouse gas emissions arising every year from the production and consumption of cheeseburgers is roughly the amount emitted by 13 million SUVs (Sport Utility Vehicle). Cascio’s calculations show us that every action we take (even the smallest ones) can have unexpectedly profound consequences.

Do I still think vegetarians and vegans are all crazy? No way. I have newfound respect for vegetarians and vegans, and am inspired by the way they tread lightly on our precious planet.