Millennials, now the world’s largest generation, are changing what’s on our plates.





In a recent NPR article , commentator Bonny Wolf discussed this shift in American diets. She explained how this younger generation is eating fewer animal products and more whole plants out of concern for health and the environment. In turn, this dietary trend creates less greenhouse gas and food waste. “Vegetables have moved from the side to the center of the plate. And as another year begins, it appears that plants are the new meat,” Wolf states.





Food waste is a major concern for millennials. To combat it, they’re even using vegetable scraps in their recipes. Declaring “feed people not landfills,” the USDA and the EPA aim to reduce food waste by 50 percent by 2030.





Additionally, the United Nations has dubbed 2016 the International Year of Pulses, bringing awareness to the nutritional and environmental benefits of dried beans and seeds. Millennials are embracing the idea by cooking with plant-based proteins like chickpeas and lentils.





This shift is great not only for the planet and human health, but also for animals. With less of the population consuming meat, dairy, and eggs, more animals will be spared lives of suffering on factory farms



