Refreshing Green Lentil Tacos

and more on Diet and Environment. 😊

Howdy, everyone! Hope you enjoyed yesterday’s Super Food Pesto recipe as much as I did! Today, we are jumping into Latin American flavors with Refreshing Green Lentil Tacos.

I used to make beef tacos a lot, but post-Cowspiracy Kylie made some pretty drastic changes in her diet. Here I was thinking I was a top-notch environmentalist by bringing reusable bags to the grocery, having a reusable K-cup, reusable “cling wrap”, and more.

But what I wasn’t prepared for when I hit play on “Cowspiracy” was the truth that no matter how much effort I put forth for the environment, if I continued to eat meat consistently, my carbon footprint, contribution to habitat loss, waste of fresh water, etc. would only continue to skyrocket.

*Now, obviously, I still make these efforts and applaud all my green-minded friends who make these efforts. Any step you take, small or large, has a positive ripple effect.

But do be prepared. The following are just some of endless facts from Cowspiracy that made me squirm in my seat the day I learned them. For all the facts, and the various, academic studies they come from, I highly recommend scrolling through this page: http://www.cowspiracy.com/facts/

(It’s always good to know where our facts come from).

In the meantime, here is the Cliff Notes version of what jumped out to me.

Animal agriculture is the leading cause of countless environmental issues: consumption of fresh water, deforestation, species extinction, greenhouse gas emissions, and more.

I always thought that cars, boats, trains, airplanes, and all these other forms of transportation were the root cause of greenhouse gas emissions. Who wouldn’t? Turns out that animal agriculture emits more greenhouse gasses than the exhaust of every transportation sector combined.  

Additionally, it takes 2,400 gallons of water to make 1 lb of beef. That means you could shower about 140 times, and still use less water than you do on Taco Tuesday. In fact, it takes on average 4,200 gallons of water per day for a typical meat-eating diet . . . .245 showers!

How is it that we only hear about campaigns to fix leaky faucets, when really the issue lies in how much steak we’re eating?

Comparatively, it only takes 155 gallons for something such as 1 lb of wheat.

Think of how many people the meat industry sidelines in their need for fresh water because of our nation’s excessive want for meat. After all, animal agriculture consumes a whopping 80-90 percent of America’s water.

Not only that, but it broke my heart to hear that 1-2 acres of rainforest are cleared every second, with 90 percent of this clearing to make more room for livestock. By some estimates, this excessive habitat loss could cause the worst mass species extinction in millions of years.  

Here I was buying Endangered Species dark chocolate with my college meal points, feeling like a conservationist, yet frequenting the exact meals creating the demand for more farmland, less rainforest.

I felt the need to go back and delete every post I had every made about the environment! I felt silly on one hand saying I could never give up meat, and on the other, challenging people to sacrifice convenience when it came to their plastic usage.

Confronting these facts felt pretty hopeless. Until I saw the dim, yet growing light at the end of the tunnel.

Each day, someone on a vegan diet saves:

• 1,100 gallons of water
• 45 pounds of grain
• 30 sq ft of forested land
• 20 lbs of CO2 equivalent

I can actually make a difference, I thought! Phew! My efforts don’t have to be in vain.

Thus, the transition began.

Wanna save some thousand gallons of water on this next meal? Earth, yes! Coming at you with a sustainable taco recipe.

Refreshing Green Lentil Tacos

Time: 25 minutes

Serves: 2-3 people

What you’ll need:

¾ cup dry, green lentils

1/2 cup grape tomatoes, diced

½ large red onion, diced
½ cup of corn (fresh or canned; I used canned)

1 avocado

4-6 corn tortillas, depending on your appetite

1/4 cup cilantro (approximately . . . I love cilantro)
1 clove fresh garlic, minced

1 tbsp. olive oil

1 tsp. cumin

1 tsp. paprika

1 tsp. onion powder
Salt and pepper to taste

Lemon or lime, fresh or juice (optional)

What you’ll do:

1. Lightly salt and start boiling a small pot of water (approx. 2 cups
2. Dice ½ of the avocado; mash the other half to a smooth texture, adding a pinch of salt and lemon or lime juice for flavor; set aside
3. Boil the green lentils, stirring occasionally, for approximately 10 minutes. I like a bit of texture to the lentils.
4. While lentils boil, pour olive oil into a medium-sized pan; start cooking the red onion at medium- medium-high heat until onions start to become clear.
5. Add the tomatoes, corn, and seasonings (salt, cumin, paprika, onion powder)
6. Continue stirring and test for taste; feel free to add as your prefer
7. Add cilantro and stir
8. Eventually, stir in the cooked lentils
9. Optional: squeeze lemon or lime juice into the mix
10. Keep the mixture on a low heat while you warm the corn tortillas; use dry heat (no oil or steam) and a cast iron (or regular) pan. Throw corn tortillas on medium-high heat, using tongs to flip once they get a little color.
11. Coat 2-3 corn tortillas per plate with the mashed avocado mix; place mixture from pan on top; top tacos with diced avocado, tomato, onion, and more cilantro! Lime or lemon garnish or juice optional
12. Enjoy!

See you all on Monday for a mushroom stroganoff and more about this awesome transition I've made not just for myself and how it feels, but for the planet!