Letter: Plant-based diet is healthy and an inflation antidote | Letters to the editor

The meat price increases predicted by U.S. Department of Agriculture Economic Research Service is 15% for red meat and 11% for fish and eggs. That’s way over the predicted 8% inflation rate, already the highest in four decades.

The obvious solution, recommended by many nutritionists, is fresh vegetables. They contain all the nutrients required for healthy living and no saturated fats, cholesterol, hormones or antibiotics loaded in animal products. They do contain complex carbohydrates, fiber and essential vitamins and minerals. They offer vastly reduced risk of contracting heart disease, stroke, some cancers, diabetes, and obesity. Plus, fresh vegetables prices have an inflation rate closer to 4.3%.

A University of Michigan research report found that replacing 50% of animal products with plant-based foods would prevent more than 1.6 billion tons of greenhouse gasses by 2030, which is President Joe Biden’s target year for a 50% reduction in emissions.

In an environmentally sustainable world, I think we need to replace meat and other animal products with vegetables, fruits, and grains, just as we should replace fossil fuels with wind, solar, and other renewable energy sources.

This outrageous meat price increase may be our blessing in disguise.

Shem Pinter • St. Louis