If you want to eat meat without damaging the planet, scientists say you should stick to about 255 grams of poultry or pork per week — roughly the amount in two small chicken breasts.
That’s the finding of a new study by researchers from DTU (Technical University of Denmark), recently published in Nature Food.
The research shows that even small amounts of red meat, like beef or lamb, are too much for the environment.
Caroline H. Gebara, a postdoctoral researcher at DTU Sustain and lead author of the study, explains that their calculations prove diets with moderate red meat consumption exceed the earth’s capacity to regenerate resources.
However, there are still many healthy, sustainable diets that include some meat, as long as it’s mainly poultry or pork and not beef.
The study’s first goal was to see if it’s even possible to feed the world’s entire population in a way that stays within planetary limits for resources like land, water, and carbon emissions.
The answer is yes — but it would require big changes both at the global policy level and in people’s everyday food choices.
One major aim was to give people clear, concrete numbers they can actually picture when shopping or planning meals.
Gebara points out that while many people know they should “eat less meat,” it’s hard to know exactly how much is too much.
Now, with the figure of 255 grams per week, consumers have a real number to guide their choices. For example, in Danish supermarkets, a typical pack of two chicken breasts weighs about 280 grams, which is just a little over the recommended weekly amount.
Importantly, the study doesn’t suggest you must become vegan to be sustainable. Diets with dairy, eggs, fish, and white meat can also be environmentally friendly, depending on how much and what types of food are included overall.
The team analyzed over 100,000 diet variations and calculated their environmental and health impacts. Their findings clearly show that even modest beef consumption pushes us over planetary boundaries, while pescetarian, vegetarian, or vegan diets are much more likely to stay within safe limits.
Gebara hopes the research helps people understand that sustainable eating isn’t about strict rules or giving up everything they enjoy. It’s about balance — knowing that you can still have cheese, eggs, fish, or some white meat and maintain a healthy, climate-friendly diet, as long as the rest of your choices are mindful.
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