Ice cream, sushi, cheesecake, steak — these are a few of my favorite foods. Meat and dairy don’t make up a huge part of my diet, but I would be lying if I said going vegan would be easy for me. Unfortunately for me, some of my most favorite foods are also the ones destroying the planet.

Whether we like it or not, the agriculture industry takes a huge toll on our planet, and nothing more so than meat or dairy. Besides taking up a vast chunk of the planet’s usable land, the agriculture industry poses a risk to the world’s freshwater supply, air quality and overall climate.

Luckily, all it takes is a little bit less meat and dairy in our diets to make a huge difference. If the entire country stopped eating meat or cheese just once a week, it would reduce emissions equivalent to taking 7.6 million cars off the road. Eating one less burger a week for a year would reduce emissions the same as driving 320 less miles per year.

Not only that, but eating less meat is actually beneficial to your health, especially here in America, where we consume some of the highest amounts of meat in the world. Cutting out meat for just one day a week could save the planet and your heart health.

No one is asking you to go vegan or even vegetarian. But reducing your meat and dairy consumption by a small amount once a week is not too much to ask. If everyone did it, it would have a huge impact on the planet. And even if you were the only one who made the switch, trust me, your cardiovascular health will thank you. 

This holiday season, consider making a small change in your diet, one that can benefit both you and the whole planet. Cut dairy out for one day, or give up burgers for a month. You might be surprised by the results.