Your parents probably said it to you as a kid: “if you want to live long, you gotta eat your veggies!” But current research shows their words carried more weight than they may have realized.

A recent study conducted by researchers at Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital concluded that replacing between 15g and 19g of animal protein (say, a sausage or a few slices of bacon) with plant protein such as nuts, legumes, or whole grains, can significantly increase your life chances.

You heard me! The study followed a serious sample for a long period of time: 13,000+ people over 36 years, monitoring their diet, lifestyle, illness, and mortality.

The results were clear: a high intake of protein from animal sources was associated with a higher mortality rate, and replacing animal protein with plant protein was associated with lower mortality.

If you like numbers: 10% higher intake of meat = 2% higher mortality rate + 8% higher chance of cardiovascular death.

Our animal protein intake has certainly increased over the past few decades, replacing healthier vegan protein. This is clear when you think about how we plan meals by choosing what will go with the meat or fish, rather than the other way around. And let’s not forget that “animal protein” means eggs and dairy too. Believe it or not, the study showed that substituting eggs for plant protein led to a 19% reduction in death risk!

So, why not plan your meals by first choosing which vegetables and whole grains will make the base of your meal and only then decide if you need to add animal protein? If your meal already consists of vegetables or whole grains such as rice or buckwheat, then you can add tofu or legumes as a side dish to obtain the ideal vegan protein balance.

We are so accustomed to associating “protein” with meat, chicken, fish, dairy and eggs, that we completely overlook the fact that the greatest sources of protein might actually not be animal-based at all!

Buckwheat, for example, is a complete protein, containing all the essential amino acids – a rarity in nature. Combined with your favorite vegetables and a serving of lentils, it makes for a perfectly balanced meal – and a gloriously longer life!

Less meat, more life – anyone?