Want to eat more plant-based meals? Baird has some ideas

Maggie Baird says her vegan cinnamon rolls are a family favourite - including to her children, who happen to be the world-famous musicians Billie Eilish and Finneas.

- Melina Walling, The Associated Press

Billie Eilish

Growing up, Baird stopped eating meat in part because she felt connected to animals. Her commitment grew as she learned about the environmental impact of animal agriculture. And her mother died of a heart attack at 57 - one of many in her family to die of heart disease.

"I always say I have the trifecta of reasons" for foregoing meat, said Baird, who in 2020 founded Support + Feed, a nonprofit that advocates for a more climate-friendly food system and provides plant-based meals to people in need.

That connection between what's healthy for people and the planet dominates the latest EAT-Lancet Commission report, an updated version of the 2019 analysis produced by leading food researchers from around the world. Besides detailing the food system's contribution to climate change, it outlines the most current version of a "planetary health diet," which emphasises fruits, vegetables, grains, legumes and nuts and encourages people, particularly in high-income countries, to reduce their intake of animal products, especially red meat.