The Power of Plant Based Eating
As reported in our 2025 Indicators Report, “Local Food Actions for a Cooler Future,” food consumption is the third largest contributor to greenhouse gases – after transportation and heating and cooling our homes and buildings. For individuals, cities and organizations who are concerned about climate change, the resources below will help you take action.
Check back often as we add more resources. To submit a resource, email it to info@sustainablesanmateo.org.
Resources to Take Action
Recipes and Cooking
Goodeatings.com – A blog with nutritious, affordable and easy-to-follow plant-based recipes — from breakfasts to mains and desserts. The related YouTube channel features calm, visually appealing videos with practical cooking tips and meal prep ideas.
Japan: The Vegetarian Cookbook, by Nancy Singleton Hachisu
Eating for Tomorrow, a paid subscription providing personalized recipes, grocery lists, cooking videos and coaching.
Ten Weeks to Vegan, a weekly email series with guidance and motivation to eat more plant-based
Restaurants
HappyCow, an app to find vegan and vegetarian restaurants or restaurants with plant-based options
Twelvemonth, Burlingame
Falafelle, Belmont
Cuco’s Burritos, Redwood City. It has a vegan and vegetarian menu with many options
Challenges & Contests
Veganuary is an annual challenge where people go vegan for the month of January to promote the vegan lifestyle.
No Meat May Challenge for organizations.
Resources for Cities
Find these resources and more in the 2025 Indicators Report
- Plant-Based Treaty provides public education materials as well as resources for local governments, including training, model ordinances, 40 proposals and a playbook for senior care homes.
- The Good Food Purchasing Program offers a structured framework along with resources and technical support to help public institutions transition toward a values-based procurement model. Examples of Good Food Procurement Policy: City of Los Angeles, San Francisco School District resolution, City of Chicago resolution, Cook County resolution
- The Meat of the Matter: a Municipal Guide to Climate-Friendly Food Purchasing by the Friends of the Earth and cited in Berkeley’s resolution
- Climate-Friendly Diets: How Cities Can Cut Emissions and Improve Public Health by the Center on Environmental, Energy and Land Use Law at New York University School of Law
- A Toolkit for Incorporating Plant-Based Protein Measures in Municipal Climate Action Plans by ELI offering examples of measures to expand plant-based options; updated periodically
- Playbook for Guiding Diners Toward Plant-Rich Dishes in Food Service published by the World Resource Institute
- Greener by Default provides resources and support to institutions and businesses to make plant-based meals the default option.
- Center for Biological Diversity offers fact sheets, policy templates and advocacy toolkits and is developing a tool to help cities report food-related climate impacts.
- Meat-Free Monday Calculator measures water, land and GHG savings from reduced meat consumption and can be used to raise public awareness.