What foods create the most & least greenhouse gas emissions?

Beef damages the planet more than any other food. A single 3-ounce beef patty produces nearly 5 pounds’ worth of greenhouse gas emissions (in carbon dioxide equivalents), according to the Environmental Database compiled by the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. A top sirloin produces roughly 4 pounds of greenhouse gas emissions, but that’s for just a 3 oz. serving. At many restaurants, a sirloin steak ranges from 6 to 12 oz. so it produces roughly 8 to 16 pounds of CO2 equivalents.

Beef is more damaging than pork, chicken, and turkey, which create about 1 pound of greenhouse gas emissions per 3 oz. serving. Seafood varies from tilapia (3.57) to clams or oysters (0.52) per serving. Most dairy foods create roughly 0.5 pounds of greenhouse gas emissions per serving.

In contrast, most plant-based foods—like vegetables, fruits, beans, nuts, and grains—range from 0.41 to 0.01 pounds of greenhouse gas emissions per serving. Exception: Juices (1 cup) range from 3.49 (cranberry) to 0.09 (prune).

To see emissions for roughly 120 foods, check out the charts below.