For most of human history, people around the world have eaten mostly plant-based diets — not always out of choice, sometimes out of necessity. Before industrial agriculture, meat was a rare luxury, reserved for celebrations or the wealthy few. Even in Europe and North America, where meat is now central to nearly every meal, most rural families once relied on grains, legumes, and vegetables as their daily staples. From medieval peasants to early settlers, the world’s plates were filled not with steak, but with barley soups, lentil stews, and foraged greens.

What this tells us is that every region and culture holds a deep, often forgotten, vegetarian heritage — a living foodscape waiting to be rediscovered by plant-based travelers. Across India, the sacred art of cooking with pulses, roots, and spices stretches back thousands of years. In Ethiopia, injera with lentil-based shiro wat forms the heart of communal meals. In Poland, krokiet, savory crepes stuffed with sauerkraut and mushrooms. In the Mediterranean, Greek fasolada and Italian ribollita have nourished generations on simple beans and seasonal vegetables. West African stews rich with peanuts and greens, or Japan’s Buddhist shōjin ryōri temple cuisine, all reveal a shared global language of nourishment rooted in plants. These foods tell stories of resilience, resourcefulness, and reverence for life.

The big secret about vegan travel is this: it doesn’t just connect you to culture — it lightens your footprint on the planet. Studies show that a plant-based diet can cut food-related carbon emissions by up to 70%, and that one year of eating vegan can offset the emissions of a long-haul flight. Even a single month without meat can make a measurable dent in your carbon footprint. That’s why at Expedition Ahimsa, we invite all our participants to explore a plant-based diet during our journeys — a small but powerful step toward making our adventures gentler on the Earth we set out to discover.

Here are ten peer-reviewed academic (or scientific) sources with full bibliographic details that address the climate and environmental benefits of plant-based diets (or diets with large plant-based components). Many also address human health co-benefits.