WWF Switzerland was encouraging us all to have a vegetarian lunch today, and while they didn’t catch some of us on time, their reminder that meat should be the exception, not the rule for meals, will come with me to the supermarket as I buy tonight’s dinner supplies.

If you eat meat in moderation six times a week you’ll reduce by 10 percent on your global environmental footprint, because meat consumption is linked to one-third of our food imprint, says the WWF. Better yet, cut down to three times a week, if you don’t fancy being a vegetarian, and you’ll reduce your food footprint by 20 percent.

A couple suggestions from WWF: avoid breaded veal and buy plain bio veal for a better impact on soil, water and climate use. Pork chops: buy bio pork, just for special occasions.

20 sensible environmental food tips from WWF

1. Select vegetarian recipes and use in-season products
2. Choose fruits and vegetables grown in fields, not hot houses
3. Grow your own vegetables, on your balcony or in your garden
4. Reduce your consumption of meal, poultry, fish, seafood and milk products
5. To reduce your environmental footprint by 20 percent, cut back meat products to three times a week.

Food shopping

1. Buy field fruits and vegetables
2. Go for local products
3. Opt for bio meats
4. Buy only fish labelled MSC or bio fish
5. Buy fair trade products
6. Don’t buy frozen foods
7. Give up convenience foods
8. Avoid produts that use too much packaging
9. Do your shopping by bicycle or on foot
10. Shop close to home and avoid driving to distant shopping centres
11. Re-use your shopping bags
12. Only buy the quantity you need

Preparing food

1. Cook using covers as often as possible
2. Heat cooking water in a kettle and use a pressure cooker as much as possible
3. Use tap rather than bottled water.