The Best Protein Choices and Worst for Your Health and the Environment

When it comes to your health and the environment, what are the best protein sources and which are the worst? The Environmental Working Group (EWG, ewg.org) offers a "Meat Eaters Guide," which looks at the environmental impact of 20 conventionally-grown protein sources, including beans, dairy, produce, meat and poultry. To determine the rankings EWG evaluated the carbon impact of the food's full "lifecycle"—including water and fertilizer used to grow crops, transportation and even the amount of food that's wasted. Why should you care? Your personal health and the environmental impact. The biggest take away: eat less meat and avoid wasting it. Read on for the list, starting with the best protein choice and building to the worst protein choice.

Check out the slideshow above to learn which proteins are best (and worst) for you and the world around you.

How to Bake with Whole-Wheat Flour
Why Grass-Fed Meats are Better for You