Maggie Baird Says 'Everyone Can Try' Just One Plant-Based Meal Per Day

Maggie Baird has said that “everyone can try” at least one plant-based meal per day.

In a recent appearance on CBS Mornings, Baird – an actor, songwriter, and founder of the nonprofit Support + Feed – talked about the role of plant-based food in fighting climate change and food insecurity. The program aired during Climate Week NYC.

Baird and her two children, Billie Eilish and Finneas O’Connell, launched Support + Feed in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. The nonprofit specifically advocates for wider access to affordable and healthy plant-based food, which supports its dual mission of food system change and climate mitigation.

Speaking to CBS’s Gayle King and Tony Dokoupil, Baird said, “When we started, it was really COVID, and we thought it was a crisis operation. We just wanted to really feed people, but of course, we wanted to feed them food that was the healthiest food for them, and we wanted to make our food climate-friendly because why not, right?”-

‘Animal agriculture is the largest contributor to habitat loss’

“The reason plant-based food is so climate-friendly is: animal agriculture is the largest contributor to habitat loss, it is one of the largest contributors to the climate crisis, and so we it was sort of just a given for us that if we were going to feed people who we food insecure we would make those meals as healthy and climate-friendly as possible,” said Baird.

After realizing that people were not making the connection between plant-based food, health, and the environment, Baird said that Support + Feed became a “full nonprofit,” adding education, cooking classes, and information to support the public.

‘It really makes a difference when we all do it’

Photo shows Darrell Sawczuk of Plant Based News and Support + Feed standing in front of a large billboard advocating for one plant-based meal per day — Darrell Sawczuk The Support + Feed pledge calls on people to eat one plant-based meal per day for 30 days

Speaking to CBS, Baird said that ingredients like “fruits and vegetables, beans and grains” are generally some of the least expensive foods, but added that access to whole foods – and the knowledge to prepare and cook them – needs to be emphasized in order to increase wider uptake.

Baird also explained the Support + Feed pledge, which calls on people to eat one plant-based meal per day for 30 days. Those who sign up to the pledge receive recipes, tips from experts, and various other resources to help get people started.

“We are so fortunate to be able to be at Billie’s shows, and many musicians’ shows, [such as] Finneas. We’ve been at Coldplay and Paramore and Metallica, asking people to take out Support + Feed pledge,” said Baird. “If 10,000 people, for example, at an arena do that, that is 7 million gallons of water saved. That’s just the water. And that’s just one plant-based meal per day. I think everyone can sort of try that. I know it’s not actually easy for everyone to even do one meal, but if you just start there, it really makes a difference when we all do it.”