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WASHINGTON 鈥� Cleaning up the environment could be as easy as swapping your lunchtime burger for the occasional bowl of salad.

Cattle-rearing generates more greenhouse gas emissions than transportation, . And livestock, which uses 30 percent of the earth鈥檚 land surface, is a major contributor to land and water degradation.

There’s also the concern of water usage. Approximately 1,850 gallons of water are needed to produce a , compared to 39 gallons of water needed to produce a pound of vegetables.

That is why experts say scaling back the amount of meat you eat, even the slightest bit, can have a big impact on the health of the environment.

鈥淚f we all took a day or two break from eating meat during a seven-day week, we would remove what would be the impact of 7 million cars from the road,鈥� said Todd Gray, executive chef and co-owner of D.C. restaurant .

鈥淚 don鈥檛 think we understand the impact that we can have, environmentally speaking, by taming our diet down.鈥�

Recent movements such as Mark Bittman鈥檚 , Graham Hill鈥檚 and the campaign have pushed the 鈥渓ess meat鈥� lifestyle into the mainstream.

Between 2005 and 2014, Americans by 19 percent, The New York Times reports. But this doesn鈥檛 mean they bid farewell forever to their beloved filets.

鈥淲e sometimes think about meat consumption as though you鈥檙e either a vegan or you鈥檙e an omnivore, but there鈥檚 a whole choice of decisions that happen in between those identities,鈥� said Brian Kateman, president of The Reducetarian Foundation and editor of 鈥�.鈥�

鈥淢ore and more people are choosing to cut back on the amount of animal products that they consume and eat more fruits and vegetables and whole grains, and I think that鈥檚 in part because of different reasons.鈥�

In addition to environmental concerns, some of these reasons include health and wealth.

In 2015, the World Health Organization that processed meats, such as bacon, hot dogs and deli meat, could raise one鈥檚 risk of cancer. And research suggests diets packed with fruits, vegetables and whole grains reduce risks for heart disease, stroke, diabetes and obesity.

Cutting back on meat also helps to cut costs.

鈥淚t鈥檚 no secret that meat tends to be relatively expensive, particularly if you鈥檙e getting meat that鈥檚 high-quality and delicious, and so we鈥檙e seeing people who are interested in just saving money,鈥� Kateman said.

in the Journal of Hunger and Environmental Nutrition found that vegetarians saved $750 more a year than their meat-eating counterparts.

Gray, whose restaurant serves plenty of meat and fish options, but also offers a plant-based menu and a Sunday vegan brunch, says reducing your meat intake doesn鈥檛 mean you have to give up your favorite foods. Rather, it鈥檚 a mindshift 鈥� a change in the way one views protein on the plate.

鈥淲hat if we took a plate of pasta and we maybe laced or garnished it with meat, and it wasn鈥檛 so much where the meat was the center of the plate,鈥� he said.

Instead of cooking a large steak and serving it alongside a small salad, make the base of the meal vegetables and lay strips of grilled steak on top, Gray added. For lunch-on-the-go, pack a tomato and mozzarella sandwich on a fresh baguette, and for a flavorful and hearty dinner, try eggplant Parmesan.

鈥淚t鈥檚 got good melting cheese and it鈥檚 sort of meaty-like already,鈥� Gray said about the traditional Italian dish.

For those less inclined to cook, the food industry is making it easier than ever to transition into meat-free meals with better-tasting options for meat-alternative products. Hampton Creek鈥檚 plant-based mayonnaise and cookies are winning over taste buds nationwide, and companies such as Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods are making plant-based burgers that are designed to look, smell and even bleed like ground beef.

For that reason, the burgers appeal to very few vegetarians. Rather, they鈥檙e targeted toward omnivores looking to dial back their meat intake. 聽

鈥淲e don鈥檛 have to start going from barbecuing burgers that you love so much to becoming a vegan,鈥� Gray said. 鈥淥ne day, or several lunches a week, find some alternatives to eating meat a couple days a week and the impact it will have on our environment will make this even a better place to be for generations to come.鈥�

Kateman鈥檚 advice? Don鈥檛 get bogged down with labels. Eat what you like, but just make a conscious decision to occasionally eat less of it.

鈥淭he average person eats 275 pounds of meat a year, so even reducing that by 10 percent can have a big impact,鈥� he said.

鈥淭he hope is that if we all work together, if we all do our part in eating more fruits and vegetables and whole grains and other plant-based foods, we鈥檙e going to actually be successful in reducing societal consumption of animal products, and that鈥檚 going to make a huge difference for issues we care deeply about, like our health and climate change.鈥�

Todd Gray’s recipe for lemon-pistachio hummus聽

Ingredients:

• 2 cups of toasted pistachios
• 1 cup cooked white lentils
• 1 garlic clove
• 1 tsp. cumin
• 2 tbsp. lemon juice
• Salt and pepper to taste

Puree pistachios in a food processor. Add lentils, garlic, seasoning and lemon juice. Puree until smooth, adding water as necessary to create a creamy consistency. Transfer to a bowl and garnish with toasted chopped pistachios. Drizzle with good olive oil and dust with smoked paprika. Serve with veggies or chips of choice. Serves four to six people.

Todd Gray’s yellow tomato and pineapple gazpacho

Ingredients:

• 4 yellow tomatoes, quartered
• 1 yellow bell pepper; split, seeded and chopped
• 1 cut peeled pineapple
• 1 small clove garlic
• 1 half cucumber, peeled
• 1 shallot peeled and chopped
• 3 oz. sherry vinegar
• 3 oz. extra-virgin olive oil
• Salt and pepper and Tabasco (to taste)

Combine all ingredients in a high-speed blender and puree until liquefied.聽Pass through a small-holed china cap or pasta basket in order to keep tomato consistency. Adjust seasoning and keep chilled until ready to use.

For garnish:聽6 small red teardrop tomatoes, halved;聽6 small yellow teardrop tomatoes, halved ;聽录 cup shaved scallions; micro basil.聽

To serve:聽Chill six bowls. Place teardrop tomatoes, shaved scallions and basil into bowls. Pour chilled soup over garnish.