I’m not a perfect role model for a healthy or sustainable diet.

I know I should eat more fruits and veggies and less red meat. Once, a climate team colleague reporting on the massive greenhouse emissions that come from beef emphatically told me: “Cows are the coal of food.”

But it’s been hard to put that knowledge into practice. My brain and stomach are wired to expect meat and a side in every meal. I still make my grandmother’s picadillo recipe and my mom’s meatballs. And I have to confess: While thinking about all those beef emissions while reporting this column, I caved in to an irresistible craving for a hamburger.