London, Jan 23 : German officials have told their countrymen to avoid their traditional meat-heavy diet of schnitzel and bratwurst and opt for a lighter Mediterranean diet in order to help the planet.

The German's are famous for their consumption of animal products, but now the country''s federal environmental agency has ordered them to eat meat only on special occasions.

As per the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation, meat production is responsible for as much as one fifth of greenhouse gas emissions worldwide, and that by 2050, meat production is expected to reach 456 million tonnes, almost double that of 2001.

"I recommend a return to Sunday roasts and an orientation on Mediterranean eating habits," the Telegraph quoted Andreas Troge, the head of the federal environmental agency UBA, as telling Berliner Zeitung.

He added that a reduction in meat consumption would also yield health benefits.

Scientists recently advised environmentally aware consumers to go without meat for at least two days a week in an effort to help the planet. (ANI)