Meatless Monday: What, Why and How

“Give peas a chance!” Isn’t this photo just too perfect?  The Meatless Monday initiative began in 2003 in association with the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.  It is part of The Monday Campaigns, which is a global movement that dedicates the first day of every week to focusing on our health.  Here’s a quick overview of WHAT exactly Meatless Monday is all about…

Meatless Monday is the idea of committing to eating totally meat-free meals every Monday.  I like the idea of choosing one day per week to eat meatless and it makes sense that Monday would be that day… Meatless Monday…I get it.  It’s an easy way to remember your meat-free day.  Research also shows that Monday, a fresh start to the week, is the day we’re most likely to think about our health.

In the daily craziness that is life, however, sometimes I completely forget about my commitment and Monday isn’t meatless! So in my own head, I like to think of this initiative as “Meatless Oneday.” And when I say “Meatless Oneday,” I don’t mean…”yea, we’ll eat meatless one of these days.”  I’m committing to ONE meat-free day, whatever day of the week that may be.

In any case, here are a few reasons WHY I think everyone should try cooking and eating meatless at least one day per week…

It Saves You Money

Think about what you’ll likely be cooking when you eat meatless…fruit, vegetables, legumes, grains, maybe even tofu… all of which are much less expensive than purchasing meat.

It’s Healthier for You

One of the most influential authors in the “real food” industry is Michael Pollan. His book (and now documentary movie) In Defense of Food highlights, among many other things, the importance of eating a mostly plant-based diet.  According to Pollan, “Four of the top ten causes of death today are chronic diseases with well-established links to diet: coronary heart disease, diabetes, stroke and cancer.”  Yikes.  Plant-based diets are CONSISTENTLY linked to lower rates of obesity, cholesterol, blood pressure, and diabetes.  Another interesting fact: “In countries where people eat a pound or more of fruits and vegetables a day, the rate of cancer is half what it is in the U.S.” To think that small, simple changes in our diet, like replacing meat with vegetables, can have such a huge affect on our overall health.

It Saves Animals from Factory Farming

If you’ve seen the documentary Food, Inc. (which if you haven’t, you absolutely should), you know about the terrible conditions in which animals live on factory farms.  You can’t unlearn what you learn from this film and it will likely change the way you shop for meat from now on.  According to several sources, if everyone ate meatless for one day every week, approximately 1.4 billion animals would be saved from factory farms. 1.4 BILLION.  That’s right, BILLION.

It reduces your carbon footprint

The vast amount of meat that we eat in this country and across the world is costing us in many ways, including environmentally.  The corn that it takes to feed the animals we eat, the water that it takes to grow the corn, the machinery it takes to plant and harvest the corn, the pesticides and chemical fertilizers that it takes to “protect” the corn…the sum of these parts equals a large carbon footprint.  Get this…

So, HOW do I start?

Commit to eating meatless at least one day per week…that’s it.  Pasta dishes, stir fry, soups and salads are great for a main dish and easy to make meat-free.  Or you could try substituting beans, tofu or vegetables in recipes that typically call for meat.

For my part, I will try to post as many meatless meals as I can!  For starters, try this Roasted Garlic Cauliflower Pasta or Slow Cooker Vegetarian Lentil Curry (Em’s new favorite!).

And what about those days when we do eat meat? On those days, “choose meat and dairy products that come from organic, pasture-raised, grass-fed animals. It may cost more, but when you buy less meat overall, you can afford to go healthier and greener.” (Environmental Working Group).  As time goes on, the more consumers demand organic, pasture-raised, grass-fed meat and dairy products, the more farmers will supply such products…and the cost will eventually go down.

You can learn more about Meatless Monday by visiting www.meatlessmonday.com and sign the pledge to eat Meatless Monday (or Oneday)!