The concept isn't a new one. It became popular during World War I and II when the U.S. Food Administration urged families to reduce consumption of meat to aid the war effort. At this time, more than 13 million families signed a pledge to observe the national meatless conservation day. The idea of Meatless Monday was then revived in 2003 as a non-profit initiative of the Mondays Campaign, in association with the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health Center for a Livable Future and is active in 36 countries! (Source)
Salad by by Susan Lucas Hoffman flickr
Go Vegetarian Once a Week for a BIG Impact!
What we eat can have a huge impact on the environment. The impacts of meat production include, deforestation, air and water pollution, and greenhouse gas emissions.
So, what's the solution for those of us who just can’t go 100% meat-free? Meatless Mondays!
Every Monday opt for a vegetarian choice over the normal chicken or beef. There are endless possibilities, and it's an easy and delicious step to reduce your carbon footprint. Meatless Monday is also a great opportunity to educate yourself a little more about your food, how it's processed, and the impacts it has on the environment around it.
Grilled veggies by liz west flickr
By not eating meat for just one day, you’ll save a surprising amount of greenhouse gases. The Earth Day Network estimates that eating one less burger a week is equivalent to taking your car off the road for 320 miles. What’s more, they estimate that not eating meat or cheese one day a week is equivalent to taking your car off the road for five weeks. We weren’t kidding when we said little steps can make big changes!
To get you started, we’ve included 3 recipes—Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner—for your first Meatless Monday, sourced from the Meatless Monday website! For more great ideas, check out the Meatless Monday Recipe section for recipes and online cookbooks to guide you through your Mondays,
- Breakfast: Bell Pepper Breakfast Burrito
- Lunch: Summer Corn Wheat Berry Salad
- Dinner: Rainbow Veggie Pizza
If you’re already doing Meatless Monday, or just want to push yourself further, there are lots of ways to keep up the momentum. Instead of going meatless once a week, trying eating vegetarian two or three times a week. You could also go a step further and start doing Meatless and Milkless Mondays, or days when you eat totally vegan. You can even get others in on the fun and challenge your friends, family, or coworkers to join you. The possibilities are endless! At the end of the day, however you choose to participate, you can know that your dinner choice is making a difference, one bite at a time.
- Meatless Monday website
- The Humane Society's Toolkit for Meatless Monday
- Pledge to Make Every Monday a Meatless Monday
Veggie Burger by Copa41, flickr
