What is Meatless Monday?
Meatless Mondays are the latest phenomenon to hit the US. What is Meatless Monday? It is exactly what it sounds like: Mondays without any meat consumption!
Participants vow to remove meat from their diet for a full twenty-four hours. Benefits are health-related, economical, ecological, and more. Don’t believe us? Read on for more!
Why Should I participate in Meatless Mondays?
If you’re skeptical as to how and why Meatless Mondays are beneficial, you’re not alone. Before you write it off, let us share with you the advantages of practicing Meatless Mondays!
Health Benefits of Meatless Mondays
Thanks to the information from www.meatlessmondays.com, we know that on average, Americans consume eight ounces of meat every day. And do you know what? That is forty-five percent more than what the USDA recommends! In other words, we’re eating too much meat for our own good. By cutting meat just one day per week, those numbers go down, evening out our weekly meat consumption to something our bodies can better handle. At the same time, it reduces your risk of heart disease, diabetes, certain cancers, and other chronic preventable diseases.
Environmental Benefits of Meatless Mondays
You might be thinking, how can Meatless Mondays help the environment? Simple. Less meat demand means less need for cattle, livestock and other animals. Less livestock means less need for deforestation of rainforests and wetlands to make room for grazing. Less livestock also means less need for manmade greenhouses to produce feed. Did you know that the meat industry is responsible for almost one-fifth of manmade greenhouse gas emissions? Also, approximately 1,800 to 2,500 gallons of water are needed for just one pound of meat. Less livestock means less water consumption, too. Phew, that’s a lot of consumption for something as seemingly harmless as a steak dinner. Want more facts? Visit www.meatlessmondays.com.
Economic Benefits of Meatless Mondays
It’s no secret that when perusing through the grocery stores aisles, pastas are usually less expensive than pork chops. The same thing goes for green beans and ground beef. On average, meatless entrees cost less than meat-featured entrees. Of course, these are all short-term cost savings. However, in the long run, Meatless Mondays can cost less, too. How, you ask? It has been reported that seventy-percent of our healthcare spending is used to treat chronic preventable diseases. These same chronic preventable diseases are linked to over-consuming meat products, among other things. If we reduce this risk, we spend less in healthcare nationwide.
What Can I Eat on Meatless Mondays?
Food service establishments around the world have delicious, vegetarian-inspired cuisine, and it seems the more time goes on, the more meatless options we find. For example, we have an array of meatless options, such as vegetable fajitas, tortellini with butternut squash, mushrooms & three cheeses and penne primavera alfredo.
Where Can I Find More Information on Meatless Mondays?
For any more information on the ever-increasing trend of Meatless Mondays, all you have to do is visit www.meatlessmondays.com. Plus, they have even more great stats and figures on the benefits of trimming the meat in your diet.
