Meatless Monday

 An extraordinary  movement - "Meatless Monday" - is gaining momentum and press at astounding rates.  The practice, which involves avoiding all meat-based products one day per week,  is being promoted by the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health with the goal of reducing individual meat consumption by 15% simply by eliminating it from our diets one day per week.  The introduction of the concept can be traced back way before our time, however, as Presidents Wilson, Truman, and Roosevelt all suggested the novel concept of meatless days during the world wars and the Great Depression.  (I can only picture my Great Grandmother's face, filled with shock and horror at the thought of a day without meat, and imagine it was followed with something like, "Whatdoya meanna no meat? How you gonna grow without meat, eh?")
  The "Meatless Mondays" website has a plethora of information about the theories behind lowered consumption of meat, both financial and nutritional.   Here are some of the take-home points behind the practice:

 - The United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization estimates the meat industry generates nearly one-fifth of the man-made greenhouse gas emissions that are accelerating climate change worldwide . . . far more than transportation.  And annual worldwide demand for meat continues to grow. Reining in meat consumption once a week can help slow this trend. (1)
-  The water needs of livestock are tremendous, far above those of vegetables or grains. An estimated 1,800 to 2,500 gallons of water go into a single pound of beef.  Soy tofu produced in California requires 220 gallons of water per pound.(1)  I would also add that the production of meat puts our water supply in an extreme state of contamination and stress, which then needs to be dealt with.  This is due to fecal contamination and run-off from factory farms, and is highly difficult to control given the amount of meat produced in this country daily.
-  On average, about 40 calories of fossil fuel energy go into every calorie of feed lot beef in the U.S. Compare this to the 2.2 calories of fossil fuel energy needed to produce one calorie of plant-based protein.  Moderating meat consumption is a great way to cut fossil fuel demand. (1)
-  A diet higher in plant-based foods will mean more fiber and less saturated fat, which are both key components of prevention of heart disease, colon cancer, and other disease.  It is estimated that most Americans get only half of the recommended daily amounts of dietary fiber.  Making a small change one day of the week may help fill this gap, put things in perspective, and encourage you to continue adding plant-based foods to your meals the rest of the week.
- Animals will be saved. Whether you are an animal rights activist or not, I think we can all agree that meat consumption in this country has one from a privilege for special occasions to a commonplace notion that is taken for granted in a matter of half a century. It is estimated that approximately 24 million chickens are killed for food per day in this country.   Imagine how many could be saved if we practiced Meatless Mondays?  And, given the previous statistic that over 2000 gallons of water is consumed per pound of meat - well, you do the math.  Lots of water per chicken, pig, or cow could be saved.


Perhaps the most helpful section of the website for those who fear that meals without meat will be limited or flavorless is the recipe section of the website.  Another one of my favorite sites for vegetarian recipes is VegCooking.


I would encourage each of you to check out the site and consider giving Meatless Mondays a try for your own health and the health of our planet.


(1)Source: http://www.meatlessmonday.com/