Meatless Mondays

Tips on how to Start Meatless Mondays this Fall:

For the past decade, there has been a growing trend of eating more plant-based diets due to many health and environmental concerns. One way to slowly incorporate this into your life this Fall would be by adding Meatless Mondays to your diet.

The logic behind Meatless Mondays:

In 2003, Sid Lerner started the movement as a way to encourage less meat-eating and more plant-based alternatives in the average diet. He chose Monday since research shows that is the day people are most likely to make a positive change in their lives. The driving factor for this movement would be many environmental and health concerns regarding the raising and consumption of livestock.

Environmental Concerns:

Raising livestock is the number one contributor to major deforestation around the world, specifically the Amazon rainforest, where since 1960, 600,000 kilometers of rainforest have been destroyed for ranching purposes.
Taking into account all stages of production, two pounds of beef requires about 40 times more water compared to the same amount of vegetables. To put it into perspective, giving up one pound of beef in a year saves as much water as not showering for six months.
Nearly 15% of all global greenhouse gas emissions come from the production of meat, dairy, and eggs. Livestock production produces more greenhouse emissions than the world’s entire transportation sector (cars, trucks, planes, etc..) combined.

Health Concerns:

Eating less meat and more plant-based foods such as vegetables, beans, and nuts, may improve heart health and reduce the risk of heart disease.
Reducing meat intake also has been shown to reduce the chances of getting Type-2 Diabetes.
Substituting plant-based foods for meat may facilitate weight loss and maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

5 Tips for a successful Meatless Monday:

Plan ahead – As we all know, time flies when you’re busy and Monday will be here before you know it, which is why it is imperative to plan your Meatless Monday meals ahead of time. Make sure to write down the meals you’re going to have and the required ingredients so when the time comes, you’re prepared. If planning is ever out of the question, then the easiest way to maintain a healthy diet and stick to meatless Mondays would be to pick up any of our delicious plant-based soups shown below!
Use veggies with different textures – Incorporate many different vegetables with varying textures into your meals to make it more interesting and give more of a meaty mouthfeel.
Experiment with other ethnic cuisines - The American diet focuses heavily on meat consumption. Other cultures such as China, Thailand, and Greece’s main dish do not even include meat in it. By experimenting with different cuisines, chances are you’ll be exposed to a variety of spices and seasonings that bring extra flavor to your meal, without meat.
Slow Cook – Slow cookers can take the intimidation away from Meatless Mondays because of how easy they are to use and require little supervision. All it takes for a great meal are some veggies and some plant-based protein, such as beans or lentils, thrown into a pot, and set to cook. Use our Lucky Bones vegetable broth when making homemade vegetable noodle soup for a tasty and protein-packed base.
Use Mushrooms – in the culinary world, mushrooms are adored due to their umami flavor and dense meaty texture. Don’t be afraid to use mushrooms as often as possible since they’re packed with flavor and give the same hearty texture that meat has which is great for beginners on meatless Mondays.

One spoonful at a time,

Mark