Meatless Mondays: "less meat, less heat!"

Do you want to make a difference but aren't sure where to begin? Consider participating in meatless Mondays! Meatless Mondays are a great way to begin incorporating plant-based meals into your diet, while also showing a little love to our planet. Even a small reduction in meat consumption one day a week can prove to be extremely beneficial for the planet and your health.

What are meatless Mondays?

• Meatless Monday is a movement that encourages people to reduce their meat consumption one day a week for their personal health and the health of our planet.
• By starting each week with meatless Monday, the founders claim that people will be more likely to eat more plant-based foods throughout the week.

Why are meatless Mondays important for the environment?

• The meat industry uses large amounts of fossil fuels, water and grain to feed livestock. Eating less meat would reduce the need for and use of these resources. Especially in the U.S., where we consume more animal products than the rest of the world.
• About 1,850 gallons of water are needed to produce a single pound of beef, compared to 39 gallons of water per pound of vegetables. A vegetarian diet alone could dramatically reduce water consumption by 58% per person!
• Meat production is a major contributor to greenhouse gas emissions, which is tied to climate change.
• Some benefits of eating plant-based once a week include:
• Saving 133 gallons of water with each meatless meal.
• Reducing your carbon footprint by eight pounds each meatless Monday you participate in.
• Committing to meatless Monday each week equates to the same reduction of emissions as cutting out 348 miles of driving.

The significance of eating plant-based food for personal health

• Reduce your risk of:

  • Heart disease, stroke and obesity. Eating fruits and vegetables helps your body fight cardiovascular disease.
  • Cancer. Eating red and/or processed meat increases your risk of colorectal cancer.
  • Diabetes. Adding more greens to your diet helps aid in maintaining a healthy weight, which is a key factor in preventing type 2 diabetes. 
  • Swapping even a small amount of meat everyday with a plant protein can significantly decrease the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

Other benefits associated with meatless Mondays

• Buying less meat at the grocery store each week can save money.
• If all Americans participated, it would prevent billions of animals from being farmed in factories.