Why participate in meatless monday?
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A better question would be, “why not?” No one has ever gotten sick because they ate too many fruits and vegetables, but there are many diseases that come from having a diet heavy in meat. Species don’t become extinct when they’re easily regrown in the soil, so your food source is never going to run out. No one has ever warned you about the impact your salad is having on your carbon footprint. And let’s face it, not many of our moms told us, “You better eat all your meatloaf, or you’re not going to get dessert.”
The strongest motivation for many people to go meatless on Mondays is their physical health and the possibility that even just one meat free day a week can help your body live longer. This is not a marketing statement; it’s a fact. A recent study showed a 4% decrease in coronary disease and a 5% decrease in the risk of a stroke for every daily serving of fruits and veggies! Those numbers really add up when you go meatless all day long. Eating plant based foods also fills you up with less calories; therefore, you naturally lose more weight.
You may be thinking it would be easier to just increase your fruits and vegetables, but there are significant medical studies that have repetitively proven that processed and red meats are chronically unhealthy. By eating less or none of these meats you reduce your risk of cancer, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and obesity. Besides, are you really going to add in nine servings of fruits and vegetables on top of your normal diet?
The second strongest motivation for people to enjoy Meatless Monday and a few more meatless meals throughout the week is the little extra it leaves in the pocketbook. There’s really no argument that veggie enchiladas cost less when you omit the meat. Salads are usually the lowest priced meal on a menu, and carrot sticks are a cheaper snack than the $5 value meal on your way to soccer practice.
For those who are environmentally conscious, choosing to participate in Meatless Mondays is essential to protecting the world you live in. In a time of water restrictions and droughts, 24% of the world’s fresh water is needed to raise grain fed livestock for the food industry. Did you know 59% of land worldwide is used for livestock, either grazing or fields for their feed? As for the air you breathe, 51% of greenhouse gases worldwide are created from livestock. We could tell you more, but we’ll stop with this one. If you love your steak and burgers, you are using 160 times more resources than those who opted for the veggie versions.
So does just one day a week make a difference? According to the New York University Polytechnic Institute, it really does. Did you know if everyone in the United States participated in Meatless Monday, there would be 100 billion extra gallons of water, 1.5 billion pounds of grain crops, 70 million gallons of gas, and 3 million acres of land spared in 24 hours! Since we can’t get everyone on board just yet, try a few more meatless meals throughout the week to make up the difference!
Veestro can help you transition to a more plant-based diet or keep you motivated to stay with your plant filled eating goals. Take a look at some of the a la carte options to try a sampling of different recipes and options.
All the meals are 100% plant based and fresh frozen for maximum flavor and nutrition. With delivery right to your home, eating whole foods has never been more convenient.
Read more about Making Meatless Monday a Routine.
