Why Meatless Monday?

Ciao friends! If you read this blog and/or follow me on social media, then you will know that I am a big supporter of the Meatless Monday movement that is taking the globe. This past month, the folks behind all the vegetarian magic at Meatless Monday reached out to me and have made Johnny La Pasta (that’s me!) an official representative of Meatless Monday!

So, today, I want to talk to you a little bit more about Meatless Monday, why I practice it, and why you should try it out!

Many reasons!

So what is Meatless Monday? It is a simple movement aiming to inspire the world to cut their meat consumption completely one day a week for our bodies and for the planet. The statistics around the benefits of what going meatless one day a week does and can do are frankly astounding.

By eating all meatless meals just once a week you fuel your body with plant-based foods and give your body a chance to have a break from digesting animal protein which ultimately benefits your heart, and also, many vegetarian dishes pack in the nutrients and vitamins you need to be at your best health. Studies have shown that by reducing meat consumption by just once a week you:

Reduce risk of heart disease
Reduce cancer risk
Fight off diabetes
Curb obesity

Check out Meatless Monday’s info graphics on the 3 main benefits:

Also, by practicing vegetarianism for one day a week, you often end up saving money by needing to purchase more inexpensive produce items and less of the expensive animal proteins. So, there is a $$$ incentive in it for you!

Feeling good after Meatless Monday!

Furthermore, by going meatless once a week, you hugely benefit the planet and significantly cut down on your carbon foot print. Most people don’t think about how much water, fuel, and other resources it takes to produce animal meat; the amount at which we are producing animal protein is one of the main reasons for our climate troubles. By going meatless for a day you:

Cut water usage
Reduce Greenhouse Gases
Reduce Fuel Dependence

Need an example? No problem; by just you and you alone cutting meat one day a week, you save enough water to shower with for the rest of your week.

Want more? Check this; if everyone practiced Meatless Monday, that would mean we cut meat consumption by 15%, and that would have the same impact on Greenhouse Gas Emissions as taking 240 million cars off the road each year. What??? I know, mind blown and stomach craving vegan buffalo wings.

Here are more info graphics with environmental impact stats:

I know right?! Mind blown.

So as you can see, there is a lot to be gained by all of us by practicing Meatless Monday. Additionally, the Meatless Monday movement aims for us to learn to enjoy vegetarian options and be okay with reducing meat consumption overall, beyond just Mondays. They aren’t trying to get us to stop eating meat all the time, but reduce our dependence on it.

Let me say my peace on something; I am not a vegetarian, and I never will be. I have tried it and I simply need some animal protein in my diet to feel optimal. Based on my studies, we are meant to have some animal protein in our diets and for that reason, I will never give it up completely. HOWEVER, I believe we absolutely should reduce our consumption of it.

Unfortunately, many cultures have come to make meat the main part of our food at all meals, especially red meat which is the least sustainable. We have our plate portions built all wrong where half or more of the plate is meat, then carbs, then a small amount of vegetables. We need to reverse that so that even if there is meat, it is just enough to give us our protein and feel fulfilled, without consuming too much and all the side effects that go along with that from a personal and global perspective.

I don’t think we all need to become vegans, but if we could learn to enjoy more vegetarian dishes and base our meals overall more on plants, then we would all be able to make a significant positive impact on our own health and the health of the planet.

Additionally, because there are so many people in the world – billions – that are making meat the star of the meal almost every meal, it is forcing producers to raise and harvest that meat with poor practices. If reduced our demand for meat to a more manageable one, then we could practice more sustainable techniques that are kinder to the animals, which means the meat we do eat will be better for us, and all of this will benefit our planet which is not doing so well right now.

In summary, practicing Meatless Monday will have a positive effect on your own health and that will ripple outward into the world. And bonus: you get to try lots of really tasty vegetarian dishes that you might not otherwise have tried! Check out a few of my own favorites: