Meet Meatless Mondays
Most people don’t think beyond calories when they eat a meal. But sometimes, the effects of what is on your plate are further reaching than you might think. Plants themselves take up a lot of resources but the animals that eat them take up even more.The production of livestock creates more carbon emissions than the entirety of the transportation industry. One quarter pound patty takes an estimated 460 gallons of water to produce. Land is another commodity affected by the industry, livestock takes up more than 75% of all of the Earth's agricultural land.
Eating a diet that revolves around plants can cut down on your footprint significantly. Vegetarian or vegan diets just aren't for everyone though. A simple solution? Meatless Mondays, this eco conscious movement encourages people to eat a plant based diet one day of the week. Expanding your horizons in a way that encourages you to eat more vegetables has more impacts than you might think. If you and your family eat a roast beef dinner, it is estimated that the carbon footprint of that is equivalent to driving 100 miles. Participating in Meatless Monday saves that hypothetical 100 miles. To learn more about Meatless Monday visit
Most people don’t think beyond calories when they eat a meal. But sometimes, the effects of what is on your plate are further reaching than you might think. Plants themselves take up a lot of resources but the animals that eat them take up even more.The production of livestock creates more carbon emissions than the entirety of the transportation industry. One quarter pound patty takes an estimated 460 gallons of water to produce. Land is another commodity affected by the industry, livestock takes up more than 75% of all of the Earth's agricultural land.
Eating a diet that revolves around plants can cut down on your footprint significantly. Vegetarian or vegan diets just aren't for everyone though. A simple solution? Meatless Mondays, this eco conscious movement encourages people to eat a plant based diet one day of the week. Expanding your horizons in a way that encourages you to eat more vegetables has more impacts than you might think. If you and your family eat a roast beef dinner, it is estimated that the carbon footprint of that is equivalent to driving 100 miles. Participating in Meatless Monday saves that hypothetical 100 miles. To learn more about Meatless Monday visit mondaycampaigns.org.
When you're used cooking meat it can be really hard to make even a small change. In my quest to become more eco friendly I have found it is best to look at it as a way to explore something new. Indian food is something new and exciting but it also has the added bonus of many vegetarian recipes emerging for centuries.
Italian food may be more your style but there are great recipes for that too. One of my favorite ways to enjoy a meat free meal is with homemade margherita pizza. This simple pizza with mozzarella and fresh basil makes even my meat loving family members salivate. Danny Seo, created a simple but delicious pizza dough recipe that I've included below. Using just plain yogurt and flour he creates a dough that is perfect for a beautifully simple pizza.
If you're interested in living a more eco friendly lifestyle Danny Seo runs Naturally, Danny Seo. Seo's website teaches about sustainable eating, travel, and living. In the eating section of the website you can find plenty of plant based recipes to try out for Meatless Monday.
Whether Meatless Monday is your first step into a plant based diet or just an excuse to try different foods one day a week, it's definitely worth a try.
