Meatless Monday

Recently, I decided that it would be a good idea for B and me to eat a vegetarian dinner once in a while. At our house, meat usually plays the lead at dinnertime and veggies the supporting role. I realize that this is habit, because that's how dinner was served in both our childhood homes. But for a variety of reasons we should be eating more vegetables.

They are good for us, for one. Eating more vegetables is linked with longer healthier lives, and a risk reduction in cancer, heart disease and diabetes. That's because most meat is high in saturated fat which is responsible for raising both total and LDL cholesterol levels (Eat Right Ontario - Facts on Fats).

Vegetables are also better for the planet. How are they better? Quite simply, growing vegetables uses less energy than raising animals for meat. The UN's Food and Agriculture Organization attributes 18% of global climate change to animal agriculture, which means that if everyone cut back on meat, we could significantly reduce our carbon footprint, water usage, and our dependence on fossil fuels (Meatless Monday - Why Meatless?).

Meatless Monday has become a growing international movement that promotes just that: going meatless one day a week. It is non-profit, and has engaged the support of restaurants, schools, bloggers, writers, and even a few municipalities (Meatless Mondays Canada). Started as a public health initiative, it is consumer led and hopes to make a difference by curbing our consumption. I thought it is a good example of what can happen when we decide to vote at the checkout.