Recently, my partner decided to go back to the "sauce" and eat meat again. I have to give her major props for cutting out meat for 10 months. That's amazing - especially since this whole journey came to life under the premise that it was a "30 Day Trial" for her. I always say even just going "veggie" one day a week can have a dramatic effect on a variety of social and environmental issues we face today.
The average American consumes around
250 pounds of meat a year. 250 LBS!! It can be a tall order to go veggie full time but by adjusting your diet to include a non-meat day once a week, you will reduce your consumption of meat by about
35 pounds a year - that's huge!! And it's easy! Have pancakes for breakfast; a salad for lunch and spaghetti for dinner. Easy as pie.
I've listed some yummy recipes below to get you started. Below the recipes are some other effects you will see from going veggie once a week........
Water
Save 84,000 gallons of water – animals and animal agriculture consume a lot of water. Consider that it takes 2,400 gallons of water to make one pound of beef. Other animals such as chickens and pigs consume less water than cattle, but their consumption is still pretty high given the sheer numbers of animals used for food.
Grain
Save 245 pounds of grain– It takes seven pounds of grain to produce one pound of beef, and almost as much for both chickens and pigs. That amount of grain can feed an individual in some developing nations for six months or more. A full 1/3 of the world’s grain output is used to feed livestock.
Land
Save 7,700 sq feet of rain forest – Millions of acres of land (many of which were once rainforest) are used for livestock grazing and to grow crops that feed these animals. The amount of land saved by going veg one day a week is equivalent to four good sized homes.
Animal Welfare
Save a few of the over 10 billion animals slaughtered for food – This is how many land animals are killed each year in the US alone. The majority of these animals have no laws to protect them from abuse and cruelty. They spend their entire lives suffering in inhumane conditions and mistreatment.
Fossil Fuels
Save 15.5 gallons of gasoline – Conventional farming methods use petrochemical (oil based) fertilizers and pesticides for crops. Fuel is also used to transport and refrigerate meat and crops. By going veg one day a week, you’ll save over 15 gallons of gasoline. At today’s prices…that’s around $65 for the “cheap” stuff.
Animal Waste
Reduce over 400 pounds of manure produced by food animals – What can I say? Animals poop a lot. Millions of tons of waste is produced by livestock each year. For example, pig farmers around the country build “lagoons” to hold all of the poop. When the lagoons get too full they break open spilling toxic pig waste into rivers, streams and protected land. Disgusting!!!
Global Warming
Reduce your contribution to global warming – Emissions from animal agriculture contributes to more greenhouses gases than all the cars and trucks on the planet COMBINED.
Topsoil Erosion
Save 87 square feet of topsoil from erosion – Food crops need topsoil to grow. When animals are densely packed into a small amount of space, they erode topsoil more. Add to that the erosion caused by crops used to feed these animals and you can see how this starts to add up. Once topsoil is gone, it can take hundreds of years to rebuild just a couple of inches.
Ocean Life
Reduce your impact on our quickly vanishing ocean life!–The oceans are polluted and over-fished. A report published in the Journal Science in 2006 claimed that by 2048 we will see a near collapse of the oceans if we continue at the pace we’re on right now. Unfortunately, farmed fish isn’t the “silver-bullet” answer either. Farmed fish produce high concentrations of waste that lead to environmental and health issues.
Health
Do not forget about your health – A vegetarian diet, even one day a week will help reduce your risk of heart disease and certain types of cancer. Studies have shown that a diet rich in fruits and vegetables greatly reduce heart disease and diabetes.
So, with that being said, are you up for the challenge?? Try it for 12 weeks. Just think about it - by the time the challenge is over, we'll be well into SPRING! And it's only ONE day a week. Plus, if you honor Lent, you will be doing it for 6 weeks out of the 12 anyway. I will also post a days worth of recipes on here every week for those of you who are on board. You can do it - are you game? If so, leave a comment so I can cheer you on annnnd so I know I'm not just posting recipes for myself ;-)
WEEK ONE!
Pick a day, any day!! Here is your menu for your meat-free day :) Not only are these recipes delicious, but they are low in fat and calories. If you try these recipes, you may just think twice about missing meat......
Grain and Nut Whole Wheat Pancakes
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups old-fashioned oatmeal
- 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 cups buttermilk
- 1 cup milk
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 1 egg
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 3 tablespoons chopped walnuts (optional)
Directions
- Grind the oats in a blender or food processor until fine. In a large bowl, combine ground oats, whole wheat flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
- In another bowl, combine buttermilk, milk, oil, egg, and sugar with an electric mixer until smooth. Mix wet ingredients into dry with a few swift strokes. Stir in nuts, if desired.
- Lightly oil a skillet or griddle, and preheat it to medium heat. Ladle 1/3 cup of the batter onto the hot skillet; cook the pancakes for 2 to 4 minutes per side, or until brown.
- Serve with warm maple syrup. Yum!
Amount Per Serving Calories: 383 | Total Fat: 12.5g (Because of nuts - but it's GOOD fat!)| Fiber: 6g| Cholesterol: 41mg
Fresh Veggie Bagel Sandwich
Ingredients
- 1 bagel, sliced in half (I use the 100 calorie bagel "thins" to cut back on calories)
- 1 wedge of Laughing Cow Cheese (I use Garlic & Herb but any will do)
- 1 leaf romaine lettuce
- 2 (1/4 inch thick) rings green bell pepper
- 4 slices cucumber
- 2 slices tomato
- 2 slices of avocado
- salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 2 slices red onion
- 1/2 cup alfalfa sprouts (optional)
Directions
- Spread cheese onto the cut sides of the bagel. Layer the lettuce, green pepper, cucumber, avocado and tomato on one half. Season the tomato with salt and pepper. Top with onion and alfalfa sprouts (if you choose), then cover with the other half of the bagel. Serves 1.
Nutritional Information
Amount Per Serving Calories: 331 (or 210 w/Bagel 'thin') | Total Fat: 2.9g | Fiber: 6g | Cholesterol: 0mg
Pasta Primavera w/ Smoke Gouda
Ingredients
- 1 (16 ounce) package whole wheat penne pasta
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 zucchinis, diced
- 1 green bell pepper, diced
- 2 carrots, diced
- 1 (8 ounce) package mushrooms, sliced
- 3 onions, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 (14.5 ounce) can stewed tomatoes, coarsely chopped
- 1 cup low-sodium vegetable broth
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional for those who like a kick :)
- 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
- 2/3 cup shredded smoked Gouda cheese
Directions
- Fill a large pot with lightly salted water and bring to a rolling boil over high heat. Once the water is boiling, stir in the penne, and return to a boil. Cook the pasta uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the pasta has cooked through, but is still firm to the bite, about 11 minutes. Drain well in a colander set in the sink.
- Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in the zucchini, bell pepper, carrots, mushrooms, and onion; cook and stir until the onion has softened and turned translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for one minute more. Stir in the tomatoes, vegetable broth, parsley, basil, oregano, and red pepper flakes (optional). Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer until sauce thickens. Stir in the pasta and cook until heated through, about 2 minutes. Top with Parmesan and Gouda cheeses before serving.
Nutritional Information
Amount Per Serving Calories: 322 | Total Fat: 7.8g | Fiber: 10.1g | Cholesterol: 13mg
Ingredients
