Wellness Resource: Why You Should Go Meatless on Mondays

Source: EarthDay.org

"Did you know that the meat industry is responsible for approximately 20% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions? In fact, producing one calorie of meat requires nearly twenty times the amount of energy as one plant calorie!

With global meat consumption tripling over the last four decades, the meat industry now emits over 36 billion tons of greenhouse gases annually and is showing no signs of slowing down. If we want to make a real dent in the world’s carbon footprint and reduce our own personal footprint, we need to eat less meat.

The United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization estimates that the meat industry generates nearly one-fifth of the man-made greenhouse gas emissions that are accelerating climate change worldwide – more than the entire transportation sector!

To make matters worse, producing meat also requires a huge amount of water. An estimated 1,800 to 2,500 gallons of water go into a single pound of beef. By comparison, soy tofu produced in California requires only 220 gallons of water per pound.

Amazingly, the livestock industry also uses almost 50% of the corn produced in the United States as feed for the animals.

Imagine how much carbon and resources we could save if we ate less meat. Even just eating meat one less day a year would make a difference.

For instance, if over the course of a year you:

• Ate one less burger a week, it would be the equivalent of taking your car off the road for 320 miles.
• Skip meat and cheese one day a week with your family, it would be the equivalent of taking your car off the road for five weeks – or reducing everyone’s daily showers by 3 minutes.
• Skip steak once a week with your family, it would be the equivalent of taking your car off the road for nearly three months.
• And if the entire U.S. did not eat meat or cheese for just one day a week, it would be the equivalent of not driving 91 billion miles – or taking 7.6 million cars off the road."

As you can see, the impact of not eating meat can really add up. The good news is that you can help! Take the pledge to not eat meat one day a week and become a part of the Meatless Monday movement. If you already don’t eat meat once a week, why not try two days a week or three! You could even begin a full vegetarian diet if you’re up for it. Every little bit helps.

Contact us today to learn how our 'Power of a Plant-Based Diet' Seminar and 'Greens and Beans' Cooking Demonstration make the perfect pair for encouraging your employees to make sustainable lifestyle changes for better personal health and environmental wellness.

[dt-space height="60"]Visit MeatlessMonday.org for free downloadable resources that you can use to take an active role in the health of your community![dt-space height="60"]