Meatless Monday

meatless monday is an initiative i have become more familiar with during my last trip to NYC. on the 4th day of my trip, on a monday, i attended an indian cookery class at degustibus cooking school. Vikas Khanna, star chef at Junoon, a stunning indian restaurant in the flatiron district explained how the concept meatless monday has started gaining momentum in most restaurants in manhattan, as consuming meat the way we do won't be sustainable for much longer.

meatless monday is nothing new. in fact during World War I the U.S. Food administration pushed families to reduce consumption of key staples to aid the war effort under the motto 'Food Will Win the War'. meatless monday and wheatless wednesday were introduced and the effect was overwhelming: more than 13 million families observed the national initiative.

after another come-back during World War II, meatless monday started again in 2003 and has grown into a global movement powered by a network of participating individuals, hospitals, schools, worksites and restaurants around the world. this post is to encourage everyone in doing the same.

why should we eat less meat?

1. for your health

reduce heart disease and stroke
limit cancer risk
fight diabetes
prevent obesity
live longer
improve the nutritional quality of your diet

2. for the environment

minimize water usage - the water needs of livestock are much greater than those of vegetables and grains.
approximately 15.000 liters of water are needed to produce a single kilo of beef
approximately 200 liters of water are needed to produce a kilo of vegetables
reduce greenhouse gases
reduce fuel dependence

3. for your bank account