Considering Meatless Mondays? Here’s How to Get Started

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With all the talk about climate change and a sustainable future these days, many people want to pitch in and do their part. Maybe you’ve heard of the Meatless Mondays movement and are considering joining in, but how do you get started? Read on below to find out.

What are Meatless Mondays?

Meatless Monday is a campaign to encourage people to go without eating meat once a week to help reduce emissions of greenhouse gases and combat climate change. According to the official Meatless Monday website, if everyone on earth shifted towards a plant-based diet, agricultural land use could decrease by as much as 80 percent.

In addition, even if you don’t choose to make it a long-term lifestyle choice, choosing to abstain from meat once a week can come with many health benefits. Plant-based diets present a lower risk of obesity, cardiovascular diseases, and type 2 diabetes. They can just help you feel better in general.

How to start Meatless Mondays

Here are some tips for getting started on Meatless Mondays:

Try tofu or other meat substitutes

Meatless Mondays are the perfect time to try tofu or other meat alternatives or to simply substitute vegetables where you would usually eat meat. Try making black bean veggie burgers, vegetarian lasagna, or a tofu stir-fry. Meatless and vegan diets continue to grow in popularity, so there are many plant-based alternatives to meat on the market right now. Pick one and try it out!

Try eating out

If you don’t have a lot of experience cooking without meat or in general, try going out to eat and ordering something meatless. You could look up some great vegan restaurants in town, or even just go to your favorite place and ask for their meatless options. You could even use your Meatless Monday as an excuse to splurge a little on vegan sushi or another expensive meal.

Get others to do it with you!

Making this change can be much easier and more enjoyable if you aren’t doing it alone, so invite your family and friends to join! Share photos of the food you’ve been having at vegan restaurants across town, or invite everyone over to taste those new meatless recipes you’ve been trying out.

Prep your meals beforehand

If you’re a busy professional and don’t have much time for cooking or eating out, meal prep will be your best friend. Take an hour or two on Saturday or Sunday to plan out your meals for the week and package up a few of your favorite meatless options so you can grab healthy food to eat quickly on Monday. This is a great time to put together a tasty and nutritious salad, as it’ll still be super fresh by the time Monday’s lunch or dinner rolls around.

Just start!

Meatless Mondays isn’t a complicated idea, all you have to do is start! By going without meat once a week you can not only help fight climate change but give yourself some added health benefits while you’re at it. So get started, invite your friends, and plan your first Meatless Monday today.