One Day a Week, Cut Out Meat: Meatless Monday

Every year, people around the world celebrate Mardi Gras and Carnival. It’s a worldwide festival of parades, music and, of course, richer, fattier foods leading up to the 40-day season of Lent, during which Roman Catholics traditionally reduce their consumption of meat.

In fact, the term “carnival” is from carnelevare, or “to remove meat.”

At Meatless Monday, it says “one day a week, cut out meat.” And every Monday, in 30 countries around the globe, participants realize the benefit of adding more delicious, nutritious plant-based meals to their diet.

Meatless Monday is a non-profit public health initiative of The Monday Campaigns, in association with the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

The goal of the campaign is to cut saturated fat intake, which in turn reduces the risk of chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, stroke and cancer.

Going meatless one day a week can also decrease our carbon footprint and save precious resources like fresh water and fossil fuel. Since its launch in 2003, Meatless Monday has become an international movement with support from celebrities, universities, and organizations around the world.

Check out www.meatlessmonday.com for recipes that get fruits, veggies, whole grains and legumes to the center of the plate, including this favorite from New Orleans, Red Beans and Rice.