Monday, October 10, 2011

meatless monday

I have pondered the idea of going vegetarian, as we harvested our dear pig Sling Blade, as well as some chickens. We grow our own food so we know our food comes from happy and healthy animals, who are not raised in cramped quarters being fed growth hormones and antibiotics. I am not sure my family and I could not eat meat, but I am sure we could go vegetarian once a week.

I stumbled across this article today in the Huff Post Green.  I now declare that I will subscribe to a Meatless Monday and talk my family into joining me. We can be part time vegetarians, and if we encourage others to join this movement, just imagine the positive impact on ourselves and others.

How?

Becoming vegetarian (even part time) can lead to better health practices. From obesity and cancer to heart disease and diabetes, eating more vegetables and consuming less meat is a huge step towards health and well being. When your Mother told you to "eat your vegetables" she was helping you to be  healthy. Listen to your Mother!

Another aspect of Meatless Monday is also for better health for the environment. Industrial meat production uses large amounts of grain, water and fossil fuel.  I was very surprised to find that a 400-page United Nations report from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) states that the livestock sector is "responsible for 18% of greenhouse gas emissions "The production of cattle to feed and clothe humans stresses ecosystems around the world, and is assessed to be one of the top three environmental problems in the world on a local to global scale." Most of us do not even think that our food, is contributing to our environment.

Imagine that.

Join me and others as we participate in Meatless Monday Check out there website and "like" them on their Meatless Monday Facebook page.





7 comments:

  1. I'll join you !
    Going meatless would not be a hard thing for me, plenty of cheeses, beans, and veggies, I often forego the meat most days.
    I'm looking forward to it, and yes, plenty of positive reasons to go vegetarian, if only part-time to start off with.
    ~Jo

    ReplyDelete
  2. Funnily enough, I've had a few 'Sunday Roasts' just lately where I've deliberately left out the meat bit - just had the veg.

    Down to nothing other really than having so much veg on the plot at the moment there's no room for any meat on the plate. I didn't miss it.

    Your ideas on reducing the methane and animal feed output associated with cattle farming in particular is a good idea. Surely a meat free day is easy enough to do.

    Count me in!

    ReplyDelete
  3. hummm
    ask me again when It comes ready to eat my pigs...
    I may well join you

    ReplyDelete
  4. Every day we eat veggie for lunch, and usually some meat for dinner. I suppose this makes me a half veggie! I was a pure veggie for several years, then realised I was simply depriving myself. My youngest son has been veggie since the age of 10; he's now 35.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Hello - what an interesting posting! the older I get the less inclined I am to eat meat! nothing to do with the less than sharp teeth I had in my youth, just a disinclination to eat the meat of animals who occupy this earth as we do and who (with the odd exception) wouldnt dream of eating human flesh. I'll join you in a meatless day without any problem at all. xxx

    ReplyDelete
  6. I really like this idea, I know my mum and dad try to have a few meat free dinners a weak.

    I also really like your blog and wondering why I took so long to find you here!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Meatless Mondays strike me as somewhat contrived. I suppose it may be a good starter ritual for those who buy meat for every night of the week.
    For the rest of us, eating vego meals is a reality 40 percent of the time.

    I like that you eat your own meat. It's always been a bit obscene to me, the idea of buying factory animals. Good on you.
    In Oz the best meat to eat is kangaroo - not farmed, coralled, vaccinated or controlled. Lean, full of protein, (relatively)cruelty free.

    ReplyDelete

I love comments. Don't be shy, tell me what you think!