Meatless Monday
Meatless Monday doesn’t mean you have to give up eating meat, but rather use Monday as a day to increase your intake of plant-based foods like fruits and vegetables, whole grains, beans, nuts and seeds. It’s a reminder to be mindful of the food you eat and the choices you make. Once a week, we give you an opportunity to get your daily nutrients and try a new food!
Why Meatless?
For Your Health
- Adding more plant-based foods into your diet can add years onto your life
- Meals rich in fruit, vegetables or legumes contain natural antioxidants that benefit cardio-health
- Nuts are one of the richest sources of protein and can help to improve concentration
- Most Americans eat more than 1.5 times their suggested meat serving every day, making a plant-based substitution can help to maintain a lower body weight
For the Planet
- Global livestock production creates more greenhouse gases than all of the planes, trains and cars on Earth
- Livestock production uses more than 75% of the world’s agricultural land
- The energy it takes for a quarter-pound of beef to be produced is equivalent to that of your smartphone being charged for six months
- It takes 425 gallons of water for one quarter-pound burger to be produced which is the equivalent of 1,700 people’s water intake for one day
- The emissions produced from one quarter-pound burger is equivalent to the number of emissions released after driving 348 miles in a car
We highlight the Meatless Monday meal in all of the dining halls and cafes. Look for this sticker at the serving stations throughout campus!
Meatless Monday Resources and Tips
Don’t Let Diet Beat Us
Our #Don’tLetDietBeatUs materials encourage healthy choices by highlighting “hero” foods shown to help reduce the risk of diabetes, and illustrating the benefits of starting the week with a Meatless Monday.
Learn new Meatless Monday cooking hacks with this Meatless Monday Cooking Tip Collection that can transform your Meatless Monday meals into plant-based masterpieces.
Explore this collection of plant-based recipe ideas for delicious and easy Meatless Monday meals.
Check out these Meatless Monday resources for children:
