Meatless Monday's

rlbrue
rlbrue Posts: 14 Member
edited November 2015 in Food and Nutrition
Im starting the pledge to go meatless on Mondays.

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[Edited by MFP Mods]
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Replies

  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
    edited November 2015
    Yeah I'd like to see the calculations where they worked out that particular marketing spiel
  • ActuarialChef
    ActuarialChef Posts: 1,413 Member
    Forgive me if I'm being dense.

    I do enjoy some meatless meals now and again. There is nothing wrong (to me) with eating a meatless meal.

    However, can you explain how you save energy preparing a meatless meal? I make a mean black bean burger, but it takes just as much energy to grill/pan sear it as it would to grill/pan sear a beef burger. My chickpea curry takes the same amount of energy to prepare as the same curry prepared with chicken.

    There are many positives to eating meatless now and again, especially for people with certain health conditions or those with familial histories of certain health conditions, but I think this type of post (one lacking support for its claims) does not promote the issue properly or effectively.
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    Forgive me if I'm being dense.

    I do enjoy some meatless meals now and again. There is nothing wrong (to me) with eating a meatless meal.

    However, can you explain how you save energy preparing a meatless meal? I make a mean black bean burger, but it takes just as much energy to grill/pan sear it as it would to grill/pan sear a beef burger. My chickpea curry takes the same amount of energy to prepare as the same curry prepared with chicken.

    There are many positives to eating meatless now and again, especially for people with certain health conditions or those with familial histories of certain health conditions, but I think this type of post (one lacking support for its claims) does not promote the issue properly or effectively.

    I am not sure what calculations are behind this, but I imagine it is based on the energy it takes to raise a cow to slaughter weight, not the actual energy used to cook the burger. I do agree with you that a better documentation of the claim would create a more impactful ad.
  • rtoode2
    rtoode2 Posts: 9 Member
    @ActuarialChef

    I believe the calculations in this are based off of the extra energy consumed by cows that are raised specifically for meat. Since it's a supply & demand scenario, if there's less meat consumption, factories will keep fewer cows, leading to less methane gas production (aka cow farts) and less water used to both give to the cow & to use on growing the grains for the cow to eat.
  • rlbrue
    rlbrue Posts: 14 Member
    edited November 2015
    You can check out the meatless Monday campaign on their site or their Facebook page. it has all of their research on there. They are a nice community and will happily answer any questions. This is just something I chose to do for myself.
    http://www.meatlessmonday.com/take-the-meatless-monday-pledge-for-food-day-2015/
  • rlbrue
    rlbrue Posts: 14 Member
    edited November 2015
    My post isn't to promote anything this is just something I'm doing for myself. I'm not advertising anything or stating in no way shape or form that anyone else should do it.
  • RodaRose
    RodaRose Posts: 9,562 Member
    http://www.pbs.org/food/the-history-kitchen/history-meatless-mondays/
    Though Wheatless Wednesday has fallen by the wayside, Meatless Tuesdays have recently been revived and replaced by Meatless Mondays, an effort founded by advertising executive Sid Lerner in association with Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
    The campaign has turned into a global movement, with a new slogan: The day all health breaks loose.
    The newer version of the campaign supports health, nutrition, the environment and animal welfare.
    Monday is viewed as the day people are most likely to start new diets or give up bad habits, like smoking, making it ideal for a health campaign (the two M’s in Meatless Monday also have a nice ring to them).

  • TrickyDisco
    TrickyDisco Posts: 2,869 Member
    Good for you, it's so easy to do as there's many, many alternatives with recipes from the most simple dishes to exquisite vegetarian cuisine ... every day's a meatless day in our household - hoorah! :smiley:
  • Confuzzled4ever
    Confuzzled4ever Posts: 2,860 Member
    I would think the energy used to grow additional non meat food would impact those numbers... Veggies beans fruits pasta etc all take water, energy, time and resources to grow, harvest and turn into something edible.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    I actually read somewhere that if everyone stopped eating meat the world would starve in 20 years or something.

    Bottom line, you can find anything online...
  • rlbrue
    rlbrue Posts: 14 Member
    Thanks @TrickyDisco I'll have to hit you up for recipes sometime
  • PSYCHOJOKER13
    PSYCHOJOKER13 Posts: 7 Member
    Every Day is Meatless, for me...
    I'm Vegan :D

    Watching documentaries like "Earthlings" on YouTube also opened my eyes more, after I switched over to veganism.
    It's so easy....at least for me.

    I guess when you BELIEVE in what you do, its Easy.
    And when you Educate yourself on how Factor Farms operate, how could you Not
    Become vegan?


    Great job with taking the first step, that's more than what many even do.
    I wish you the best of luck <3
    Another good idea is not having any soda,energy drinks,etc. On Mondays.
    (Water only, and lots of it!)
  • rlbrue
    rlbrue Posts: 14 Member
    Thanks @PSYCHOJOKER13 i makes fresh fruit smoothies for Monday's I do t drink a lot of pop but defiantly need to cut back on the energy drinks.
  • PSYCHOJOKER13
    PSYCHOJOKER13 Posts: 7 Member
    rlbrue wrote: »
    Thanks @PSYCHOJOKER13 i makes fresh fruit smoothies for Monday's I do t drink a lot of pop but defiantly need to cut back on the energy drinks.


    You are welcome!
    And yeah, I think the best thing would be to do some research on the energy drinks you consume, and then decide whether it's actually beneficial or will just hold you back in your Health Journey. Sorta like making a "pros" and "cons" list.

    I have also heard many times that if you do not eat properly, that's when you will crave things like the energy drinks and even 'junk food'.
    I actually crave odd things when I don't eat properly, its pretty crazy! Smoothies are just as easy to make as picking up an Energy Drink at the store, just discover a recipe you love and can depend on for Energy & Nutrition <3

    Good luck sista! :)
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    I would think the energy used to grow additional non meat food would impact those numbers... Veggies beans fruits pasta etc all take water, energy, time and resources to grow, harvest and turn into something edible.

    Since it takes a lot of grain to produce a pound of meat, it is more efficient for us to eat the grain or vegetable directly.

    It does take energy to grow and harvest plants. We can eat those plants or we can feed them to animals and eat the animals. If we eat the plants, it requires much less energy.
  • pearso21123
    pearso21123 Posts: 351 Member
    I would think the energy used to grow additional non meat food would impact those numbers... Veggies beans fruits pasta etc all take water, energy, time and resources to grow, harvest and turn into something edible.

    Since it takes a lot of grain to produce a pound of meat, it is more efficient for us to eat the grain or vegetable directly.

    It does take energy to grow and harvest plants. We can eat those plants or we can feed them to animals and eat the animals. If we eat the plants, it requires much less energy.

    True, but there are some animals that can make use of plant matter in areas that are not compatible with farming, so in theory eating those animals is actually more economical than eating the plants. However, that situation is pretty rare. I have no issues with eating meat or the energy it takes to raise animals for meat, but I do have a problem with the "standard" practices in today's factory farms, practices that would be considered animal abuse if normal people were the perpetrators. Farm animals have no protection under animal abuse laws, at least in the U.S. So, we raise our own meat. That way I know they were treated humanely and had a good life until they are butchered. I also know what went "in" as far as growth hormones and antibiotics, etc.

    Even though my family is highly carnivorous, I'm not adverse to meatless Mondays. But can somebody post some recipes? I'm not very good at vegetarian dishes. They never seem to have much flavor with just vegetables. My husband has to watch his salt intake so I can't use most broths, and the kids don't like onions or mushrooms. Thanks!
  • ActuarialChef
    ActuarialChef Posts: 1,413 Member
    I would think the energy used to grow additional non meat food would impact those numbers... Veggies beans fruits pasta etc all take water, energy, time and resources to grow, harvest and turn into something edible.

    Since it takes a lot of grain to produce a pound of meat, it is more efficient for us to eat the grain or vegetable directly.

    It does take energy to grow and harvest plants. We can eat those plants or we can feed them to animals and eat the animals. If we eat the plants, it requires much less energy.

    True, but there are some animals that can make use of plant matter in areas that are not compatible with farming, so in theory eating those animals is actually more economical than eating the plants. However, that situation is pretty rare. I have no issues with eating meat or the energy it takes to raise animals for meat, but I do have a problem with the "standard" practices in today's factory farms, practices that would be considered animal abuse if normal people were the perpetrators. Farm animals have no protection under animal abuse laws, at least in the U.S. So, we raise our own meat. That way I know they were treated humanely and had a good life until they are butchered. I also know what went "in" as far as growth hormones and antibiotics, etc.

    Even though my family is highly carnivorous, I'm not adverse to meatless Mondays. But can somebody post some recipes? I'm not very good at vegetarian dishes. They never seem to have much flavor with just vegetables. My husband has to watch his salt intake so I can't use most broths, and the kids don't like onions or mushrooms. Thanks!

    A suggestion I read about once is to start slow with going meatless, even if it's just one meal or one day. I started with a chickpea-chicken curry recipe - I made it half chicken, half chickpeas the first time, mostly chickpeas the next time, and have been making it with only chickpeas ever since.

    My go-to black bean burger recipe is from skinnytaste.com - search for "spicy black bean burger with chipotle mayo" on her site. It is such a good recipe!! I think the black bean burgers are attempting to copy Morningstar Farms' spicy black bean burgers. The homemade ones have much less sodium, if I recall correctly (as expected!).

    One last suggestion. Beans are a staple in many vegetarian diets, and can be used in place of meat in a lot of recipes. Instead of ground beef for tacos or sloppy joes, try half beef and half lentils or black beans. Or use only lentils or black beans and no meat! There are lots of small changes you can make to reduce your meat intake, if that's something you're interested in.
  • RodaRose
    RodaRose Posts: 9,562 Member
    I would think the energy used to grow additional non meat food would impact those numbers... Veggies beans fruits pasta etc all take water, energy, time and resources to grow, harvest and turn into something edible.

    Since it takes a lot of grain to produce a pound of meat, it is more efficient for us to eat the grain or vegetable directly.

    It does take energy to grow and harvest plants. We can eat those plants or we can feed them to animals and eat the animals. If we eat the plants, it requires much less energy.

    True, but there are some animals that can make use of plant matter in areas that are not compatible with farming, so in theory eating those animals is actually more economical than eating the plants. However, that situation is pretty rare. I have no issues with eating meat or the energy it takes to raise animals for meat, but I do have a problem with the "standard" practices in today's factory farms, practices that would be considered animal abuse if normal people were the perpetrators. Farm animals have no protection under animal abuse laws, at least in the U.S. So, we raise our own meat. That way I know they were treated humanely and had a good life until they are butchered. I also know what went "in" as far as growth hormones and antibiotics, etc.

    Even though my family is highly carnivorous, I'm not adverse to meatless Mondays. But can somebody post some recipes? I'm not very good at vegetarian dishes. They never seem to have much flavor with just vegetables. My husband has to watch his salt intake so I can't use most broths, and the kids don't like onions or mushrooms. Thanks!


    Re flavor: Make beef broth without the salt. Use the broth for liquid to cook beans, lentils, or chic peas in the vegan or vegetarian recipes you have.
  • rlbrue
    rlbrue Posts: 14 Member
    My go to is usually a good Caesar salad or some pasta.
  • Kalikel
    Kalikel Posts: 9,603 Member
    I use more water with veggies because I wash those pretty thoroughly. Meat just gets slapped in a pan.

    I like the idea of MM, but if the meat just gets moved from Monday to Tuesday, I'm not sure that I make any big effort toward helping the animals.