Yes, the news has been good of late, but I think the entire Meatless Monday team was quite shocked when the data came back from FGI Research. Awareness of Meatless Monday in the U.S. is now at 50.22%. That's up from 30% just 6 months ago. That's, well, half the nation!
Equally significant, this awareness is translating into behavior change. Of those aware, 27.47% said that Meatless Monday had influenced their decision to cut back on meat. The American Meat Institute is even seeing a change of behavior -- a November 2010 study sponsored by AMI and FMI found that 18% were "implementing meatless Mondays."
For this, we have a lot of key influencers and organizations to thank, particularly Oprah and Mario Batali and the food services provider, Sodexo, among many others. But equally important are all the mommy bloggers and foodie scribblers, the student advocates and health practitioners, the restaurant owners and worksite wellness officials who have embraced this simple idea of cutting back on meat one day a week.
It's definitely a movement. I think when we first began using that term it was a little hopeful. But now the proof seems irrefutable. Meatless Monday doesn't do paid media -- ever. There are no expensive TV spots, no full page newspaper spreads, no PR flacks in fancy suits, no radio babble, no pro bono advertising typical of public service campaigns. It's simply people telling other people that this is a good thing for their health and for the health of the planet.
So what's next? Let's go out and get the other half of the country! We want the other 50% -- literally! We'd love for you to tell all your friends, family, neighbors, classmates, office mates, gym buddies, strangers, whomever about Meatless Monday. Say how easy it is reduce meat just one day a week -- tell them about the remarkable health and environmental benefits. If you think Meatless Monday is a good idea, tell someone. Together let's go get the other half!
Follow Chris Elam on Twitter: www.twitter.com/MeatlessMonday
1) it assumes I eat meat every day of the week--I don't
2) it assumes that the rampant ill health and obesity in the U.S. are caused by meat and can be solved by eliminating meat--completely false
3) it feels preachy--it's trying to tell me how to eat--that just p*sses me off. :)
I agree that many (most?) Americans eat too much and move too little, but they're not pigging out on protein. Since 1985 the consumption of meat and dairy has declined by 1%. What has increased are the consumption of grains (46%), added fats in the form of hydrogenized seed oils (24%) and added sugars (23%). And we wonder why so many are fat and diabetic? Seems to me if the Meatless Monday crowd was interested in public health they'd start promoting No Pasta Monday, followed by No Hydrogenated Soy Oil Tuesday and Sugar Free Wednesday.
(Continued.)
I'm no fan of industrial farming, be it crops or livestock. I don't support keeping chickens in battery cages. Fortunately, finding a local source of eggs from pastured hens isn't too hard. You can also keep a few backyard hens if you're so incline. In my opinion supporting the competition is the best way to challenge corporate egg farms.
What concerns me even more is where and how most produce is grown. Did you know that 70% of all produce consumed in North America is grown in the arid state of California? 80% of the world's almond crop comes from three California counties. Bees are flown in from as far away as Australia to pollinate all those almond trees. How is that sustainable? Or take lettuce... America's favorite crop. 90% of winter lettuce is grown in Arizona. ARIZONA! Maybe you disagree, but I think that's nut.
If this is about health, then the focus should be on highly refined carb-less days, more vegetable and fruit days, more meat and dairy days!
In the past forty years, our consumption of meat and dairy has not increased, yet, our diet related diseases have increased. What has changed in our diets is that we have drastically increased our intake of highly refined grains, potatoes, sugar, added fats. All those foods are responsible for our poor health, not meat and dairy. We haven't increased our meat and dairy consumption, so how could they be responsible for our health problems? On the other hand, in the very same period that we see increases in added fats, sugars, refined carbs in our diets, we see increases in obesity and related diseases. Hmmm...
http://www.ers.usda.gov/publications/FoodReview/DEC2002/frvol25i3a.pdf
I think Meatless Monday is a great springboard for those who still enjoy meat, but want to dabble. I loved chicken and premium burgers when I ate meat, so I know how hard it is to give up. Honestly now, I don't miss it, but I did at first.
I was eating a 97% vegetarian diet anyway, so it's not much of a stretch for me.
Thank you for the information though. I understand what you are saying about watching one thing and making up your mind.
That, with the movie, was it for me. No more occasional meat eating. Also, I know the dairy/egg industry is cruel. I ate all organic, so conditions are a little better, but not good.
about 3 years ago i just about cut out red meat out of my diet - it's only a treat now to have a steak or a burger, replaced with skinless chicken and eggs, and i am including more veggies, and have developed a real taste for veggies -
i also make sure to include lots of just plain water and eat oatmeal for breakfast - not instant - the kind you have to cook - has lots of fibre and some iron too - no salt, no sugar built into oatmeal, but i can add some honey when i want some sugar
i drastically reduced dairy and it's only a teat nowadays and i haven't had milk in ages
going meatless one pay per week, especially as we get older, does wonders for our GI tracts by giving them a break from digesting meat, which is real effort for out bodies
i buy the certified organic / free range eggs so as to not affect the chickens too much
Eat organic as much as you can. Buy local produce as much as you are able. Challenge your omnivore friends to cut their meat consumption by 2/3rds. They don't have to go vegetarian, but challenge/invite them to eat an 80-90% plant based diet. Trust me, they will thank you for it!
I read the meatless Monday thing oops too late.
SOY LOWERS SPERM COUNT
http://www.wholesoystory.com/index.php?pageID=Home
THE WHOLE SOY STORY blows the lid off nutritional dogma !
Soy is NOT a miracle food.
Soy is NOT the answer to world hunger
Soy is NOT a panacea.
Soy has NOT even been proven safe.
Of course when you eat better, you feel better...but eating well doesn't mean no meat. Check out the 29 lean cuts of beef and enjoy a TASTY and NUTRITIOUS meal: http://www.beefitswhatsfordinner.com/CMDocs/BIWFD/012711_LeanOnBeefTipSheet.pdf
America, you're smarter than meatless Monday. I say let's all enjoy MEATY Mondays!
Rice fields are one of the biggest human contributors to greenhouse gases and yet no one ever talks about not growing rice.
http://www.ghgonline.org/methanerice.htm
Don't you find it a little strange that the increases in obesity, heart disease and diabetes came about after the big hullaballoo about the low fat diet?
It has much more to do with trans-fats, HFCS and any other food-like substance that is supposed to be a replacement for the foods we traditionally ate.
If you want to talk about portion size beyond that, fine, but there is no one single real food item that can be singled out as responsible for so much ill health.
http://www.expresshealthcaremgmt.com/20041215/criticare06.shtml
Ahhh...
avis does not succeed in showing this is preferable to vegetarianism. First, Davis makes a mathematical error in using total rather than per capita estimates of animals killed; second, he focuses on the number of animals killed in ruminant and crop production systems and ignores important considerations about the welfare of animals under both systems; and third, he does not consider the number of animals who are prevented from existing under the two systems.
http://homepage.uab.edu/nnobis/papers/least-harm.pdf