Protect your health and the environment by pledging to go meatless on Mondays

Although many of us have reduced or even eliminated our meat intake, for those of us who haven’t, it’s time to take a pledge, and to encourage others to do the same.

Meatless Mondays is a country-wide campaign powered by environmental heavyweights Earthsave Canada, Lundi sans Viande, and Toronto Vegetarian Association. Their goal is to encourage Canadians to ditch the meat just one day a week, thereby helping the environment, lightening the financial load of healthcare costs, and reducing animal cruelty.

According to the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), “livestock production is one of the major causes of the world's most pressing environmental problems, including global warming, land degradation, air and water pollution, and loss of biodiversity.” Pledging to cut out meat a mere one day per week can have significant effects on the environment, saving water, land, and energy.

In addition, breaking our addiction to meat can have significant improvements on our health and reduce the risk of chronic diseases such as diabetes, obesity, and heart disease. Not to mention that red meats such as beef, lamb, and pork have been liked to colorectal cancer.

Luckily, cooking meat-free has never been so easy, with a variety of meatless proteins available at our local health food stores, and an endless supply of recipes. So take the pledge, and encourage your loved ones to also!