By: Katie Schroeder & Beth Olson
“Meatless Mondays” are a practice that were started to encourage people to reduce their meat consumption just a little each week. The origins of having meals without meat in the United States date back to the World Wars. Initially started to address food scarcities among various products, meatless days have lived on for other reasons. In 2003, the concept was adapted by the Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future for health reasons, in an effort to reduce cholesterol levels and rates of heart disease. In the last 15 years, the concept has been adopted by people concerned with sustainability hoping to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Nutritionists have supported Meatless Mondays to encourage people consuming more plant sources of protein. The most recent US Dietary Guidelines noted that many Americans do not eat the recommended amount of plant proteins. Meatless Mondays can be a healthy way to way to try new plant proteins, learn about their unique nutritional attributes, and provide some variety in your diet. Stay tuned each month for ideas on how to use plants to create a “Meatless Monday” meal!!