Introducing Meatless Monday

I have recently jumped on board with the global trend of Meatless Monday. At the start of each week Sophia and I will be going without meat. This movement started during World War II, along with Wheatless Wednesday, to help preserve food to feed our soldiers. If it has continued through the years, I am not sure, but lately it has been gaining popularity. The words 'Meatless Monday' kept popping up at restaurants and while searching for recipes online. Eventually it caught my interest and I decided last week to make it a part of our lifestyle.
 Last week I made Spaghetti with Lentil Sauce. It was pretty tasty and very filling. The recipe I used yielded such a large amount enabling me to divide it into two batches and freeze them for a later use. Waste not, want not!! I hate wasting anything that can be reused. At a later date, when I decide to use some of my frozen Lentil Sauce, I will share the recipe! This week I am planning to make Autumn Pasta Carbonara using fresh pumpkin, spinach, and crimini mushrooms. I have never cooked with pumpkin, whether canned or fresh, so I am pretty excited. To use the leftover fresh pumpkin, I am contemplating baking pumpkin bread. We shall see...more on that tomorrow!


Participating in Meatless Monday has many benefits!

• Save your health! Reduce the risk of heart disease and high cholesterol by reducing saturdated fats. Fight Diabetes. Plants are full of fiber, which helps you feel fuller faster, to curb obesity. Also, studies show diets full of fruits and veggies can help lower the risk of cancer.
• Save your wallet! As prices continue to rise, packaged foods and meat show the highest spikes in price. Cutting meat and eating fresh products, even if one day a week, can lower your weekly food budget. 
• Save your planet! The meat industry produces one-fifth of the man made green house gases emitted that are effecting climate change. Livestock uses more water than vegetables and grains. By reducing the constant need for meat, we can reduce the human carbon footprint.

If you are interested in learning more visit Meatless Monday. This website is full of useful tools to guide you through this global movement. There are some fabulous recipes, news articles, and plenty of resources if you want to spread the word and encourage others to go Meatless.