Warm Up With 14 Fall-Inspired Meatless Monday Recipes (2024)

FAQs

What can you eat on Meatless Mondays? ›

Meatless Monday is a lifestyle that allows you to continue to eat the foods you love, while making your meals incrementally healthier and more sustainable. The concept is straightforward: “cut out the meat, one day a week.” People who start their week with Meatless Monday tend to eat healthier all week long.

Meatless Monday and Meat Free Monday are international campaigns that encourage people to not eat meat on Mondays to improve their health and the health of the planet.

Eating no meat on Mondays will encourage you to increase your veggie, fruit, whole grain, and legume intake. Lower Cancer Risk: Red meat or processed meat may increase the risk of colorectal cancer due to naturally occurring carcinogens.

To stick to that, you wouldn't want red meat, pork, chicken, turkey and any high-fat dairy (whole milk or cheese) on your Monday menu. Limit eggs to 1 per day. This isn't a no-protein initiative though; fish and seafood high in omega-3 fats -- such as tuna and salmon -- are encouraged since they help lower cholesterol.

Catholics abstain from flesh meat on days of penance, such as Ash Wednesday, Good Friday, and the Fridays of Lent. Abstinence is one of the oldest Christian traditions.

Add tempeh, tofu, or quinoa to any kit for a plant-based Meatless Monday protein boost. Or add chicken, salmon, or shrimp if you don't mind a little animal protein on your table.

The only foundational requirement of Meatless Monday involves avoiding meat (pork, chicken, beef, seafood) one day a week. People choose to practice Meatless Monday as vegans, vegetarians, and flexitarians. It's an easy way to become more familiar with plant-based foods and kick-start a healthy eating habit.

The Meatless Monday campaign was founded by the advertising creative director and public health advocate Sid Lerner (17). The Center for a Livable Future of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health provided scientific and technical expertise to the campaign.

Today, Meatless Monday is supported by millions of people in over 40 countries and is backed in science and research by the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health Center for a Livable Future.

Does Meatless Monday save money? ›

Save Money

Did you know meatless meals often cost far less than meat-filled ones? And buying in-season fruits and veggies means you'll save even more. These healthy choices add up, saving you about $40 per month by committing to Meatless Monday. Here's an extra bonus: a healthier life costs less.

Whole soy foods, such as edamame, tofu, tempeh, soy milk and soy nuts, are great sources of lean protein. Unlike most vegetarian proteins, soy is a complete protein, providing all the essential amino acids for optimal use by your body.

While meat can be a part of a healthy diet, not all sources are created equal. The leanest and healthiest meats to eat include poultry, pork, fish, and seafood. Eating a balanced diet is one of the keys to a healthy lifestyle, which means choosing various foods from different food groups, like proteins.

The correct term for someone who eats fish and chicken but not other types of meat is a pollo-pescatarian. A portmanteau of the words pescatarian (someone who only eats fish and other seafood as well as vegetables) and pollotarian (someone who eats poultry but not red meat or pork products).

Eating a variety of plant-based foods throughout the day also can provide enough protein. Plant sources include soy products and meat substitutes, legumes, lentils, nuts, seeds, and whole grains.

The only foundational requirement of Meatless Monday involves avoiding meat (pork, chicken, beef, seafood) one day a week. People choose to practice Meatless Monday as vegans, vegetarians, and flexitarians. It's an easy way to become more familiar with plant-based foods and kick-start a healthy eating habit.