The Sustainable Spot

Join the movement this March to go meatless for the whole month or start small with skipping meat on Mondays.  Here are 5 reasons why you should take the challenge!  You will:

1.  Save money – Meat is usually the most expensive ingredient in a meal.

2.  Lower your intake of cholesterol and saturated fat – They primarily come from eating animal products.

3.  Reduce your carbon footprint – Livestock produce incredible amounts of methane which is a more potent and harmful greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide.  Also, large scale deforestation in South America is being done to create land for cattle grazing which releases huge quantities of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere while destroying rainforests.

4.  Conserve natural resources – It is estimated that it takes up to thirteen pounds of grain, over 2,000 gallons of water and one gallon of gasoline to produce one pound of meat.  According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations “feeding half the world’s grain crop to animals raised for meat, eggs and milk instead of directly to humans is a significant waste of natural resources, including fossil fuels, water and land.”

5.  Help the ocean – By skipping the fish you are giving the ocean a break from the overwhelming demand that drives the destructive fishing methods that are depleting our oceans at an alarming rate.

BONUS – You will get more bang for your buck!  By eating plant-based foods, you are eating lower on the food chain which means that you get more energy directly from your food.  Energy is initially created from sunlight by plants during photosynthesis.  Energy is lost each time it is respirated and digested so when you eat meat you have lost the energy that the animal respires when they ingest it which can be significant.  It’s pretty much science!

Sign the pledge and commit to having your March be meat-free!  Here are some vegan soup recipes to start and stay tuned for more meat-free recipes over the next few weeks!