MEATLESS MONDAYS

For those of us who are meat eaters, for whatever reason, we can still make a difference for farm animals and the environment by eating it mindfully. I still eat poultry and turkey and occasional pork because I had some ill physical effects when I was an accidental vegetarian for a few years--one thing that makes me feel better about this is that the Dalai Lama also had health troubles when avoiding meat and now goes vegetarian every other day--a great practice.

By switching from an average American diet (heavy on the animal products), to a more vegetarian way of life, it's like driving 8,000 fewer miles in your car every year in terms of greenhouse gas emissions. Why? Farm animals like cows and pigs produce methane gas and nitrous oxide. Not to mention the other tolls it takes to raise, say, beef, like clearing rainforests to plant feed like soy (no more room for pasture grazing) and the vast amounts of water it takes to produce a steak. And as more countries begin to eat our Big Macs (meat intake has risen 33% in India, China, and Brazil), so grows the problem.

So while emissions solutions are underway on global meat farms, one of the best things we can all do is cut back on red meat.

Leaning our meat consumption means fewer emissions, more to go around, and not so many resources being gobbled up.

So, consider going veg every other day like the Tibetan spiritual and political leader. Or if you can't go without that much, consider just one day a week. Meatless Monday's thrust is for our health and reducing Americans' saturated fat helping by 15%, not our earth, but that's just a side (and waist) benefit. There are plenty of vegetarian recipes there to peruse, just opt for local, seasonal ingredients as you pick and choose.

So to celebrate Monday, consider making it meatless. One warning though, if you're replacing meat with tofu, make sure it's organic so you don't get any GMOs. I've been loving extra firm organic tofu in soup, with buckwheat soba noodle, with brown rice, you name it.