Meatless Monday started as an initiative to promote healthy eating and curb the environmental costs of meat production and has since expanded into a powerful, international campaign.
Seriously, going meatless once a week is entirely do-able. Reducing meat consumption has been shown to reduce the risk of chronic diseases like cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and obesity. Plus, it can dramatically curb the amount of energy, fossil fuels, and water used in the US.
You can still get protein and calcium in your diet without animal protein/products. A lot of Americans believe that the word protein is synonymous only with meat, and calcium only with milk, but this isn’t necessarily true. For those of you adventurous to try out Meatless Monday, here are some tips to get the nutrients you need from plant-based foods. (Hint: Three words… Green. Leafy. Vegetables.)
Getting the protein you need from plant-based foods:
- Green Leafy Vegetables (Broccoli – 5 g/cup, Kale – 5 g/cup, Spinach – 5 g/cup)
- Legumes (Lentils – 18 g/cup, Pinto, Kidney, Black Beans – 13-15 g/cup)
- Nuts and Seeds (Sesame seeds – 6.5 g/cup, Almonds – 4 g/cup)
- Grains (Quinoa – 9 g/cup, Oatmeal – 6 g/cup)
Getting the calcium you need from plant-based foods:
- Collard greens – 357 mg/cup
- Kale – 179 mg/cup
- Bok Choy – 158 mg/cup
- Soybeans – 175 mg/cup
- Navy beans – 126/ cup
- Black beans – 102 mg/cup
Just for reference, 1 cup of milk contains 300 mg.
Sources: Meatlessmonday.com and PETA