Why CK ‘Meatless Monday’?
Our home delivery clients know that, every Monday, we serve up a bounty of vegetables, plant proteins and housemade vegan sauces and dressings. To us, “total body wellness” is synonymous with ‘everything in moderation’ but, for most Americans, the proportions of vegetables consumed (compared to animal proteins and grains) is far from balanced. In addition, by grubbin’ on more greens, we can reduce our carbon footprint and decrease pollution and global warming.
According to an article published in The Economist (April 2016), meat provides 17% of global calorific intake (and this is data from back in 2016!), but it requires a disproportionate amount of water and feed. And more land is given over to grazing animals than for any other single purpose.
Overall the livestock sector accounts for between 8% and 18% of global emissions—about as much pollution as comes out the tailpipes of the world’s cars. Ruminant livestock, such as cattle and sheep, have stomachs containing bacteria able to digest tough, cellulose-rich plants. But along the way, huge volumes of gases are released too. The UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization estimates that the world’s domesticated ruminants annually release 100m tons of methane—a greenhouse gas 25 times more powerful than carbon dioxide.
A widespread switch to vegetarianism could curb emissions by nearly two thirds and veganism by 70%. More careful diets would also offer more direct health benefits.
Do you need to drastically change your diet overnight? No. Just adding a little more green to your routine will do your body, and the planet, good. Try going “veggie” one day a week and notice how your body feels. Giving your body a break from processing harder-to-digest animal proteins (specifically, red meat) can aid in digestion and leave you feeling a little lighter – all while lightening the load on Mother Earth.
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