I found this on Meatless Monday and liked what a good job they did summarizing the benefits of going Meatless on Mondays!

Going meatless once a week may reduce your risk of chronic preventable conditions like cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and obesity. It can also help reduce your carbon footprint and save precious resources like fresh water and fossil fuel.

Read about these benefits below. But keep in mind that just going meatless is not enough. That’s why we give you the information you need to add healthy, environmentally friendly meat-free alternatives to your diet each week.

  Health Benefits

• REDUCE RISK OF HEART DISEASE. Beans, peas, lentils, nuts and seeds contain little to no saturated fats. Reducing your intake of saturated fats can help keep your cholesterol low and reduce your risk of heart disease.
• MAINTAIN HEALTHY WEIGHT. A plant-based diet is a great source of fiber, which is absent in animal products. Foods rich in fiber make you feel full with fewer calories, resulting in lower calorie intake and less overeating. On average, Americans get less than half the recommended daily quantity of fiber.[1]
• IMPROVE OVERALL QUALITY OF DIET. Consuming dry beans or peas results in higher intakes of fiber, protein, folate, zinc, iron and magnesium with lower intakes of saturated fat and total fat.[2]

Environmental Benefits

• REDUCE YOUR CARBON FOOTPRINT. The United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization estimates the meat industry generates nearly one-fifth of the man-made greenhouse gas emissions that are accelerating climate change worldwide . . . far more than transportation.[3] And annual worldwide demand for meat continues to grow. Reining in meat consumption once a week can help slow this trend.
• MINIMIZE WATER USAGE. The water needs of livestock are tremendous, far above those of vegetables or grains. An estimated 1,800 to 2,500 gallons of water go into a single pound of beef.[4] Soy tofu produced in California requires 220 gallons of water per pound.[5]
• HELP REDUCE FOSSIL FUEL DEPENDENCE. On average, about 40 calories of fossil fuel energy go into every calorie of feed lot beef in the U.S.[6] Compare this to the 2.2 calories of fossil fuel energy needed to produce one calorie of plant-based protein.[7] Moderating meat consumption is a great way to cut fossil fuel demand.

Notes:

1. Moshfegh, Alanna; Goldman, Joseph; and Cleveland, Linda. 2005. What We Eat in America, NHANES 2001-2002: Usual Nutrient Intakes from Food Compared to Dietary Reference Intakes. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service.
2. Mitchell DC, Lawrence FR, et al. Consumption of dry beans, peas, and lentils could improve diet quality in the US population. J Am Diet Assoc. 2009 May;109(5):909-13.
3. Steinfeld, H., et al., Livestock’s long shadow: Environmental issues and options. 2006, Food and
   Agriculture Oganization of the United Nations: Rome, Italy
4. Kreith, M., Water Inputs in California Food Production. 1991, Water Education Foundation: Sacramento,
   CA.
5. Kreith, M., Water Inputs in California Food Production. 1991, Water Education Foundation: Sacramento,
   CA.
6. Pimentel, D. and M. Pimentel, Sustainability of meat-based and plant-based diets and the environment.
   American Joural of Clinical Nutrition, 2003. 78: p. 66S-3S.
7. Pimentel, D. and M. Pimentel, Sustainability of meat-based and plant-based diets and the environment.
   American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 2003. 78: p. 1.

This is so exciting!  You all know I don’t eat meat but I don’t like to be preachy about it (hopefully I don’t come off that way!).  I do love the Meatless Monday movement though and don’t have a problem pushing it.  Going meatless on Mondays is a simple way to lessen your impact on the environment and improve your health.  Push your school system to follow suit and try adopting Meatless Mondays in your own home.

(from Meatless Monday)

The Baltimore City Public School system is about to become the first fully Meatless Monday school system in the U.S. They’re joining a growing international movement of individuals, organizations, communities and cities making the commitment to lower meat consumption and enjoy a plant-based diet on Mondays.

The 80,000 young people BCPS serves will begin each week with a Meatless Monday menu. And that’s not all. The school system has introduced a wide variety of projects to ensure its students eat and learn about healthy, environmentally friendly choices. BCPS has teemed up with local farmers and distributors to provide students fresh, locally raised fruits, vegetables and milk. They’ve also introduced Great Kids Farm, a 33-acre teaching farm, home to chickens, goats and a variety of fruits and vegetables. Educators on the farm teach kids and adults how to produce home-grown fresh food, even in an urban setting. BCPS is also in the process of developing gardens for each of the system’s 200 schools.