Last week I told you a little bit about my personal background with Meatless Monday. This week, I’m sharing a few of the reasons WHY you might want to give Meatless Monday a try!

1. For your health

Eating less meat (in particular red and processed meat) may lower your risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, obesity, and cancer. On the flipside, increasing your intake of fruits, veggies, and legumes promotes better heart health and more! See the research.

2. For the environment

Livestock production takes a huge toll on our planet, zapping many natural resources and generating more greenhouse gas emissions than the entire transportation sector combined. See the research.

3. To switch it up in the kitchen

Meatless Monday offers a weekly meal-planning prompt and there is an endless well of inspiration to draw from. Surf the #MeatlessMonday hashtag on instagram, browse Pinterest, or subscribe to the Meatless Monday newsletterto get recipes delivered to your inbox weekly.

4. To save some money

Meatless Monday can be good for your wallet, too! While it’s true that some plant-based meat alternatives cost as much as meat, choosing whole plant foods like black beans or chickpeas instead of meat is a great way to save some money and experiment with plant-based cooking.

5. To start your week on a positive note

Last but not least, Monday may have a bad reputation in some ways (case of the Mondays, anyone?) but it’s also the day of the week that more people are quitting smoking, trying to eat healthier, and get back to the gym. Why not flip the switch and embrace that fresh-start mentality that Monday offers? Make it something to look forward to each week. 

Are you giving Meatless Monday a try? What is your reason why?