Meatless Monday
Encyclopedia
Meatless Monday is an international campaign that encourages people to not eat meat on Monday
s to improve their health and the health of the planet
.
Meatless Monday is a non-profit initiative of The Monday Campaigns Inc. in association with the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health Center for a Livable Future. Meatless Monday was founded in 2003 by marketing professional Sid Lerner. The program follows the nutrition guidelines developed by the USDA.
Meatless Monday is part of the Healthy Monday initiative. Healthy Monday encourages Americans to make healthier decisions at the start of every week. Other Healthy Monday campaigns include: The Kids Cook Monday, Monday 2000, Quit and Stay Quit Monday, Move it Monday, The Monday Mile, and others.
Meatless Monday focuses its initiative on Mondays for multiple reasons. Monday is typically the beginning of the work week, the day when individuals settle back into their weekly routine. Unhealthy habits that prevailed over the weekend can be forgotten and replaced by positive choices. A weekly reminder to restart healthy habits also encourages success. A 2009 trial published in the American Journal of Preventative Medicine provided individuals with weekly health prompts and encouragement. Approximately two thirds of participants responded with improvements in their overall health, eating habits and physical activity levels.
, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration
(FDA) urged families to reduce consumption of key staples to help the war effort. Conserving food would support U.S. troops as well as feed populations in Europe where food production and distribution had been disrupted by war. To encourage voluntary rationing, the FDA created the slogan “Food Will Win the War” and coined the terms "Meatless monday" and "Wheatless Wednesday” to remind Americans to reduce intake of these products.
Herbert Hoover
was the head of the Food Administration as well as the American Relief Association during Woodrow Wilson
's presidency, and played a key role implementing the campaign, which was one of Hoover’s many attempts to encourage volunteerism and sacrifice among Americans during the war. The FDA provided a wide variety of materials in addition to advertising, including recipe books and menus found in magazines, newspapers & government sponsored pamphlets.
The campaign returned with the onset of World War II
, calling upon women on the home front to play a role in supporting the war effort. During this time meat was being rationed, along with other commodities like sugar and gasoline.
Meatless Monday was restarted in 2003 as a public health awareness program. The campaign was endorsed by the Center for a Livable Future (a division of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health) as well as over 20 public health schools. In April 2009, Meatless Monday launched an informational video noting the effects of meat consumption on climate change.
Meatless Monday is based in the United States, but meatless days (Monday in particular) are gaining popularity worldwide. Meat-free Mondays exist in the United Kingdom both as an advertising campaign for Goodlife Foods and as an environmental campaign. On June 15, 2009 Paul McCartney
and his daughters Stella and Mary launched a Meat-free Monday campaign with an official website. In December 2009 Meatless Mondays launched in Australia.
In May 2009, the city of Ghent, Belgium became the first city with 'official' weekly vegetarian days. Veggie Thursday (or "Donderdag Veggiedag” in Dutch) was created by the Ethical Vegetarian Alternative, an organization partially funded by the Flemish government. Israeli magazine Al Hashulchan (On the Table) introduced the Sheni Tzimchoni (Vegetarian Monday) initiative in June 2009. Dozens of Israel’s top restaurants will create innovative meatless meals on Mondays throughout July and August 2009. On April 6, 2010, San Francisco became the first US city to officially declare Mondays to be "meat free" calling it their Vegetarian Day.
Several other countries have meat free days as well, including Canada.
Monday
Monday is the day of the week between Sunday and Tuesday. According to international standard ISO 8601 it is the first day of the work week. According to the Islamic and Hebrew calendars, Sunday is the first day of the week...
s to improve their health and the health of the planet
Environmental effects of meat production
The environmental impact of meat production includes pollution and the use of resources such as fossil fuels, water, and land. According to a 2006 report by the Livestock, Environment And Development Initiative, the livestock industry is one of the largest contributors to environmental degradation...
.
Meatless Monday is a non-profit initiative of The Monday Campaigns Inc. in association with the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health Center for a Livable Future. Meatless Monday was founded in 2003 by marketing professional Sid Lerner. The program follows the nutrition guidelines developed by the USDA.
Meatless Monday is part of the Healthy Monday initiative. Healthy Monday encourages Americans to make healthier decisions at the start of every week. Other Healthy Monday campaigns include: The Kids Cook Monday, Monday 2000, Quit and Stay Quit Monday, Move it Monday, The Monday Mile, and others.
Meatless Monday focuses its initiative on Mondays for multiple reasons. Monday is typically the beginning of the work week, the day when individuals settle back into their weekly routine. Unhealthy habits that prevailed over the weekend can be forgotten and replaced by positive choices. A weekly reminder to restart healthy habits also encourages success. A 2009 trial published in the American Journal of Preventative Medicine provided individuals with weekly health prompts and encouragement. Approximately two thirds of participants responded with improvements in their overall health, eating habits and physical activity levels.
History
During World War IWorld War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration
Food and Drug Administration
The Food and Drug Administration is an agency of the United States Department of Health and Human Services, one of the United States federal executive departments...
(FDA) urged families to reduce consumption of key staples to help the war effort. Conserving food would support U.S. troops as well as feed populations in Europe where food production and distribution had been disrupted by war. To encourage voluntary rationing, the FDA created the slogan “Food Will Win the War” and coined the terms "Meatless monday" and "Wheatless Wednesday” to remind Americans to reduce intake of these products.
Herbert Hoover
Herbert Hoover
Herbert Clark Hoover was the 31st President of the United States . Hoover was originally a professional mining engineer and author. As the United States Secretary of Commerce in the 1920s under Presidents Warren Harding and Calvin Coolidge, he promoted partnerships between government and business...
was the head of the Food Administration as well as the American Relief Association during Woodrow Wilson
Woodrow Wilson
Thomas Woodrow Wilson was the 28th President of the United States, from 1913 to 1921. A leader of the Progressive Movement, he served as President of Princeton University from 1902 to 1910, and then as the Governor of New Jersey from 1911 to 1913...
's presidency, and played a key role implementing the campaign, which was one of Hoover’s many attempts to encourage volunteerism and sacrifice among Americans during the war. The FDA provided a wide variety of materials in addition to advertising, including recipe books and menus found in magazines, newspapers & government sponsored pamphlets.
The campaign returned with the onset of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, calling upon women on the home front to play a role in supporting the war effort. During this time meat was being rationed, along with other commodities like sugar and gasoline.
Meatless Monday was restarted in 2003 as a public health awareness program. The campaign was endorsed by the Center for a Livable Future (a division of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health) as well as over 20 public health schools. In April 2009, Meatless Monday launched an informational video noting the effects of meat consumption on climate change.
Meatless Monday is based in the United States, but meatless days (Monday in particular) are gaining popularity worldwide. Meat-free Mondays exist in the United Kingdom both as an advertising campaign for Goodlife Foods and as an environmental campaign. On June 15, 2009 Paul McCartney
Paul McCartney
Sir James Paul McCartney, MBE, Hon RAM, FRCM is an English musician, singer-songwriter and composer. Formerly of The Beatles and Wings , McCartney is listed in Guinness World Records as the "most successful musician and composer in popular music history", with 60 gold discs and sales of 100...
and his daughters Stella and Mary launched a Meat-free Monday campaign with an official website. In December 2009 Meatless Mondays launched in Australia.
In May 2009, the city of Ghent, Belgium became the first city with 'official' weekly vegetarian days. Veggie Thursday (or "Donderdag Veggiedag” in Dutch) was created by the Ethical Vegetarian Alternative, an organization partially funded by the Flemish government. Israeli magazine Al Hashulchan (On the Table) introduced the Sheni Tzimchoni (Vegetarian Monday) initiative in June 2009. Dozens of Israel’s top restaurants will create innovative meatless meals on Mondays throughout July and August 2009. On April 6, 2010, San Francisco became the first US city to officially declare Mondays to be "meat free" calling it their Vegetarian Day.
Several other countries have meat free days as well, including Canada.
Opposition
An attempt by the Greens in Brighton, UK, to stop the local council cafeteria selling any meat based foods was halted after opposition from council workers.Press timeline
- Woman's DayWoman's DayWoman's Day is aimed at a female readership, covering such subjects as food, nutrition, fitness, beauty and fashion. The magazine edition is one of the "Seven Sisters", a group of women's service magazines....
magazine has included Meatless Monday on their monthly recipe calendar since 2004. Each menu offers healthy meal options for four and includes a set weekly shopping list. - From September 2008 to July 2009, Kim O’Donnel, a food journalist and trained cook, offered weekly Meatless Monday recipes in her Washington PostThe Washington PostThe Washington Post is Washington, D.C.'s largest newspaper and its oldest still-existing paper, founded in 1877. Located in the capital of the United States, The Post has a particular emphasis on national politics. D.C., Maryland, and Virginia editions are printed for daily circulation...
column “A Mighty Appetite”. - The Face on Your Plate: The Truth About Food, written in March 2009 by Jeffrey Moussaieff MassonJeffrey Moussaieff MassonDr. Jeffrey Moussaieff Masson is an American author, residing in New Zealand. Masson is best known for his conclusions about Sigmund Freud and psychoanalysis...
acknowledged Meatless Monday as a way to reduce meat consumption and improve overall health. - Articles regarding Meatless Monday have been published by several authors in The Huffington PostThe Huffington PostThe Huffington Post is an American news website and content-aggregating blog founded by Arianna Huffington, Kenneth Lerer, and Jonah Peretti, featuring liberal minded columnists and various news sources. The site offers coverage of politics, theology, media, business, entertainment, living, style,...
since April 2009. Notable contributor Kathy Freston is author of several self-help & wellness books, including The Quantum Wellness Cleanse. - In his book In Defense of FoodIn Defense of FoodIn Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto is a 2008 book by journalist and activist Michael Pollan. It was number one on the New York Times Non-Fiction Best Seller List for six weeks. The book grew out of Pollan's 2007 essay Unhappy Meals published in the New York Times Magazine...
(May, 2009) journalist Michael PollanMichael PollanMichael Pollan is an American author, journalist, activist, and professor of journalism at the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism. A 2006 New York Times book review describes him as a "liberal foodie intellectual."...
coined the phrase "Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants." He has since cited Meatless Monday as a way to reach this goal.
- In April 2009 Pollan expressed the need for Americans to reduce meat consumption on The Oprah Winfrey ShowThe Oprah Winfrey ShowThe Oprah Winfrey Show is an American syndicated talk show hosted and produced by its namesake Oprah Winfrey. It ran nationally for 25 seasons beginning in 1986, before concluding in 2011. It is the highest-rated talk show in American television history....
: "even one meatless day a week—a Meatless Monday, which is what we do in our household—if everybody in America did that, that would be the equivalent of taking 20 million mid-size sedans off the road."- Carole Carson, author and spokeswoman for AARP'sAARPAARP, formerly the American Association of Retired Persons, is the United States-based non-governmental organization and interest group, founded in 1958 by Ethel Percy Andrus, PhD, a retired educator from California, and based in Washington, D.C. According to its mission statement, it is "a...
“Fat 2 Fit” challenge, began offering Meatless Monday recipes to AARP’s online community in June 2009. - In June 2009, the film Food, Inc.Food, Inc.Food, Inc. is a 2008 American documentary film directed by Emmy Award-winning filmmaker Robert Kenner. The film examines corporate farming in the United States, concluding that agribusiness produces food that is unhealthy, in a way that is environmentally harmful and abusive of both animals and...
listed Meatless Monday as one of the 10 Things You Can Do To Change Our Food System. - Also in June 2009 leading recipe site EpicuriousEpicuriousEpicurious is a website dedicated to recipes, cooking, drinking, entertaining and restaurants, and its existence hearkens back to one of the World Wide Web's earliest presences. It is owned by Condé Nast. The site also includes recipes from Bon Appétit magazine and now defunct Gourmet magazine. The...
teamed up with NutritionData.com to start offering weekly Meatless Monday recipes. - In July 2009, The Huffington Post Green began a weekly Meatless Monday recipe column. The articles are written by nationally syndicated columnist Ellen Kanner, The Edgy Veggie.
- Baltimore City Public Schools began a system-wide Meatless Monday program in 2009. The initiative also includes health education and produce from local sources. BCPS's efforts were acknowledged by Johns Hopkins University in September 2009, when they were given the Center for a Livable Future Award.
- In December 2009, Al GoreAl GoreAlbert Arnold "Al" Gore, Jr. served as the 45th Vice President of the United States , under President Bill Clinton. He was the Democratic Party's nominee for President in the 2000 U.S. presidential election....
formally endorsed the Meatless Monday campaign before EU Parliament. Gore now lists Meatless Monday as one of the Top 12 Things You Can Do Now for a better world on his Climate Crisis blog. - Manhattan borough president Scott StringerScott StringerScott M. Stringer is a New York Democratic politician and currently the 26th Borough President of Manhattan.-Life and career:...
proposed that all New York CityNew York CityNew York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
public schools switch to Meatless Monday in his Food NYC report on February 17, 2010. Several NYC schools have followed the recommendation. - The San Francisco Board of Supervisors passed a Meatless Monday resolution on April 6, 2010 to “encourage restaurants, schools and grocery stores to offer plant-based options”.
- On April 12, 2010, The Johns Hopkins HospitalJohns Hopkins HospitalThe Johns Hopkins Hospital is the teaching hospital and biomedical research facility of Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, located in Baltimore, Maryland . It was founded using money from a bequest by philanthropist Johns Hopkins...
launched Meatless Monday in their cafeteria. - ABC FamilyABC FamilyABC Family, stylized as abc family, is an American television network, owned by ABC Family Worldwide Inc., a subsidiary of the Disney-ABC Television Group division of The Walt Disney Company...
's teen TV Series 10 Things I Hate About You10 Things I Hate about You10 Things I Hate About You is a 1999 American teen romantic comedy film. It is directed by Gil Junger and stars Heath Ledger, Julia Stiles, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Larisa Oleynik, David Krumholtz, and Larry Miller...
aired an episode called "Meat is Murder"on April 19, 2010, where one of the lead characters, Kat, convinces her student council to launch Meatless Mondays in their high school cafeteria. - Chef Mario BataliMario BataliMario Batali is an American chef, writer, restaurateur and media personality. In addition to his classical culinary training, he is an expert on the history and culture of Italian cuisine, including regional and local variations. Batali co-owns restaurants in New York City, Las Vegas, Los Angeles,...
unveiled Meatless Monday menus in all 14 of his restaurants in April 2010. Each menu now includes two weekly features. - The Washington Post reported on the international growth of the campaign on May 19, 2010. The article details the rising Meatless Monday movement and the meat industry’s reaction.
- Fox News' Sunday Housecall with Dr. Isadore Rosenfeld aired a segment featuring Meatless Monday on July 25, 2010. He stated that recent studies showed meat consumption can impede weight loss. Dr. Rosenfeld presents a Healthy Monday tip on his show each week.
- On August 9, 2010, NPRNPRNPR, formerly National Public Radio, is a privately and publicly funded non-profit membership media organization that serves as a national syndicator to a network of 900 public radio stations in the United States. NPR was created in 1970, following congressional passage of the Public Broadcasting...
conducted an interview with Sid Lerner, the founder of the Meatless Monday campaign, about the growing public awareness and support. - TIME magazine profiled six chefs that are creating flexitarian dishes in their August 23, 2010 issue. Included were Meatless Monday supporters Mario BataliMario BataliMario Batali is an American chef, writer, restaurateur and media personality. In addition to his classical culinary training, he is an expert on the history and culture of Italian cuisine, including regional and local variations. Batali co-owns restaurants in New York City, Las Vegas, Los Angeles,...
, Wolfgang PuckWolfgang PuckWolfgang Johannes Puck is an Austrian-American celebrity chef, restaurateur, businessman and occasional actor. Wolfgang Puck restaurants, catering services, cookbooks and licensed products are run by Wolfgang Puck Companies, with three divisions...
and John Fraser. - Andrew Freeman & Co. included Meatless Monday in their 2011 Tend List: 18 up-and-coming ideas that restaurateurs should be watching, noting that “Meatless Mondays and vegetable based tasting menus are gaining traction as guests realize it’s not all about the meat on the plate.”
- Institutional feeder Sodexo announced in January 2011 that it would be offering Meatless Monday materials to more than 900 hospitals in their network. This effort was expanded in April 2011 when Sodexo provided materials to more than 2000 corporate and government client locations in North America, including Toyota, Northern Trust Bank and the U.S. Department of the Interior.
- In February 2011 The Oprah Winfrey ShowThe Oprah Winfrey ShowThe Oprah Winfrey Show is an American syndicated talk show hosted and produced by its namesake Oprah Winfrey. It ran nationally for 25 seasons beginning in 1986, before concluding in 2011. It is the highest-rated talk show in American television history....
highlighted Meatless Monday in an episode on vegan living. Oprah declared that Meatless Monday options would be available in the Harpo Studios cafeteria. Oprah then asked her studio audience to take part in the campaign, saying “Meatless Monday is something you can do at home with your family if you choose”. - A report by the American Meat Institute in February 2011 found that 18% of American households now participate in Meatless Mondays.
- In June 2011 Aspen, Colorado became the first official “Meatless Monday city” with over 20 local restaurants, Aspen Valley Hospital, Aspen Elementary School, The Aspen Club & Spa, and The University of Colorado School of Medicine participating.
- A tracking study conducted by FGI research found that, as of May 23 2011, U.S. awareness of the Meatless Monday campaign had reached 50.22% (up from 30% 6 months previously). Of those aware of Meatless Monday, 27.47% said the campaign had influenced their decision to cut back on meat. In response Meatless Monday launched their “get the other half” initiative, aimed at encouraging participants to tell their friends and family about the movement.
- Carole Carson, author and spokeswoman for AARP's