Monday. Sure, you’re not too thrilled about that alarm clock but, once you get through it, Monday’s a fresh start. It’s a new week, yours for the taking. 

Want to make the most of it? You could book a crazy vacation or wear something truly daring to work. Or you could make a pretty simple change that has impressively far-reaching impacts. Try a meatless Monday.

What is a meatless Monday?

It’s exactly what it sounds like. Every Monday, you don’t eat any meat. This is an awesome way to make a foray into vegetarianism if that’s something you’ve been interested in. Picking just one day a week to take it for a spin makes it a whole lot easier to figure out your food balance and make sure you’re getting enough of the nutrients you need even when you take meat out of your diet. 

But even if eating vegetarian doesn’t particularly appeal to you, meatless Monday is a concept worth exploring. Why? Let’s check it out. 

The benefits of a meatless Monday

Meatless Monday’s benefits are twofold. First, it’s pretty great for your body. And, secondly, it’s super good for the environment.

The health benefits of going meatless

In case you haven’t heard, plants are awesome for your body. They support heart health and make it easier to maintain a healthy weight all while helping you avoid cancer and diabetes. Not bad, eh?

The issue is that the standard American diet relies very heavily on meat and carbs, with plants often relegated to sidekick status. When meat’s off the table (literally and figuratively), though, you have to figure something else out. And more often than not, that means adding more plants to your meal. 

Oh, and you’ll also be saving money since meat is almost always one of the most expensive items on your grocery list. 

The environmental impact of ditching meat on Mondays

Raising livestock takes a toll on the earth. It uses up 75% of the earth’s available farmable land and produces more greenhouse gases than every single car, truck, plane, and train on earth. If you skip a serving of beef every Monday for a year, you’d make the same environmental impact as driving 350 fewer miles in the average car. 

If you’ve been looking for a way to be a little bit healthier or a little bit greener, why not do both and take meatless Monday for a spin?

Be well,