I’m putting the final touches on Homemakers’ October issue today (it’s full of terrific stories, you’re going to love it!) so guest columnist Catherine Labelle has kindly offered this post:
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I am by no means a vegetarian. I love eating meat. But after a recent dinner party, I started re-examining the way I eat it. It was not a fancy affair, rather, a simple backyard barbecue. My hostess, a budding gourmet, served up baby potatoes sprinkled with rosemary alongside a steak that was grilled to perfection, but it filled more than half my plate. I tried not to stare, but couldn’t stop thinking, What a waste, I will never be able to eat all of that! By the end of the meal I had eaten well in excess of what I intended.
After the barbecue, I started wondering about how much meat should I be eating, Canada’s Food Guide says my steak should have been closer to the size of a deck of cards. Thinking back over the years, I realized that not only had my portions of chicken and beef become bigger, but I was eating meat with every evening meal.
That’s when I came across the Meatless Monday website. The campaign to promote a meat-free dinner each week was set up as a non-profit with the backing of some pretty heavy hitters such as Johns Hopkins Bloomberg and Columbia University Mailman schools of public health. The organization’s goal is to reduce meat consumption by 15 per cent. The reason? To promote personal health and to reduce strain on the environment.
As I flipped through many Meatless Monday pages, I was hooked. I had heard all of the environmental arguments before – that the meat industry contributes nearly one-fifth of man-made greenhouse gas emissions; that an estimated 1,800 to 2,500 gallons of water are used to create one pound of beef; and that 40 calories of fossil fuel energy goes into every calorie of industrialized beef. The site convinced me that I, too, could go meatless for a day.
A few months later, the experience has been good. I may spend a little extra time planning to make sure I still get my protein, and I may not give up my steak anytime soon, but I find myself enjoying cooking again. I now spend time experimenting with different recipes and trying new legumes. My taste buds are certainly delighted.
If you are interested in trying out some meatless recipes, try these decicious options from Homemakers magazine:
- Spanish Style Baked Beans
- Fragrant Quinoa Pilaf with Mushrooms and Almonds
- Lentil Curry
