5 Reasons To Try "Meatless Monday"

The Vegetarian Diet eliminates dairy products, which may be very helpful for the 1 out of 10 Americans who are lactose-intolerant today. Lactose intolerance is the inability or insufficient ability to digest lactose, a sugar found in milk and milk products. People who are mildly lactose-intolerant can often enjoy small amounts of dairy products such as yogurt, cheese and lactose-free milk. But if you avoid dairy altogether, you can still get a healthful dose of calcium from dry beans, tofu, soymilk and dark green vegetables such as broccoli, kale, collards and turnip greens. In relation to stomach pain, a vegetarian diet can help to reduce cramps and PMS. A study conducted at Georgetown University has found that estrogen levels can be reduced by eating a low-fat, vegetarian diet that is high in fiber. When women in the study ate such a diet they experienced less severe menstrual symptoms, and for less time. When the women ate their normal, omnivorous diets, their symptoms of menstrual distress were longer and more severe.

By going vegetarian, we can help prevent global warming, rainforest destruction, and pollution, while saving water and other precious resources. In fact, raising animals for food produces more greenhouse gas emissions than all of the cars, planes, and other forms of transportation combined. You can help reduce pollution. Some people become vegetarians after realizing the devastation that the meat industry is having on the environment. According to the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), chemical and animal waste runoff from factory farms is responsible for more than 173,000 miles of polluted rivers and streams. Many vegetarians give up meat because of their concern for animals. Ten billion animals are slaughtered for human consumption each year. Unlike the farms in previous generations where animals roamed freely, today most animals are factory farmed crammed into cages where they can barely move and fed a diet tainted with pesticides and antibiotics.

Meat accounts for 10 percent of Americans food spending. Eating vegetables, grains and fruits in place of the 200 pounds of beef, chicken and fish each nonvegetarian eats annually would cut individual food bills by an average of $4,000 a year. In most homes, a traditional dinner centers around the meat of the meal, usually accompanied by a starchy side dish such as potatoes, rice or pasta. Vegetables are subjected to a supporting role, perhaps a salad or a spoonful of something green at the edge of the plate. Up your veggies on the plate; meats are typically more expensive than starches or vegetables. The smart way to go is to buy in bulk. This is one of the biggest money-saving tricks out there. Try browsing the bulk bins at your grocery store for your favorite nuts, seeds, grains, beans and dried fruit. Since they’re priced by weight, you get way more bang for your buck.