Meatless Monday Explained

Meatless Monday and Meat Free Monday are international campaigns that encourage people to not eat meat on Mondays to improve their health and the health of the planet.

In 2003, Meatless Monday, founded by marketing professional Sid Lerner,[1] [2] [3] is a non-profit initiative of The Monday Campaigns Inc. in association with the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health Center for a Livable Future. Meatless Monday is based in the United States.

In 2009, Meat Free Monday was founded by Paul McCartney, along with his daughters Mary McCartney, and Stella McCartney.[4]

History

Greece

In the Greek island of Crete, the tradition of consuming legumes every Monday is deeply ingrained, with meat traditionally considered inappropriate to eat on this day. This aligns with the religious observance of Clean Monday in Greece, marking the start of Lent and emphasizing purity, including abstinence from meat. This practice fits well with the Meat Free Monday initiative, reflecting Crete's traditional diet where vegetables and legumes dominate (70% of intake), while meat (10%) and fish and seafood (20%) are less commonly consumed.[5] This culinary tradition aligns with cultural and religious practices aimed at improving health and minimising environmental impact.

United States

During World War I, US President Woodrow Wilson issued a proclamation calling for every Tuesday to be meatless and for one meatless meal to be observed every day, for a total of nine meatless meals each week.[6] The United States Food Administration (USFA) urged families to reduce consumption of key staples to help the war effort and avoid rationing. Conserving food would support U.S. troops as well as feed populations in Europe where food production and distribution had been disrupted by the war. To encourage voluntary rationing, the USFA created the slogan “Food Will Win the War” and coined the terms "Meatless Tuesday" and "Wheatless Wednesday” to remind Americans to reduce intake of those products.[7]

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 USFA provided a wide variety of materials in addition to advertising, including recipe books and menus found in magazines, newspapers and government-sponsored pamphlets.[8]

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.[9] The Truman administration, through the Citizens Food Committee, encouraged "Meatless Tuesdays" and "Poultryless Thursdays" throughout the autumn of 1947; backlash was swift, noncompliance was rampant, and the poultry lobby responded with the National Thanksgiving Turkey Presentation, the forerunner of the modern "turkey pardon."[10]

The Monday Campaigns

Meatless Monday is part of the Healthy Monday initiative.[11] The program follows the nutrition guidelines developed by the USDA.[12] 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 several reasons. Wednesday and Friday are traditionally days for fasting among Catholic and Orthodox Christians. Monday is typically the beginning of the work week, the day when individuals settle back into their weekly routine. Habits that prevailed over the weekend can be forgotten and replaced by other choices.[13] A weekly reminder to restart healthy habits also encourages success. A 2009 trial published in the American Journal of Preventive 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.[14] Monday was also chosen for being alliterative with "Meatless" (cf. Taco Tuesday and other similar day-specific campaigns).[15]

On April 6, 2010, San Francisco became the first city in the United States to officially declare Mondays to be "meat free", calling it their Vegetarian Day. Several other countries have meat-free days as well, including Canada.[16]

United Kingdom

Meat-free Mondays exist in the United Kingdom both as an advertising campaign for Goodlife Foods and as an environmental campaign.[17] On June 15, 2009 Paul McCartney and his daughters Stella and Mary launched a Meat-free Monday campaign.

Argentina

In 2017, the Casa Rosada of Argentina instituted, for one lunch of the day, meat-free Mondays, serving only vegan options to its approximately 500 employees, including Argentinian President Mauricio Macri.[18]

Belgium

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 organisation partially funded by the Flemish government.[19]

Brazil

In October 2009, Meatless Monday was launched in São Paulo with government support by the Brazilian Vegetarian Society.[20] In December 2009, Meatless Mondays launched in Australia.[21]

Israel

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.[22]

Vegetarianism adoption

Meatless Mondays is related to efforts to add daily vegetarian and vegan school meals.

Committed engagement in Meatless Mondays has been associated with a higher likelihood of adopting a vegetarian diet. A 2021 study found that one-third of participants who continually partook in Meatless Monday became vegetarian after 5 years.[23] [24]

Opposition

An attempt by the Greens in Brighton, England, to initiate Meat-Free Mondays, thereby stopping the local council cafeteria selling any meat-based foods, was halted after opposition from council staff.[25]

Press timeline

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. News: Grayce West . Melanie . Ad Man's Meatless Mission . 28 August 2021 . . 15 March 2013 . August 28, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210828234109/https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424127887324532004578362630073201550 . live .
  2. Munno . Greg . Making the Most of Monday . Syracuse University Magazine . 1 April 2012 . 29 . 1 . 36–39 . 28 August 2021 . August 28, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210828025519/https://surface.syr.edu/sumagazine/vol29/iss1/9/ . live .
  3. News: Aubrey . Allison . Campaign Aims To Make Meatless Mondays Hip . 28 August 2021 . . August 9, 2010 . en . December 18, 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20181218135008/https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=129025298 . live .
  4. https://web.archive.org/web/20230316203157/https://meatfreemondays.com/about/ Official website of Meat Free Monday campaign
  5. Book: Psilakis, Nikos . CRETAN COOKING: The miracle of the Cretan diet. 9607448111.
  6. News: Wilson . Woodrow . Woodrow Wilson . January 18, 1918 . President's Proclamation Calling Upon People of Nation to Reduce Consumption of Wheat and Meat Products in Order to Feed America's Associates in the War . Rochester . Edward S. . Official Bulletin . 2 . 219 . . . January 28, 1918 . 3 . In both homes and public eating places, in order to reduce the consumption of beef, pork, and sheep products, Tuesday should be observed as meatless day in each week, one meatless meal should be observed in each day, while, in addition, Saturday in each week should further be observed as a day upon which there should be no consumption of pork products. . March 13, 2016 . June 18, 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200618193714/https://books.google.com/books?id=LW49AQAAMAAJ&pg=RA2-PR10 . live .
  7. Web site: Wheatless Wednesdays . Hoover Museum – Digital Archives . December 31, 2011 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20130911213710/http://www.ecommcode.com/hoover/hooveronline/hoover_bio/archive/food/wheat.htm . September 11, 2013 .
  8. Web site: Archived copy . July 13, 2009 . July 11, 2010 . https://web.archive.org/web/20100711210712/http://exhibits.mannlib.cornell.edu/meatlesswheatless/images/large/Foods%20That%20Will%20Win%20115.jpg . live .
  9. Web site: World War II Rationing . U-s-history.com . May 5, 2010 . May 31, 2013 . https://web.archive.org/web/20130531000246/http://www.u-s-history.com/pages/h1674.html . live .
  10. Web site: Humes . Michele . The Way We Ate: The Year Harry Truman Passed on Pumpkin Pie . Dinersjournal.blogs.nytimes.com . November 23, 2009 . March 3, 2019 . May 7, 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190507123241/https://dinersjournal.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/11/23/the-way-we-ate-the-year-harry-truman-passed-on-pumpkin-pie/ . live .
  11. Web site: Healthy Monday . Healthy Monday . May 5, 2010 . April 10, 2013 . https://web.archive.org/web/20130410095534/http://www.mondaycampaigns.org/ . live .
  12. Web site: United States Department of Agriculture – Home . MyPyramid.gov . March 24, 2010 . May 5, 2010 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20070726014831/http://www.mypyramid.gov/ . July 26, 2007 .
  13. Web site: The Science behind The Monday Campaigns . The Monday Campaigns . Health promotions at the beginning of the week have the potential to reduce negative health events. There’s a spike in heart problems, occupational injuries, strokes, suicides and referrals to secondary care on Monday, which researchers believe is caused by stress, unhealthy weekend behaviors and disruption of sleep cycles. . March 21, 2014 . February 23, 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140223175436/http://www.mondaycampaigns.org/about/research/ . live .
  14. News: Trial: E-nagging can increase healthy activity . Sfgate.com . May 19, 2009 . May 5, 2010 . Victoria . Colliver . January 9, 2010 . https://web.archive.org/web/20100109084943/http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=%2Fc%2Fa%2F2009%2F05%2F19%2FBA4917MKAP.DTL&type=health . live .
  15. Web site: 2021-12-17. What Would Happen If Everyone Stopped Eating Meat One Day a Week?. 2022-04-18. Reader's Digest. en-US.
  16. Web site: Plant-Based Plates. October 1, 2020. October 4, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20201004150604/https://vancouverhumanesociety.bc.ca/plant-based-plates/. live.
  17. Web site: Goodlife Vegetarian Foods: Home Page . Goodlife.co.uk . May 5, 2010 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20090815113841/http://www.goodlife.co.uk/index.htm . August 15, 2009 .
  18. News: A.L.. Argentina's vegan Mondays. The Economist. October 19, 2017. October 19, 2017. October 19, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20171019134225/https://www.economist.com/blogs/economist-explains/2017/10/economist-explains-13. live.
  19. Web site: Actueel • EVA, verleidelijk vegetarisch . Vegetarisme.be . 2010-04-05 . 2010-05-05 . June 21, 2009 . https://web.archive.org/web/20090621224042/http://www.vegetarisme.be/ . live .
  20. Web site: Segunda Sem Carne agora é lei no DF. https://archive.today/20130101014752/http://www.segundasemcarne.com.br/Segunda. dead. January 1, 2013. segundasemcarne.com.br.
  21. Web site: Meatless Mondays Australia . Meatless Mondays Australia . April 26, 2010 . May 5, 2010 . May 5, 2010 . https://web.archive.org/web/20100505115748/http://meatlessmondays-australia.com/ . live .
  22. Web site: על השולחן – בישול, אוכל, מתכונים. Hashulchan.co.il. 2010-05-05. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20091201213610/http://www.hashulchan.co.il/Index.asp?ArticleID=12763&CategoryID=346&Page=1. 2009-12-01.
  23. Web site: 2021-09-02. A Third of Meat Free Monday Participants Go Vegetarian, New Study Finds. 2021-09-06. Green Queen. en-US. September 6, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210906231130/https://www.greenqueen.com.hk/meat-free-monday-vegetarian-study/. live.
  24. 2021-11-01. Beyond "Meat Free Monday": A mixed method study of giving up eating meat. Appetite. en. 166. 105463. 10.1016/j.appet.2021.105463. 0195-6663. De Visser. Richard O.. Barnard. Suzanne. Benham. Daniel. Morse. Rachel. 34153423. 235477098. September 6, 2021.
  25. Web site: Brighton and Hove binmen get "meat-free Monday" the chop . Brighton Argus . July 28, 2011 . September 3, 2011 . October 9, 2012 . https://web.archive.org/web/20121009125219/http://www.theargus.co.uk/news/9165595.Brighton_and_Hove_binmen_get____meat_free_Monday____the_chop/ . live .,/
  26. Web site: Month of Menus at WomansDay.com – Daily Recipes and Shopping List . Womansday.com . May 5, 2010 . May 17, 2010 . https://web.archive.org/web/20100517074158/http://www.womansday.com/Articles/Food/Month-of-Menus!.html . live .
  27. News: Kim ODonnel . A Mighty Appetite Archive by Category . Voices.washingtonpost.com . May 5, 2010 . November 22, 2011 . https://web.archive.org/web/20111122070741/http://voices.washingtonpost.com/mighty-appetite/meatless_monday/ . live .
  28. News: Search Results for Meatless Monday . . February 20, 2020 . September 25, 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150925010008/http://www.huffingtonpost.com/search.php/?q=Meatless+Monday . live .
  29. Web site: Michael Pollan – Omnivore's Dilemma – Environment and Food . Oprah.com . April 22, 2009 . May 5, 2010 . April 26, 2009 . https://web.archive.org/web/20090426201058/http://www.oprah.com/article/oprahshow/20090422-tows-pollan-omnivore/2 . live .
  30. Web site: Carson . Carole . Fat 2 Fit . Aarp.org . May 5, 2010 . May 6, 2010 . https://web.archive.org/web/20100506001624/http://www.aarp.org/health/healthyliving/fat2fit/ . live .
  31. Web site: TakePart – Stories That Matter, Actions That Count. www.foodincmovie.com. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20091010155102/http://www.foodincmovie.com/img/downloads/food_inc_5x7_v3.jpg. October 10, 2009.
  32. Web site: Healthy dinner recipes with nutrition facts . Nutritiondata.com . May 5, 2010 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20100420164134/http://www.nutritiondata.com/topics/recipes . April 20, 2010 .
  33. Web site: |||| Ellen Kanner |||| . Ellen-ink.com . May 5, 2010 . March 3, 2010 . https://web.archive.org/web/20100303172549/http://www.ellen-ink.com/ . live .
  34. Web site: Eat Hearty, Local . Baltimore Sun . September 24, 2009 . May 5, 2010 . October 8, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20211008202534/https://www.baltimoresun.com/ . live .
  35. Web site: Baltimore City Public Schools Honored for Healthy Menu . Jhsph.edu . September 29, 2009 . May 5, 2010 . October 7, 2009 . https://web.archive.org/web/20091007051651/http://www.jhsph.edu/publichealthnews/press_releases/2009/clf_event_farm . live .
  36. Web site: 12 Things To Do . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20101005075230/http://climatecrisis.net/twelve-things-to-do.php . October 5, 2010 . . Try Meatless Mondays.
  37. Web site: Stringer . Scott M. . Scott Stringer . FoodNYC: A Blueprint for a Sustainable Food System . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20130906194745/http://urbanomnibus.net/redux/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/foodnyc.pdf . September 6, 2013 . February 2010 . 24 . Institute Meatless Mondays in City Schools.
  38. Web site: Christ . Lindsey . Manhattan School Cuts The Fat; Urges Others To Join . NY1 . March 1, 2010 . December 31, 2011 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20101104091727/http://manhattan.ny1.com/content/top_stories/114462/charter-school-cuts-the-fat--urges-others-to-join . November 4, 2010 .
  39. Web site: Tyler . Carolyn . San Francisco supervisors approve meat-free Mondays . KGO-TV . April 7, 2010 . December 31, 2011 . January 3, 2012 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120103054732/http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=news%2Flocal%2Fsan_francisco&id=7370993 . live .
  40. Web site: 10 Things I Hate About You: "Meat is Murder" episode . ABC Family . December 31, 2011 . September 5, 2011 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110905082247/http://abcfamily.go.com/watch/10-things-i-hate-about-you/SH5524459/VD5551867/meat-is-murder . live .
  41. News: Elam . Chris . Meatless Mondays: Even Mario Batali's Doing It . Huffington Post . May 3, 2010 . December 31, 2011 . April 21, 2012 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120421072011/http://www.huffingtonpost.com/chris-elam/mario-batali-meatless-mon_b_557589.html . live .
  42. News: Meatless Mondays, a movement that has legs . The Washington Post . Jane . Black . May 19, 2010 . October 30, 2017 . December 3, 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20171203180014/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/05/18/AR2010051800891.html . live .
  43. News: Healthy Monday Tip – Fox News Video – Fox News . Fox News . September 29, 2010 . August 25, 2010 . July 29, 2010 . https://web.archive.org/web/20100729222113/http://video.foxnews.com/v/4293311/healthy-monday-tip . live .
  44. News: Aubrey . Allison . Campaign Aims To Make Meatless Mondays Hip . NPR.org . NPR . August 9, 2010 . December 31, 2011 . January 2, 2012 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120102050406/http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=129025298 . live .
  45. Where's The Beet? . https://web.archive.org/web/20100820115232/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,2010187,00.html . dead . August 20, 2010 . Time . Joel . Stein . August 23, 2010.
  46. News: Andrew Freeman & Co. reveals 2011 hospitality trends. Hotel and Motel Management. October 26, 2010. June 13, 2011. May 19, 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20110519092254/http://www.hospitalityworldnetwork.com/operations/andrew-freeman-co-reveals-2011-trend-list-hospitality-9415. live.
  47. News: Sodexo More Than Triples Reach of Its Meatless Monday Offer . April 18, 2011 . . In the wake of a successful introduction of the Meatless Monday initiative to more than 900 hospitals nationwide, Sodexo is now extending it 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. . March 21, 2014 . March 22, 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140322043116/http://sodexousa.com/usen/media/press-releases/2011/meatlessmondayexpands041811.aspx . live .
  48. News: Sodexo More Than Triples Reach of its Meatless Monday Offer . April 18, 2011 . . June 13, 2011 . April 20, 2011 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110420152919/http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/sodexo-more-than-triples-reach-of-its-meatless-monday-offer-120055684.html . live .
  49. News: Oprah Goes Vegan . February 1, 2011 . . video . June 13, 2011 . August 9, 2011 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110809160733/http://www.oprah.com/oprahshow/Oprah-Goes-Vegan-Video/topic/oprahshow . live .
  50. News: Survey shines light on consumer attitudes toward organic beef, poultry . February 23, 2011 . Sustainable Food News . . June 13, 2011 . April 1, 2011 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110401172022/http://www.sustainablefoodnews.com/story.php?news_id=11948 . live .
  51. News: Meatless Monday Gains Momentum in Communities Nationwide . April 15, 2013 . In June 2011, ... Aspen, CO, became the nation’s first true Meatless Monday community . March 21, 2014 . March 22, 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140322014245/http://www.meatlessmonday.com/articles/meatless-monday-gains-momentum-in-communities-nationwide/ . live .
  52. News: Oksenhorn . Stewart . Take Monday off – from meat . June 5, 2011 . . June 13, 2011 . June 13, 2011 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110613163517/http://www.aspentimes.com/article/20110605/NEWS/110609905 . live .
  53. News: Scott-Thomas . Caroline . Meatless Monday campaign reaches more than half of America . June 9, 2011 . FoodNavigator-USA.com . . Awareness of the 'Meatless Monday' campaign has reached more than half of Americans, according to an online tracking survey conducted by FGI Research. The poll found that 50.22 percent of 2,000 American adults in a nationally representative sample were aware of the campaign ... up from 30 percent awareness six months ago. . March 21, 2014 . May 1, 2013 . https://web.archive.org/web/20130501024722/http://www.foodnavigator-usa.com/Suppliers2/Meatless-Monday-campaign-reaches-more-than-half-of-America . live .
  54. News: Lowery . Wesley . City Council asks L.A. residents to go 'meatless' on Mondays . Los Angeles Times . Los Angeles, CA . November 12, 2012 . November 12, 2012.
  55. Web site: Meatless Mondays . LACityClerk Connect . November 9, 2012 . November 12, 2012 . November 2, 2013 . https://web.archive.org/web/20131102045949/http://cityclerk.lacity.org/lacityclerkconnect/index.cfm?fa=ccfi.viewrecord&cfnumber=12-1721 . live .
  56. News: Meatless Mondays in 15 NYC Schools . October 27, 2017 . October 27, 2017 . City of New York . October 27, 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20171027020534/http://www1.nyc.gov/office-of-the-mayor/news/675-17/mayor-de-blasio-chancellor-fari-a-borough-president-adams-15-brooklyn-schools-to . live .
  57. News: Students Dine On All-Veggie Menus As 'Meatless Mondays' Hit Some City Schools . October 27, 2017 . October 23, 2017 . CBS New York . October 24, 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20171024035804/http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2017/10/23/meatless-mondays-new-york-city/ . live .