I hope I don’t step on any hooves when I say this, but it’s been suggested that one way to reduce the wear and tear on our planet is to eat less meat. The reasoning is that the amount of land, grain, water, and other resources to produce one hamburger is huge. We can alleviate that usage by reducing our consumption of meat.
Now, we are some of the biggest carnivores I know and my freezer has regularly stored a side of beef over the years, so please don’t read this as a militant command to go vegan. It’s not.
(Please pass the tri-tip.)
But, what I am saying is that it is okay to reduce meat in our diets. It is, certainly, a more frugal way to go. Some nutritionists would say it’s a healthier way to go. And our green friends would suggest that it’s gentler on our environment.
So this week’s Ultimate Recipe Swap will feature Meatless Main Dishes. Come on Thursday and share a favorite menu that does not contain meat. (Dairy and eggs are allowed.) Read the URS Guidelines here.
Sorry, friends, no dessert, no breads. Another time.
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{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }
I try to make a meatless main dish once a week. Helps save a little $ too, because meat can be expensive. It’s made me appreciate the complexity of veggies even more!
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Hmmm. Interesting. I love veggies and if I never ate meat, I’d be just fine. My husband is probably one of our country’s biggest carnivors so I don’t know that I will have anything to contribute. I may have to look in my pre-wedding recipes for that one!
Lol!
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Have you ever read a book called “Animal, Vegetable, Miracle” by Barbara Kingsolver? It does take a lot of wear and tear to get that meat (or produce) shipped to us, and it is a lot better if we eat locally. Still working on that one.
However, we eat several meatless meals during the week to cut down on costs. A family favorite is Crockpot Chili
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We almost always have meatless main dishes… it’s healthier and it’s “greener”.
From a ecology perspective, it has to do with energy transfer among plants, animals and higher-level consumers, such as humans. I’ll hopefully be writing more on my blog about this this week
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Looking forward to these recipes!
Out of curiosity, where do fish and seafood fit in here? As a Catholic, we consider those “not meat” for Lenten fasting purposes, but I plead ignorance about whether they have the same environmental impact as other types of meat (beef, chicken, pork, etc…)
And, well, I have an awesome seafood crepe recipe…
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