Reducing meat consumption is an important consideration—and not just for the sake of animal welfare.

Not just for our own personal health either.

It’s one of the most serious behaviors we need to consider if we care about climate change. 

“We have to change, we cannot go on with business as usual. We need, each of us, to think about our carbon footprint. Eat less meat, or no meat at all. Become vegetarian or vegan. Let’s commit to the Paris agreement. Let’s commit to leave no one behind.” ~ Mary Robinson

Animal agriculture, on the current scale of production, is a serious threat to our global habitat. But it will continue unabated unless we, the citizens of the planet, decide otherwise. We decide this through our daily actions, through our daily choices: what products we buy and consume.

Production of meat won’t decline until demand does.

And reducing our meat intake doesn’t have to be as difficult as you might imagine. We need two things to survive: awareness and preparation. To help with the latter, I’m sharing a suggested meal plan for you to consider over the weekend. Hopefully it will encourage folks to participate in the Meat-Free Mondays campaign, which urges people to consider at least one meat-free day per week.

Choose any day you wish, but please do have a completely vegetarian day this week—it will make a difference.

This week’s recipes all have an Asian twist:

Breakfast: Corn & Scallion Pancakes

I don’t think these pancakes would typically be eaten for breakfast in China, but I’ll gladly have them for breakfast (or lunch or supper). I’m not a fan of corn, so I go with a simple scallion pancake. And can I just say, Mmm Hmm! 

Lunch: Curried Coconut Soup

Soup makes for a perfect autumnal lunch. Usually at this time of year, I opt for root veg soups for their heartiness. But after a while, it gets a bit tired, so this recipe appealed for variety. The light, Asian flavors are refreshing, while the chili keeps it warming. So, while the Thai theme might hark to warmer places, the soup is more than satisfying for our colder seasons.

Dinner: Spicy Mushroom Burger

I haven’t come across a vegetarian burger recipe with mushrooms before, and once I saw this, a lightbulb went off. Mushroom is the perfect vegetable substitute for meat. When diced, it helps give both a meaty texture and flavor. (I may have imagined it, but I even thought they smelled meaty while frying.)

The Asian kick comes from the ginger, chili, garlic and cilantro combination—always heavenly, in my book. And as this is an “East meets West” theme, the perfect accompaniment (to my mind) is a side of fries. (You could try these healthy sweet potato fries, with an equally healthy salad, but I indulged in Irish style curry chips.)

If Asian cuisine isn’t your thing, we have plenty of other suggestions in the archives. And we’re always looking for new recipes, so you might think of submitting your own.

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Relephant:

Hearty, Warming Meals for Meat Free Monday. {Recipes}

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Author: Hilda Carroll

Image: Pixabay

Editor: Yoli Ramazzina