Hello, my Witchlets!
Today, we’re talking about zucchini, Meatless Monday, and why Meatless Monday is a good idea for the environment.
This is the second time I’ve made this dish. I made it per the recipe here the first time I made it. This is the second time. This time, I used a kale alfredo sauce, ricotta (instead of cream cheese like I did the first time), and white wine vinegar because I do not currently have any white balsamic. We really enjoyed this version–possibly even more than the regular version!
I try to do Meatless Mondays and Fish Fridays every week. Not because I’m trying to be special or whatever, but because I really am trying to eat more fish and help the environment by reducing my carbon footprint through the food choices I make.
What do I mean by this?
First, we can all agree that ultra-processed foods can have a negative health impact on our bodies. The Laborers’ Health & Safety Fund of North America has a really good article on ultra-processed foods, as does Medical News Today.
Second, we can agree that greenhouse gasses are a threat to our environment through global warming. According to Gerber, Steinfeld, Henderson, et. al (2013), 15% of greenhouse gas emissions come from the production of meat and dairy. I worked on a dairy farm for a few semesters in my undergrad, and I’ve seen just how much energy goes into milking and feeding the cows. Also, as a side note, baby cows are adorable, but their noses are made of slime. It’s a serious detractor from their adorableness. Anyway, the mass production of meat and dairy contributes significantly to not just greenhouse gasses, but also deforestation, species reduction/decline, water usage, and more.
I am not at all saying we must all be vegetarians or vegan. I would probably die because I wouldn’t get enough protein from plants. What I am saying, however, is that if we had one day a week where we didn’t eat meat, we would be helping the environment. Here is some more information about Meatless Mondays that you can read over. If we want a sustainable future, we need to make choices now to achieve it.
I have trouble giving up dairy, though. I like my cheese. And my heavy cream.
Regardless, I do try to have Monday as a completely meatless day. I don’t always succeed, but I do make sure that if we’re eating meat, it’s leftovers. I have Linda McCartney’s “Home Cooking” vegetarian cookbook and I’ve made many things from it. I have several Keto Vegetarian dishes that are my go-to’s. Impossible Ground is my friend. I make a really good vegetarian loaf with Impossible ground. I have learned to make tofu and actually enjoy it. I have TVP (total vegetable protein) that I haven’t figured out how to use yet; and nutritional yeast that I can make taste like cheese. There are so many different things you can do to not have meat for one day a week.
I challenge you to try it out: Meatless Monday.
Maybe we’ll talk more in-depth about Fish Friday. I know it’s a religious thing for a lot of people (not really sure how or why); I just chose Friday as my fish day because a) alliteration and b) it’s a night where I have nothing scheduled, so if I end up not liking the fish, I can make something else or order takeout. Fish really isn’t my thing, but I’m getting better at it.
Join me for Meatless Monday and Fish Friday! Let’s enjoy awesome food together, but apart. Wash your damn hands!
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