Meatless In the News

The movement towards reducing meat consumption seems to be working. The Washington Post recently reported that per capita consumption of meat in the U.S. will drop 12% in 2012 compared to 2007. The article talks about the increased cost of meat partly driving this change, but also movements like Meatless Mondays and the rise of flexitarians. Similarly, author Eleanor Boyle's upcoming book "High Steaks" promises to explain in further detail "Why and How to Eat Less Meat."

At the same time, the evidence for the benefits of increasing fruit and vegetable intake is just getting stronger. These antioxidant-rich foods have been shown to ward off strokes. This great news comes via a new study out of Sweden which highlights the benefits of eating your vegetables and fruit. As this article in care2 points out, eating lots of these superfoods doesn't have to cost a lot. 

Registered Dietitian Cynthia Sass from Shape Magazine discusses a new study from Oxford University which profiled 38,000 people and showed that meat eaters had the highest BMIs and vegans the lowest. Hmm, that's worth knowing. In the same article, she offers several easy ways to veganize some of your favourite recipes to further cut back on the meat you're consuming. And, if you're in Canada, you might also want to tune in to OMNI TV's new cooking program, Veggie Table. The website offers many of the great meatless recipes featured on the show. (Thanks to loyal reader MKM for the heads-up on this show.)

Or you could just trust me and take a crack at this week's weird-sounding but delicious pasta recipe. May you enjoy it in good health and great company.