Have you ever considered reducing your meat consumption? Well now is your chance to try it out this Meat Free Week from the 19th till the 25th of September!
Run by Bowel Cancer Australia, meat free week is about starting the conversation around reducing meat consumption.
How does reducing meat consumption help?
- The Planet: agriculture contributes to between 14.5-51% of greenhouse gas emissions and consumes around 70% of the worlds fresh water supplies.
- Our health: minimising your meat consumption to 3 meals a week or less can prevent thousands of deaths caused by heart disease, cancer and stroke. This also reduces the burden on our healthcare systems.
- Animals: animals are unnecessarily harmed in many ways during food production. Eating majority plant-based foods prevents animal suffering.
- World hunger: a large portion of the planet’s available nutrients goes towards feeding animals that are then consumed by humans. If we reduce our meat consumption, more of this plant protein is available to feed more people.
- Biodiversity: reducing the amount of fishing that is undertaken and farming that impacts our land and ocean protects our wild animal species which are under threat of extinction.
How can I reduce my meat consumption?
- Plan your meals ahead of time so that you don’t have to think of meals each night.
- Brainstorm which vegetables you already enjoy eating, or try something new!
- Try plant-based meat products.
- Research some delicious plant-based meals that you might enjoy.
You can find plant-based recipes at https://meatfreemondays.com/our-recipes/
Alongside removing meat from your diet this week, you can support Meat Free Week by donating to Bowel Cancer Australia to support their bowel cancer research. You don’t have to remove meat from 100% of your diet, even small steps towards reducing your meat consumption can make a big impact.
Find more of our health tips here.
Book an appointment with us here or call us on 9651 5559.
Sources:
Bowel Cancer Australia. 2021. Meat Free Week. https://www.bowelcanceraustralia.org/meat-free-week
Meat Free Monday. 2021. One day a week can make a world of difference. https://meatfreemondays.com/why-it-matters/