It's 'So Long' to Meat As Mardi Gras Kicks Off Big Annual Fat Break

Tasty recipes from Meatless Monday can help get us through

NEW YORK, Feb. 10 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Carnival, or Fat Tuesday – for centuries also known as Mardi Gras – is a time to feast on the last bits of meat at home before Lent, when people give up a favorite food. Meat is often chosen for this observance, reflected in the word Carnival, from the Latin carne vale, or "farewell to meat."

Meatless Monday, which recommends we cut out meat each Monday – for personal health as well as the health of the planet – offers a wide range of delicious recipes so we can go lean during Lent, and every Monday thereafter! Try their Eggs Piperade, Zesty Bean Gumbo, Meatless Jambalaya, Red Beans and Rice, Corn Maque Choux and King Cake with Cinnamon Filling.

A project of the Center for a Livable Future at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Meatless Monday confirms that diets high in meat contribute to chronic diseases as well as greenhouse emissions. "Eating less meat not only helps lower cholesterol and decrease cancer risks," says Center Director Dr. Robert Lawrence, "it reduces your carbon footprint and helps conserve fresh water. And plant-based meals cost less money, another bonus in tough times!"

An impressive list of health and cultural leaders support the campaign. "Having a designated meat-free day a week is a meaningful change that everyone can make," says Sir Paul McCartney. "Remember that the future begins with the actions we take now." Al Gore adds, "Meatless Mondays is a responsible and welcome component to a strategy for reducing global pollution and simultaneously improving human health."

The Meatless Monday movement has grown dramatically since 2003, with active programs in 8 countries spanning the globe. Cities such as Ghent, Belgium, Tel Aviv, Israel, and Sao Paulo, Brazil go meatless on Monday. The Baltimore Public School System is the first Meatless Monday school system in the U.S.; and more than a dozen U.S. college campuses have thriving programs.

Find these featured Meatless Monday recipes, a range of Mardi Gras media resources and other great ideas on how to reduce meat in your diet all year long at meatlessmonday.com.

SOURCE Meatless Monday