Have you heard of “Meatless Monday?”

It’s a worldwide campaign to skip meat once a week for your heath and the health of the planet.

For you, reducing meat consumption can help with weight control and lowering the risk of chronic diseases like heart disease, diabetes and cancer.

For the planet, reducing the demand for meat can lower water usage, fossil fuel dependence, and green house gas emissions. Did you know that almost 10 times more water is needed to produce 1 lb beef compared to what’s needed to produce 1 lb tofu, and about 20 times more fossil fuel energy is used to make 1 Cal beef compared to what’s used to make 1 Cal plant protein?

There is no strict rule on how to do the Meatless Monday - you can have one meatless meal or go meatless for the entire day. You can also do it every week, or just some weeks. Whatever you choose to do, Meatless Monday is a great practice you can incorporate to make your body and the planet happier :)

Try our Vegetarian Sushi for the next Meatless Monday.

Learn more about eating healthy by downloading our free diet and nutrition advice app (available only in the US and Canada Google/Apple app stores): www.askendiet.com/get

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 cup cooked purple rice
Sushi vinegar (if desired)
1/2 carrot
1/2 cucumber
3-4 leaves fresh cilantro or basil
Large nori (seaweed) sheets
Soy sauce
Wasabi

INSTRUCTIONS:

Cook purple rice according to the instructions on the package (we'll use about 1/2 cup).
Add some sushi vinegar to the rice and mix (if desired).
Peel and thinly slice the carrot and cucumber. Rinse and chop fresh cilantro or basil.
Spread the cooked rice on a large nori (seaweed) sheet.
Add veggies close to one of the edges of nori and gently roll.
Cut with a sharp knife and serve with some soy sauce and wasabi.

RESOURCES:

Florida Department of Health in Escambia Country. Meatless Monday. http://escambia.floridahealth.gov/programs-and-services/wellness-programs/health-messages/meatless-monday/index.html