Meatless Monday Burger E-Cookbook

Hi all,

Sorry I've been a little awol these days. I've been stalking most of your sites but have been lax on the comment front. As with most of us I've been crazy busy these days. It must be the holidays or something.

Anyway, I'm taking the easy way out today. It has been forever since I posted anything about Meatless Mondays. This is a cause that I feel particularly passionate about and not because I'm a vegetarian. That is a health issue for me but that doesn't mean that I don't think that Americans eat too much meat. It seems that I'm not the only one,

"The world’s total meat supply was 71 million tons in 1961. In 2007, it was estimated to be 284 million tons. Per capita consumption has more than doubled over that period. (In the developing world, it rose twice as fast, doubling in the last 20 years.) World meat consumption is expected to double again by 2050, which one expert, Henning Steinfeld of the United Nations, says is resulting in a “relentless growth in livestock production.”

Americans eat about the same amount of meat as we have for some time, about eight ounces a day, roughly twice the global average. At about 5 percent of the world’s population, we “process” (that is, grow and kill) nearly 10 billion animals a year, more than 15 percent of the world’s total" 

There is growing evidence that excessive meat consumption increases the chances of cancer and other medical issues.

"Given the plausible epidemiologic evidence for red and processed meat intake in cancer and chronic disease risk, understanding the trends and determinants of meat consumption in the U.S., where meat is consumed at more than three times the global average, should be particularly pertinent to researchers and other public health professionals aiming to reduce the global burden of chronic disease."
 
 I doubt if that will make anyone cut back on their meat intake.

A long term study of Seventh Day Adventists shows that vegetarians live longer and other studies show that vegetarians are leaner than meat eaters (sure, I may complain about that extra 5 pounds but that is only 5 pounds not 50).

The thing is studies can be refuted or someone comes out with another study that says the total opposite and people just seriously like their meat. And, they like to eat it every damn day. I personally don't understand it but whatever floats your boat. What I think would be nice is if everyone were a little more creative and thoughtful in their consumption. It is pretty easy to cook up a hunk of meat (I know I did it for years) but making interesting sides is so much more creative. Making those sides a complete meal (don't even get me started on the whole "you are not getting enough protein" issue. A. vegetarians get more than enough. B. most people eat too much.) that a meat eater, like my husband, considers a meal is even harder, more creative and more interesting. Than again maybe that's just me.

If you did want to change things up a bit the people from Meatless Monday came up with an E-cookbook of burgers. I'm passing it along to you. I didn't ask if I could which makes me a rule breaker but most of us librarians are a little on the subversive side.

I'd skip the bun on most of these because I just don't like to eat all that much bread but I'm sure these are great served open-faced or on a salad or on a bed of greens or other veggies.

Love,
M