Today is the Great American Meatout. Celebrate the first day of Spring by going meatless and enjoying fresh fruits, vegetables and whole grains.
"Meatout is an international observance helping individuals evolve to a wholesome, compassionate diet of fruits, vegetables, whole grains. The purpose is to expose the public to the joys and benefits of a plant-based diet, while promoting the availability and selection alternatives to meat and dairy in mainstream grocery stores, restaurants, and catering operations.
Meatout has grown explosively since its inception in 1985 to become the world's largest annual grassroots diet education campaign. Thousands of caring people in all 50 U.S. states and a host of other countries welcome Spring with colorful educational events. These range from simple information tables, exhibits, and cooking demonstrations to elaborate receptions and festivals. Visitors are asked to "kick the meat habit on March 20 (first day of spring) and explore a wholesome, nonviolent diet of fruits, vegetables and whole grains.
Several mainstream health advocacy organizations, including the American Cancer Society, the National Cancer Institute, Johns Hopkins University, and the American Heart Association, have since launched their own campaigns to promote consumption of plant-based foods.
Meatout reflects national trends:
- Mainstream health advocacy organizations and the official government publication "Dietary Guidelines for Americans" tout plant-based foods.
- Over 30 million Americans have explored a meat-free diet.
- One in five teens thinks vegetarianism is "cool."
- National beef and veal consumption have dropped by 25 and 70%, respectively.
- Major manufacturers and retailers are marketing meat-free and dairy-free meals.
- Several national fast food chains are offering veggie burgers and several major baseball parks are selling veggie dogs.
What Are Meatout Mondays?
Meatout isn't a one-day affair! To keep the spirit of Meatout alive throughout the year, we've developed
Meatout Mondays, an e-mail campaign and pledge option. Those who sign up for
Meatout Mondays pledge to eat compassionate plant-based foods every Monday. Each subscriber receives a weekly colorful e-mail containing recipes, product suggestions, health news, encouragement, and inspiration. Click here to view
past issues.
Whether you're veg-curious or a long-time vegan,
Meatout Mondays is for you. We invite you to sign-up yourself, your friends, your family or anyone who may be interested in participating by filling out the
Meatout Mondays Signup Form.
Who Organizes Meatout?
Meatout was launched in 1985 and is coordinated each year by FARM, a national nonprofit, public interest organization. Headquartered in the nation's capital, FARM advocates plant-based (vegan) diets to save animals, protect the environment, and improve health.
FARM coordinates and promotes local events by:
- Providing grassroots activists with a how-to guide for holding a successful event.
- Producing and distributing display and handout materials.
- Maintaining the Meatout website and International Events Directory.
- Securing placement of national billboard and transportation advertising, as well as magazine, radio and TV ads.
FARM also has far-reaching and crucial liaison responsibilities:
- Liaison with local advocates, food retailers, health care providers, and teachers to promote community and school events.
- Liaison with meat-free food manufacturers and retailers to obtain support and product samples.
- Liaison with supermarket and restaurant chains to promote availability of alternatives to meat and dairy.
- Liaison with public interest and religious groups, requesting individual participation and organizational support.
- Liaison with governors and mayors to obtain special proclamations.
Supported by FARM, local coordinators plan, promote, and carry out their own Meatout events.
Who Supports Meatout?
Meatout draws massive support from a broad cross-section of groups and individuals. Supporters include animal, environmental, public interest and consumer protection advocates; health care providers, educators, meat-free food manufacturers and retailers; mass media, public officials and celebrity entertainers.
Supporters are deeply concerned about the devastation to consumer and environmental health wrought by intensive meat production and consumption. Meatout not only promotes better food choices, but also supports a positive future for the planet.
Every year, scores of governors and big-city mayors support Meatout by issuing official proclamations urging their residents to explore a healthy, nonviolent plant-based diet. We invite you to visit the
Meatout Proclamations section of our website to view a few sample proclamations as well as a detailed listing of proclamations issued since 1985.
Many other public figures support Meatout. Celebrities include Alicia Silverstone, Ed Asner, Bob Barker, James Cromwell, Doris Day, Peter Falk, Frances Fisher, Jennie Garth, Sara Gilbert, Chrissie Hynde, Casey Kasem, Rue McClanahan, Bill Maher, Hayley Mills, Mary Tyler Moore, Kevin Nealon, Cassandra 'Elvira' Peterson, Joaquin Phoenix, and Ally Sheedy. Sports figures include Tony LaRussa, Mark Levy, and Al Oerter. Authors and educators include Berke Breathed, Michael Jacobson, Frances Moore Lappe, John McDougall, Jeremy Rifkin, and Howard Lyman.
Why Meatout?
"Kicking the meat habit" holds lasting benefits for consumer health, world hunger, resource conservation, environmental quality, and animal protection.
Kicking the meat habit reduces our risk of heart disease, stroke, cancer, and other chronic diseases that cripple and kill nearly 1.4 million Americans annually.
Kicking the meat habit decreases our exposure to infectious pathogens like Salmonella, E. coli, and Campylobacter, which kill several thousand Americans annually and sicken millions more.
Kicking the meat habit raises our energy level, lowers our food budget, and simplifies food preparation and cleanup.
Kicking the meat habit frees up grains and other foods that can be used to feed the world's hungry. Animals are extremely inefficient "protein converters;" it can take up to 16 pounds of grain to make 1 pound of beef.
Kicking the meat habit preserves our topsoil, water, and other food production resources vital to the survival of our children and their children.
Kicking the meat habit protects our forests, grasslands, and other wildlife habitats from encroachment by cattle ranchers while reducing the polluting effects of methane, soil particles, manure, and pesticides on our air and water.
Kicking the meat habit saves animals from caging, crowding, deprivation, drugging, mutilation, manhandling, and agonizing slaughter. Each person who adopts a plant-based diet saves over 80 innocent, sentient animals each year. Over a lifetime, an individual can save more than 6,000 animals just by going vegan.
