The Red, White, and Green

I know I probably should wait until (Meatless) Monday to post about this book, but I’m finding it so inspiring that I thought it might be a good beach-read recommend for your holiday weekend.

When I adopted Meatless Monday several months ago, I was a full-fledged meat-eater (although I always buy organic). But a funny thing happened by making that one change: As the weeks went on, I found myself experimenting with more vegetarian eating, like making lentil soup for weekday lunches, or ordering tofu when I went to my local Thai joint for dinner. And then, I started buying slightly smaller portions of meat for us at home, filling the void with more vegetables and complex carbs.

If every American going veg one day a week is the equivalent of all of us switching from our regular cars to fuel-efficient hybrids, why shouldn’t I see how far I can comfortably take this? I do call myself an environmentalist, after all. And the changes I’ve been making are so small, I barely notice the difference on a day-to-day basis. Yet I’ve probably managed to cut my overall meat consumption by about 30 percent since May.

Why not just embrace a vegetarian diet wholeheartedly, you ask? Well, during my college years, I had a brief, poorly planned foray into veganism that left me fairly ill and malnourished. The plus side is that I’m no stranger to sprouts and tofu, but I am a bit wary of saying goodbye once again to my favorite food (lobster) and my beloved LA taco trucks. So when I heard about The Flexitarian Diet — where you adopt a mostly vegetarian lifestyle but still have the flexibility to eat meat when the occasion warrants it — I thought, This is brilliant.

Yes, the book title does have the word “diet” in it, but it’s not a diet book in the true sense: There are no rules, calorie counting, or forbidden foods. It’s really more of a balanced, sane approach on how to make healthier — and, consequently, more eco-friendly — choices in your everyday life. (Although author Dawn Jackson Blatner does say that if you adopt a flexitarian eating plan, you can expect to see a 20-pound average weight loss in six to 12 months; all the more reason to crack it open this weekend, in between the barbecues and beer!)

–Jennifer Grayson

Do this now: Try going meatless for just one extra meal this week. It’s not as hard as you think — nearly 25 percent of Americans already eat four or more vegetarian meals a week, says Blatner.

Related posts:
Small steps to sustainability
Meatless Monday: Think Mediterranean

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