Meatless Monday is a global movement that encourages people to reduce meat in their diet for their health and the health of the planet. The campaign was started in 2003 by Sid Lerner, the Founder of The Monday Campaigns, in association with the Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future.
Eating less meat and more healthy plant-based foods can help reduce the incidence of chronic preventable diseases, preserve precious land and water resources, and combat climate change.
Meatless Monday’s simple message to “skip meat once a week” works because it provides a regular cue to take action on Monday, which research shows is the day people are most open to making positive changes. Starting each week practicing Meatless Monday can lead people to eat more fruits, vegetables and plant-based meals throughout the rest of the week.
The campaign offers free resources, marketing materials, how-to-guides, and recipes to support people in practicing Meatless Monday at home and implementing it in different settings. Meatless Monday has been adopted by a wide range of participants, including home cooks, schools, hospitals, restaurants, media and whole communities in over 40 countries around the world.
In 2018, Meatless Monday launched an initiative in association with the Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future and the Johns Hopkins Center for Communications Programs to support the growth of the global movement to reduce consumption. This effort includes engaging global stakeholders and supporting them with a web platform to create a space for advocates to connect, share and work together to further their shared mission of reducing meat consumption.
To learn more about the History of Meatless Monday and its roots as a conservation campaign in World War I, check out this video:
