National Plant Power Day
About National Plant Power Day
When is National Plant Power Day? This holiday is always celebrated on March 7
Do you want to eat and live healthier? Have you been thinking about moving to a more plant-based diet? Then, Plant Power Day is the perfect time to begin your journey to a healthier and more vibrant you. The objective of this March 7 holiday is to raise awareness of the many benefits of following a sustainable, eco-friendly vegetarian diet. The benefits affect you, your family and the eco-system. Today, in many parts of the world, our diets include a heavy proportion of meat, fish, and dairy products. As the world’s population continues to grow, the population will outpace the ability of farms to produce animal-based foods. However, plant-based products require less resources, and are better able to meet the growing needs of a hungry world.
Plant Power Day is not intended to advocate a strict vegetarian diet. It does not seek to make us all vegetarians or vegans. Rather, the objectives of this holiday focus on educating us to the benefits of a largely plant based diet. And, it encourages us to move in this direction. Fortunately, we do not have to go “cold turkey”. Rather, we can take baby steps by slowly reducing meat consumption with more and more fruits and vegetables. For example, we can add a salad to a meal and cut back on the size of the meat we serve. Another great way to begin the journey to a plant-based diet, is to declare a “no meat” day once a week. Later, we can increase it to two days each week, then to three. Any step we take is a step in the right direction.
Plant Power Day Benefits
A plant-based diet is powerful. It is healthy for you and your family. As you increase the amount of fruits and vegetables in your diet, you will be healthier, live longer, and have more pep and energy. A more vegetarian diet reduces the risk of obesity, cancer, heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and many other ailments. Add a little exercise and you quickly become the very best version of you!
A plant-based diet has tremendous benefits to a greener and healthier planet, too. It is good for the eco-system. Crops use far less water and other resources to produce our food. Carbon in the air is a major greenhouse gas. Plants remove carbon from the air. As a result, the carbon footprint is much smaller. And, it does so without producing other harmful greenhouse gases. Conversely, raising animals for food causes harm to the environment. Cows, chickens, goats, and every other animal grown to feed us produces methane gas. Methane is an environmentally harmful greenhouse gas. The methane gas released by billions upon billions of these animals daily is a major contributor to climate change.
Plant Power Day Trivia
Here are some interesting factoids about plant-based foods:
- Americans consume 30 billion pounds of meat per year.
- We eat about 156 hamburgers per year.
- Also, we eat 70 hot dogs per year.
- People with higher income, and older Americans eat more salad than the rest of the population.
- Most of the plants we consume are low in fats, calories, cholesterol, and carbs.
- In 1944, the word “Vegan” was coined.
- In 1944, T. Collins created the term “Plant-Based Diet”.
- Americans consume approximately 2,500 calories per day.
- As of 2023, there are about 89.2 million heads of cattle in the U.S. And, worldwide there are an estimated 1 billion heads of cattle grown to feed us. They ultimately provide us with meat and dairy products. And, they produce a tremendous amount of harmful methane gas into the environment.
- Scientists estimate a single cow produces 220 sounds of methane into the air each year. Collectively, around the world they produce over 220 trillion pounds of methane per year.
- There are an estimated 518.3 million chickens in the U.S. today. Worldwide, there are an estimated 34.4 billion chickens that feed our hungry world. And, like cows, they all produce environmentally harmful methane gas.
- Plants do not produce methane. They are incapable of doing so.
- In ancient Egypt, lettuce was a sign of fertility.
How to Celebrate National Plant Power Day
Most food holidays are easy to celebrate. Vegetarians aside, this holiday is a bit of a challenge. To celebrate Plant Power Day, you likely need to play a more active role to make this dietary change.
- Eat no meat, fish, or dairy products today. Rather, become a vegetarian or a day.
- Serve your family only plant-based food for meals and a snack.
- Have a party to celebrate this holiday. Serve only plant-based snacks.
- Learn more about vegetarian diets.
- Teach others about the benefits of a plant-based diet.
- Introduce others to vegetarian foods.
- Buy a vegetarian or vegan cookbook.
- Share non-meat recipes with friends.
- Post your vegetarian dinner on social media. Then, encourage your friends to try it.
Today's Quote
” Success consists of going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm.” – – Winston Churchill
History and Origin of National Plant Power Day
In 2018, Alpro and BOSHI companies created Plant Power Day to promote the benefits of eating a plant-based diet. Unsurprisingly, these two companies market fruit and vegetable, and kitchenware products. Alpro, based in Ghent, Belgium, manufactures and sells organic and non-organic, as well as non-GMO foods and drinks. BOSHI, based in Paraguay, markets kitchenware products. Both companies encourage us to lead better lives through consumption of non-meat food products.
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