The Original Meatless Monday
By Thomas Schwartz, Director, Hoover Presidential Library & Museum l Hoover Heads
A recent opinion piece advocated for the return of meatless Monday as a way of addressing climate change. Certain animals release methane, a greenhouse-gas that adversely impacts the ozone. Foregoing meat on Monday, according to the editorial board, would help the environment. This view is hardly new. A website was launched in 2003 called “Meatless Monday” stating: “Our goal is to reduce meat consumption by 15% for our personal health and the health of our planet.” The origin of the phrase “Meatless Monday” was part of a larger initiative of Herbert Hoover as United States Food Administrator during World War I. The idea of disciplining the body to abstain from certain foods dates back to ancient times and transcends any geographic setting. Fasting tends to be associated with religious or philosophical doctrines that codified a structure to follow. Hippocrates, considered the father of modern medicine, thought fasting benefited overall health.
Read more at Hoover Heads.
