Reflections on Meatless Mondays...

I am embarrassed to admit that Meatless Mondays is not something that hit my personal radar until I happened to look in the Food section of the local newspaper this morning. There are many advantages to going meatless at once a week, including reducing carbon footprint, reducing heart disease and fighting diabetes.. (according to www.meatlessmonday.com.) Even chef Mario Batali has jumped on the bandwagon. I love my vegetables, so I certainly have no problem with it. But I have to say that I am somewhat amused. I probably shouldn't be surprised that we make such a big deal of it in the U.S. though.

Come to think of it, in cooking school when we talk about plating, the star is the protein.... I even recall spending time talking about the starches, but vegetables often are short changed. What a pity. Vegetables are so pretty and colourful, why would a chef want to pass up a chance to bring colour and texture to the table? I think many people may not like vegetables mostly because they don't have the repertoire to deal with them. Ironically, I also came across an article yesterday about whether parents should hide the vegetables in the kids' food. (For the record, I don't believe they should.)

I grew up in Asia, where the traditional philosophy is somewhat different. Yes, I had meat for my meals, but it played less of a solo starring role, and is more of a co-star with the vegetables. Also, we probably consumed less meat because the majority of the volume of a meal was provided by the vegetables and rice. No, I don't recall feeling deprived either. We probably came close to eating according to the food pyramid, or now the food plate, without even realizing it. I find it ironic that even as the U.S. government is trying to get people to eat according to the plate guidelines, Asians are adopting a more Westernized diet, with its attendant health issues.

So by all means, if we need such things as Meatless Mondays to raise our consciousness, then by all means. It would be nice if a meal without meat could be considered not as incomplete though.

I have not completed my grocery shopping for the week, and obviously it's not Monday anymore either. Maybe what I will do for the rest of the week is to make sure at least one meal a day is vegetarian. I did promise somebody that zucchini will be on the menu this week.