Celebrate the first day of spring with a nod to the animal kingdom, or enjoy “meatless Mondays” as part of your regular repertoire.
The Meatout has been held every year since 1985 in the United States and now, other countries too. It is an occasion to inform and educate people about vegetarianism. Although their website calls it a “diet education campaign”, it seems more like promotion of a more peaceful way of life. And I like that better.
So what can you do to get involved? This March 20th, support local meatouts, if you can. Or start one of your own – there are plenty of resources on the website. Leafletting, “steakouts” and video screenings are all good ideas, but I must agree that free food usually goes much farther when it comes to getting people to be receptive to a message.
Even if you are not participating in an official meatout event this March 20, why not do some outreach on your own time? People often start out wary of vegetarian food, but most people eat meatless meals (or at least snacks) all the time. Prepare some common foods and distribute them widely. Sneak in some new food items like deep-fried (Buffalo) tofu, hot chocolate from scratch, or other slightly unhealthy options. They’re less imposing (and let's face it, generally more delicious) than healthy “granola”-type snacks.
Bonus: If you haven't looked into the reasons behind the recent USDA beef recall, the Meatout page has a wealth of resources. I especially like that they are calling for a recall of ALL meat products, as "they ALL come from abused animals".
