Earth Day is every day, but on April 22nd we actually celebrate it. So this is the perfect time to make changes for the better! Eating wholesome, plant-based meals will benefit your health and Mother Earth. This spring salad features bulgur, a quick-cooking form of whole wheat, similar to rice or couscous but with a higher nutritional value. Make this salad even more green by using locally-grown veggies.
Ingredients:
1 cup bulgur, rinsed
1 1/2 cups water
1 Tbs. olive oil
1 Tbs. soy sauce
1/2 cup of your favorite salad dressing
1 lb. asparagus, ends trimmed
1 1/2 cups cucumber, peeled & diced
1 1/2 cups red pepper, diced
1 cup radishes, thinly sliced
1/2 cup green onion, thinly sliced
salt & black pepper, to taste
9 cups lettuce, roughly chopped
Directions:
- In a bowl, add bulgur, water, olive oil, and soy sauce; stir well to combine; set the bulgur mixture aside for 1 – 1 ½ hours or until all liquid has been absorbed and bulgur is tender.
- Add salad dressing and stir well to combine.
- Peel the stems of asparagus and thinly slice diagonally; add asparagus, cucumber, red pepper, radishes, and green onions to bulgur mixture, and toss gently to combine.
- Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Place chopped lettuce in plates and then place the salad mixture on top of it.
For this and other great veg recipes, visit www.VeganChef.com!
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Adopting a plant-based diet not only improves your health, but also protects the environment. The production of animal-derived food consumes enormous amounts of natural resources such as water, fossil fuels and topsoil. It also pollutes the water and air. In fact, switching to a plant-based diet is the single most important move one can make to help stop global warming… much more effective than changing light bulbs or buying a hybrid car.
There are more than 17 billion livestock in the world; that’s about triple the number of people. Raising these animals requires huge amounts of water to irrigate the grains and hay fed to the animals. According to the Water Education Foundation, it takes 2,464 gallons of water to produce one pound of beef in California. In contrast, only 25 gallons of water are needed to produce one pound of wheat. The United States Geological Survey reveals that 40% of fresh water used in the U.S. in 2000 went to irrigate feed crops for livestock. David Pimentel from Cornell University explained that 40 calories of fossil fuel are needed to produce one calorie of beef protein, compared to only two calories of fossil fuel used for to produce one calorie of tofu protein.
According to the Nature Conservancy, every second of every day one football field of rainforest is being destroyed. Much of this forestland is being cut down and raise livestock, which is then exported to the U.S. and ends up in fast-food hamburgers. According to the Rainforest Action Network, 55 square feet of tropical rainforest are destroyed to make every fast-food hamburger made from rainforest cattle.
To read the full article, visit www.vegetariantimes.com!
With global warming presenting an increasing danger, now is the time to make a difference! Global warming threatens planetary survival through destruction of wildlife habitats, flooding of coastal communities, and extreme weather conditions. Be an inspiration for Earth Day by making the decision to live veg! Each time you choose plant-based meals over animal derived foods like meat, eggs and dairy, you make a positive contribution to the world. Your dietary choices are a powerful tool in protecting the environment, helping animals and improving your health.
Begin to make the change if you haven’t already! Choosing veg will:
- Decrease your personal annual greenhouse gas emissions by 1.5 tons.
- Protect rainforests and wetlands from conversion to feed cropland.
- Reduce pollution of waterways by animal waste and feed crop runoff.
- Conserve scarce water supplies, topsoil, fertilizer, and fossil fuel.
To
find out more about diet &
global warming, visit www.CoolYourDiet.org!
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