Reduce: Eat Less Meat + Giveaway {Earth Week}

When you eat a cheeseburger does this image come to mind?



I'm guessing not. That my friends, is what comes out of a cow's rear end.

Why the heck am I talking about cow poo? Well, it's a large contributor to carbon emissions on our planet, even rivaling what comes out of our cars' exhaust pipes. That lovely smell you recognize is a reminder that copious amounts of methane is being released into the atmosphere. Normally not an issue, but our extreme cravings for red meat has created a farming system that is more of just an endless collection of factory-farms. Lots of cows crammed together equals lots of poop, which equals a lot of methane.

 The fact that cattle and other livestock consume a large amount of crops, which have to be transported to the feed lots (producing more greenhouse gases) is another big hit to the environment. Often times areas of grassland and rain forest (remember plants remove carbon dioxide from the air!) are destroyed to make more feed lots. Add in the questionable ethics in the treatment of animals on these operations, and you have a big mess all the way around.

So what can you do?

Educate yourself. Our food market is a pretty scary thing when you start really looking into it. Do a quick Google search to see what resources you can find. If you want some instant education  Food Inc. is a fantastic documentary that will open your eyes.

Eat less meat. I'm not saying you need to become a vegetarian (but if you are interested check this out!), but reducing the amount of meat in your diet can have a big impact on the environment. It can also have a big impact on your waistline!  I substitute alot of our meats with plant-based protein. Some of our favorites come from Morningstar Farms and you should be able to find them easily in any grocery store.

Sausage Patties

We had these yesterday, so yummy!

These are basically McRibs!

Who doesn't love Corn Dogs?

The best part (for me) is that these are all frozen products. I hate cooking. And please don't think I'm perfect when it comes to these matters. I enjoy a big fat cheeeburger every once in a while, so in no way am I trying to preach that meat is pure evil. Just wanted to put that out there :)

Want to give them a try? Now is your chance!

I'm going to giveaway a gift package of MorningStar Farms frozen foods. I am not being paid by the company, nor have I been provided with products; I'm just a big fan of the food and I think you will be too!

To enter:

 Leave a comment telling me what you are doing to celebrate Earth Day!

You don't have to be a follower of Treasure & Tranquility, but please do if you like! Giveaway closes Friday, April 29th at Midnight EST.

*Entry limited to residents of the 48 contiguous US states. (And if anyone has tips on shipping with dry ice let me know!)