Where's the Beef?

Mon., Feb 11th, students at Plymouth State were surprised to see the absence of meat during all meals at Prospect Dining Hall. Instead of the normal stations including beef and poultry products, students were forced to choose between varieties of colorful vegetables.

After having been approached by PETA and SPCA, the dining staff tried to implement the first ever Meatless Monday at Prospect Dining Hall without any warning to the students. Having no meat for a day received mixed reviews according to manager Chris Mongeon and nutritionist Sara Patterson. Walking into the dining hall, some students were impressed by the display of vegetarian meals but others were disappointed. Addie Weller, a sophomore, said, "I didn't mind it but I didn't think it was fair to completely eliminate meat. Because we don't do that to vegetarians...there is always a vegetarian option so I think there should always be a meat option."

Though some students were shocked by their choices for supper, some were very pleased. To those that look forward to a hearty meal of chick peas, spinach, and quinoa, Meatless Monday was perfect dinner. "If I had a meal plan I would love to go to Prospect on Mondays!" Monique DesRoches exclaimed.

Meatless Mondays started gaining attention in 2003 when health advocate, Sid Lerner, noticed the correlation between the consumption of red meat and illnesses. Originating from Europe, Lerner decided to introduce Meatless Monday as a public health awareness campaign. Since then, the campaign has spread globally and is recognized in over twenty countries and has gained popularity through hospitals, work sites, restaurants, and now college campuses.

The campaign has many benefits that students might be unaware of. Meatless Monday is a great way to keep green according to meatlessmonday.com. Meat processing, packaging, and exportation is one of the biggest contributors to methane gas production. Patterson supports the initiative because, "Too much methane gas leads to global warming. In our eyes, anything that we can do to lessen our carbon footprint is a positive thing." Going meatless once a week also reduces water usage for livestock and cuts down on fossil fuel dependence.

Other than helping to keep Plymouth State green, Meatless Monday is an excellent way to maintain a healthy diet. Eliminating meat once a week has a list of health benefits as long as the list of side effects on prescription drug commercials. Experts say, adding this routine to your diet will lessen the risk of cancer, reduce the risk of heart disease by 19%, fight diabetes, curb obesity, and elongate your lifetime. In general, this new variety of foods will improve the students' diets by adding nourishment like more fiber, different types of protein, zinc, and other vitamins.  

Prospect Dining Hall has been listening to the reviews of students and guests who want a more healthy variety. This is just one of the ways that the staff is doing that. Patterson included that the waldorf salad, now available in the salad bar, is a part of a program called "Build a Better Salad." By adding different items to the salad bar, the nutritionist hopes that it will encourage students to choose better toppings instead of the bacon bits and a cup full of ranch dressing. Just one cup of ranch dressing is as many calories as a slice of cheesecake. Although getting a salad seems like a better option, sometimes the toppings added make it just as bad as dessert.

"We are providing students with the knowledge and materials they need to make educated, healthy choices. You can look forward to more salads like these throughout this semester," Patterson said, adding that students could look forward to other nutritional surprises like a new way to spice up meals called "Flavor Shots." This will allow students to choose from a variety of different vegan and gluten-free spices to grind up individually and put over a meal without adding additional calories.

In order to maintain this healthy initiative, Mongeon and executive chef, Robin Campbell, will meet with Student Senate to discuss how Meatless Mondays will proceed in the future. Until then, students are encouraged to make the healthier decision and can direct any nutrition related questions to Patterson at nutrition@plymouth.eduor through the Facebook page, Fans of PSU Dining Services.