Los Angeles has become the largest city in the U.S. to partake in what’s known as Meatless Monday. It’s been a mostly social media-driven national effort by The Monday Campaigns to get people to eat vegetarian meals every Monday.

Friday, November 9, the LA City Council unanimously approved a resolution to adopt Meatless Monday for the city. The council resolution gives statistics showing that more than half of LA County residents are obese or overweight and states that reducing meat consumption can decrease the chances of having health issues. Councilwoman Jan Perry encouraged the motion due to growing health issues such as heart disease and cancer.

“We can reduce saturated fats and reduce the risk of heart disease by 19 percent. While this is a symbolic gesture, it is asking people to think about the food choices they make. Eating less meat can reverse some of our nation’s most common illnesses,” said Perry. “The issue is, how does a local municipality engage in this and how do we create change? If we do it one plate at time, one meal, one day, we are ratcheting down the impact on our environment. We start with one day a week and then, who knows, maybe we can change our habits for a lifetime.”

Here’s a list of a few restaurants/business in the L.A. area that plan to actively participate in the resolution every Monday (some may even offer Meatless Monday discounts).
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Artichokes: Where do I begin? As a child I was absolutely terrified by them and as an adult I’m still a little bit unsure of their distinct texture, taste and shape. When I order a salad at a restaurant and it comes with artichokes, I usually manage to eat about half before throwing in the towel. However, I think the problem here is two-fold: 1) I didn’t realize how good they were for you, and 2) I’ve never actually cooked them myself. However, all of that’s about to change. 

Health benefits:  It’s no surprise that artichokes are a staple in the Mediterranean diet as they’re loaded with vitamins C and K, folate, magnesium, potassium and manganese.

Like many other fruits and veggies, artichokes are also high in fiber – nearly 10 grams in one medium choke. Each serving also contains approximately 3-4 grams of protein and less than one gram of fat for a satisfying, healthful indulgence. One of the tricks to getting the most nutrients out of your artichoke is eating the whole vegetable. If you opt only for the hearts, you will inevitably miss out on some of the vitamins and minerals. However, with that being said, the hearts are still worth devouring as they’re no doubt a healthy, low-calorie food.

Nutritional statistics: 1 cup contains approximately 76 calories, 1 g fat, 15 g carbohydrates, 8 g of dietary fiber, 1 g sugar and 5 g protein.
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By Abra Pappa for Nutritious America

If I had a dollar for every time Fettuccine Alfredo came up in a nutrition session with a client I would be a very wealthy woman. It seems to be the dish that is the ultimate counterpoint to healthy eating, the sin that must be confessed. That steamy bowl of rich creamy pasta is not sensible – it is evil, ridiculous, void of common sense, and completely and utterly delicious!

Unfortunately, one bowl piles in about a day’s worth of calories and fat. ONE BOWL has approximately 1200 calories and 75 grams of fat!

The original recipe for Fettuccine Alfredo was created nearly 100 years ago by a man named Alfredo di Lelio in Rome. He created the recipe to please his very pregnant wife who struggled with morning sickness. Butter, heavy cream, cheese, and pasta to the rescue!

This morning sickness cure can now be purchased jarred or frozen and is on nearly every Italian restaurant menu across the country. Fettuccine Alfredo is an indulgence that we tend to “indulge” in way too often.

Now you can have your Alfredo and eat it too. Just make it at home. The Abra Pimped way.
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This has been a good year for vegans and vegetarians. In July, Gallup asked Americans if they were vegan for the first time ever in a poll gauging American diet trends.

While only 2 percent responded that they were vegan, that amounts to about 6 million people in the U.S. alone. Five percent – or about 15 million – responded that they were vegetarian, which proves that meat is no longer the sole protein source in the American diet.

More proof that meat is on its way out? A survey administered by the Vegetarian Research Group, the Vegetarian Times and Harris Interactive Service Bureau revealed a whole new set of statistics regarding vegetarianism, and things are looking up.

Not only did a total of 8.3 million people verify that their diet was absent of meat, the survey gained a clearer understanding of exactly who makes up this health-conscious demographic.

As reported by Statistic Brain, 7.3 million Americans reported that they were vegetarian and 1 million reported being vegan. More encouraging was that nearly 23 million reported following a “vegetarian-inclined diet,” likely meaning that they follow a vegetarian diet most of the time, which has been a growing trend with the help of movements like Meatless Mondays.
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While vegan seems to become a hotter buzz word all the time, it’s a lifestyle that less than one percent of the U.S. has adopted. Less than half a percent make up the vegan population in the UK, too. For a very small group of people, 1 million* to be exact, their voices are loud, strong, and proud. Their message of an animal-free life (which extends from food and beverage to clothing and cosmetics) is amplified each time a celebrity adopts a vegan diet.

Idolizing vegan and vegetarian celebrities isn’t anything new. PETA has an entire class of sexiest vegetarians for which Pamela Anderson has been a poster girl. But she’s got some hot competition these days as sexy and aware celebrities make their veganism as well known as their movies and hit songs.

This week several famous vegans made headlines. Rocker PINK showed off her postpartum weight loss thanks to a vegan diet, Kristen Bell opens up about her switch from vegetarian to vegan, and Blink 182′s drummer shares how a vegan diet saved him after a health scare.

PINK gained 55 pounds during her pregnancy with daughter Willow Sage, born June 2011. She worked the weight off during the past year with daily exercise and committing to a mostly vegan diet (admitting to some chicken and fish), as she told Shape Magazine this month. “I think my baby may be part cheesecake,” she said, joking about her boundless pregnancy diet. However, there was no cheesecake for mama after baby, unless it was animal-product free.
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