Meatout - For Food Editors

Recent times have seen some startling developments in national dietary trends:

• Obesity is surpassing smoking as top a national health threat.
• The popular Atkins diet craze has been discredited by consumer watchdogs.
• Mad Cow disease has resurfaced in America, devastating the beef industry.
• The vegetarian food market has been growing dramatically.
• A survey found that 20% of teens think that vegetarianism is "cool," and 1 in 4 college students wants vegan meals on campus.
• Fast food establishments are offering veggie burgers and leaner menus.
• Major food manufacturers have been marketing more meat- and dairy-alternatives.
• Major supermarkets have been offering more meat- and dairy-alternatives.
• Several states have been recommending meat-free school lunch options.
• The U.S. had the first ever vegan presidential candidate (Dennis Kucinich).

Launched in the "dietary dark ages" of the 1980s, Meatout, observed on March 20th, has become the world's largest grassroots diet education campaign. It has served as a model for the multimillion-dollar 5 A Day and other mainstream campaigns advocating increased consumption of vegetables and fruits.

Every March, caring folks in a thousand communities in all 50 states and two dozen other countries are welcoming Spring by asking their friends and neighbors to "kick the meat habit and explore a wholesome, nonviolent diet of vegetables, legumes, fruits, and grains." They are holding colorful educational events ranging from information tables ("steakouts") and exhibits to lectures, public dinners, cooking demonstrations, homeless feedings, & elaborate "lifestivals."

The explosive growth of Meatout has been due largely to the support of consumer advocates, health authorities, and the mass media. Nearly 40 governors and large city mayors are issuing Meatout proclamations. Celebrity entertainers like Casey Kasem, Mary Tyler Moore, Ed Asner, Jennie Garth, Bill Maher, Rue McClanahan, and James Cromwell are headlining the observance. Hundreds of billboards and bus cards in ten major metropolitan areas carry the Meatout message. Food editors are carrying stories on the national shift to meatless eating, providing meatless recipes, and covering local Meatout events.

For more information, please see the links below or contact us:
info@meatout.org at 1-800-MEATOUT(632-8688)