Meatless Monday: Make Your St. Patty’s Day Even Greener

Meatless Monday: Make Your St. Patty’s Day Even Greener

Photo: Elizabeth Watt

When you go green this St. Patrick’s Day, make it about more than just the color of your shirt or the dye in your beer. We mean food that’s as good for the planet as it is your potluck. Cooking meatfree meals –even if you get in the habit of doing it just one day a week—can help knock down energy consumption in a big way. Producing a single pound of beef requires 10 times the water used to make a pound of soy tofu. Similarly, 40 calories of fossil fuel energy go into each calorie of feed lot beef, while plant-based protein requires only 2.2 calories.

But don’t worry that serving up more eco-friendly eats this St. Patty’s day will make your revelers miss their lamb stew, corned beef, or coddle. Irish eyes will surely be smiling when you whip up these healthy twists on the classics. The meatless recipes below yield warm and hearty comfort foods to pair with your favorite Irish stout.