You've probably heard of Taco Tuesday and maybe even Fish Friday, but what about Meatless Monday? This year, Earthforce HQ (Salesforce's employee green team) is going meatless every Monday during April's Earth Month. We’re showing solidarity with the planet—and building some new healthy habits along the way. To make a big impact, we're encouraging all employees to make the pledge to go meatless for the five Mondays of April.

But why? How does meat production impact the environment?

• Beef produces 13 times the emissions of vegetable protein (like beans, lentils, and tofu (TIME Magazine)

• Americans alone eat 270 pounds of meat in an average year (TIME Magazine)

Go meatless for your health, too

There are a few reasons why it can be better for the Earth to decrease our reliance on animal-based protein, but what about our omnivorous dietary needs? It turns out it's better for us, too. Eating more plants adds up to a healthier you:

• Improve your heart health: Eating a diet rich in vegetables helps reduce cholesterol and may reduce our risk for stroke, heart diseases, and type-2 diabetes.
• Lower your risk of cancer: In particular, red meat and processed foods have been linked to an increased risk of colorectal cancers.
• Get your vitamins and minerals: You can absorb many vital nutrients through your food, including potassium, fiber, iron, folate (folic acid) and vitamins A, E, and C.
• Keep things moving: The fiber in plants and legumes act as “nature's broom” to ensure things are moving along and you're getting rid of waste properly.

As we head into spring in the northern hemisphere, now is a great time to explore more vegetable options at farmers markets, at the supermarket, or even produce delivery services.

Meatless Mondays: Ready to commit?

Delicious, healthy benefits, great for the environment—what could be better? That's why at Salesforce this month, we are challenging each other to join this meatless living movement. Across the company, across teams and regions, employees are organizing Meatless Monday lunches together, encouraging their peers and their leadership to go vegetarian for one day a week, posting their favorite meatless recipes on Chatter, and experiencing first hand that going meatless can be quite delicious!

See you in the salad line!

This post was written in partnership with Roland Meyer.