National Veggie Burger Day
It’s a meat-free burger feast at our house this National Veggie Burger Day, held annually on June 5. This day celebrates the veggie burger and its positive impact on the environment. More and more people are gobbling up these delicious, nutrient-loaded meat alternatives and are coming back for more! Have you tried one yet?
History of National Veggie Burger Day
The history of vegetarianism can be traced back to ancient Egypt, although later it became less common as meat-eating gained precedence in many countries globally. A vegetarian diet was typically adopted by people following a hippie culture.
Gregory Sams and his brother Craig were introduced to vegetarianism when their father began eschewing meat as a New Year’s Resolution. Gregory stated in an interview that he became a vegetarian at the age of 10 and never went back. He first began introducing meatless patties at his restaurant in Paddington, London, which he’d opened when he was 19 years old. Later, both Sam’s brothers joined forces to open a new food venture but ran into financial troubles. They came up with a plan to introduce a new kind of burger into the commercial market — a completely vegetarian burger! When the ‘VegeBurger’ was first introduced, the word ‘vege’ (what we now know as ‘veggie’) itself was a relatively new term. Although there were plenty of vegetable burgers around before then, this was the first entirely vegetarian burger to hit the market. The prelaunch of this burger was a huge success, and it soon made its way to grocery chains like Sainsbury’s and Safeway.
In addition to veggie burgers, the meat-imitation field has exploded, too, which now includes options like Impossible Burgers and Beyond Meat’s Beyond Burger Patty. Amy’s Kitchen, a vegetarian food company, founded National Veggie Burger Day to encourage more people to try the veggie burger and celebrate its positive impact on the planet.
How To Celebrate National Veggie Burger Day?
1.Make some veggie burgers
What do you do to celebrate National Veggie Burger Day? Why, make a veggie burger, of course! Look up some recipes online or use your creativity to make a fun burger dinner. Make side dishes like grilled cauliflower or broccoli, a zucchini noodle salad, roasted vegetable salad with quinoa, or roasted sweet potatoes.
2.Invite people for a cook-off
Flex your cooking muscles by whipping up mouthwatering veggie burger recipes in a little cook-off with friends and family. Invite your loved ones to cook up their favorite combos and hold a taste test to see who wins.
3.Visit Amy’s Kitchen
The website responsible for founding National Veggie Burger Day celebrates this event by gifting discount coupons on veggie burgers via their website. Grab a cool discount, check out their healthy vegetarian recipes, or buy some of their products to add a little authenticity to your celebration.
Why We Love National Veggie Burger Day?
A. Do our part to save the planet
Not only are we saving cows by eating plant-based burgers, but it’s good for the planet, too. Data shows that producing one pound of beef requires 1,800 gallons of water — roughly the equivalent of about 100 showers for the average American. So cutting down on our meat intake saves our planet some much-needed water.
B. It is a (slightly) healthier option
A Harvard study found that people who ate plant-based protein were 29% less likely to die from heart disease as compared to people who ate only meat-based proteins. Plus, there are many other health risks associated with eating more red meat, so there’s another reason to substitute with a veggie burger whenever we can.
C. We become gourmet chefs
Okay, not really. But the sheer amount of options out there challenges our creative skills in the kitchen. Plus, not everyone likes the same kind of veggie burger, so, as the chef, you are automatically required to cater to many different tastes … and veggie burgers have a dizzying array of options, from patties made out of beans or soy, to oats, and even to sweet potatoes and other vegetables. There truly is something for everyone.
References:
“National Veggie Burger Day” │ https://nationaltoday.com/national-veggie-burger-day/