Green Monday is an excellent initiative for several praiseworthy reasons. The first and maybe the most important reason is to remind people that plant-based diet has slowly been disappearing from our plates over the past few decades, and that today we consume less vegetables and whole grains than we should. The second reason is our health. Nutritionism is a science which skillfully combines nutrition with the impact on the human body. If we look closely, we will see that with the change of eating habits and lifestyles, the number of chronic uninfectious diseases like diabetes and cardiovascular diseases, as well as obesety, which is a problem not only for adults, but also for children, has been on the rise. By introducing and popularising Green Monday as a day we eat plant-based food on, we provide the opportunity for people to familiarise themselves with some dishes and flavours they haven't thought of before, as well as set an example to our children to adopt some positive eating habits; in that way, Green Monday will surely have a positive impact on our health. The third reason is that vegetables, besides being rich in nutrients, also have really small energy values, but at the same time are very rich in fibres, meaning they will help maintain an ideal body weight. Lastly, although the vegetarian or vegan diet is not a primary diet option for some, Green Monday can help in discovering that plant-based meals in combination with grains are not only nutritious, but also very tasty. For all these reasons I find Green Monday to be more than a good start to a week!

Diana Gluhak, MNutrDiet
Nutrition consultant
Sparkle d.o.o.

I have been supporting this initiative for a long time as a nutritionist and personally for a number of reasons, both professional and humanistic. Green Monday is the day when we can give our bodies a break from meat and animal products, including fish, eggs and seafood, and processed meat products. For one day we can choose to include cereals and grains, berries, mushrooms, vegetables and fruits into our diet without fearing that we are depriving ourselves of what we need; instead we are able to do quite the opposite – we can reduce our body's detoxification capacity, complete the profile of useful phytochemical intake and relieve the gastrointestinal tract. Sometimes less means more. Devoting yourself to your diet planning on Green Monday means more than just changing your menu. It means raising awareness of the need to make healthier choices for yourself and giving a positive contribution to the environmental protection and interdependence of man and nature. Healthy dietary habits need to be supported, starting with your shopping and your own choice of foods. In other words, the attitude towards food is the attitude towards health and your own well-being. In that respect let us give ourselves one day in a week when we do something good for ourselves and at the same time do something good for the ecosystem and the balance of nature.

Branimir Dolibasic, B. Sc., nutritionist

It is precisely the idea of Green Monday that can inspire us to rethink our nutrition and our habits, to do something good for ourselves, our family and the environment around us. As much as we like to think we live in a progressive society, we don’t havethe alternative for our body or for our planet. A diverse and balanced diet doesn’t have to be expensive or complicated; it just needs some determination and time – small investment for a big gain. I find Green Monday to be an excellent start of each week.

Ivana Simic, M.Sc.PHN

Nutristo fully supports Green Monday as a positive campaign promoting healthier eating habits in order to improve our health in general. Excessive consumption of meat and processed meat products can be associated with the development of cardiovascular diseases, malignant diseases and enhanced body mass. Therefore, introducing at least one meat-free day in a week perfectly fits into Nutristo guidelines for proper nutrition which stresses dietary diversity, balanced intake of all foods and sufficient fruit and vegetable intake.

Nutristo.com

Green Monday will help people be aware of what, how and why they eat at least one day a week. If awareness of food were constantly present it would greatly reduce the number of chronic diseases related to inadequate diet. I therefore fully support introducing Green Monday because it will show those who don’t consider vegetarianism an option that they can enjoy a delicious and diverse plant-based diet at least once a week.

Donatella Verbanac, Ph.D.