Daytime television audiences were treated to a special Meatless Monday edition of ABC’s new food talk show, The Chew, on January 23rd. The show serves up a regular helping of kitchen tips and conversation with co-hosts Clinton Kelly, Daphne Oz and chefs Mario Batali, Michael Symon and Carla Hall. The hosts shared their personal reasons for eating less meat, along with some of their favorite Meatless Monday meals. Batali, a long-time Meatless Monday supporter, explained why he goes meatless with his family each week:
“[It’s] changed the way we cook [at home]. We think about our meals differently and, more importantly, we have a conversation. We talk about what we’re doing, why we’re doing it and it involves everybody in the process of how important it is to make decisions about your food.”
Style expert Clinton Kelly highlighted the growing popularity of the Meatless Monday movement. “Meat lovers across the country are having a meatless day of the week for a variety of reasons, and we wanted to take a look at healthy and delicious eating options,” he explained. Diet whiz Daphne Oz discussed the nutritional and budgetary benefits of eating more vegetables, while chef Michael Symon, a well-known carnivore who hails from Cleveland, shared that participating in Meatless Mondays can help eaters “understand the seasons a little more and know when vegetables are at their peak.”
Some of the recipes shared included a colorful Vegetable Moo Shu from Oz; a fast and affordable Grilled Sweet Potato with Swiss Chard from Symon and an easy solution to boring broccoli from Hall. Chef Batali welcomed guest Lynne Rossetto Kasper of the radio cooking show The Splendid Table, who shared her recipe for Moroccan Lentil Soup. The hosts also had a bit of fun with a “To Meat or Not to Meat” taste test. After the show, Batali shared his favorite Meatless Monday meal, Duck Eggs Over Easy with Fontina on Grilled Bread, with Facebook fans.
The Chew has garnered record-high ratings recently, with almost 3 million daily viewers reported earlier this month. Last week’s episode reminded viewers that Meatless Monday can be a fun and easy way to diversify their diet. If you’d like to see Meatless Monday on The Chew for yourself, check out the full episode online at ABC.com.
