Embrace "Meatless Mondays" with this healthy snack

Meatless Mondays is a global movement with a simple message: once a week, cut the meat. Launched in 2003, Meatless Monday is a non-profit initiative of The Monday Campaigns, working in collaboration with the Center for a Livable Future (CLF) at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Food industry leaders including produce farmers, supermarkets, food industry associations and food companies have joined the Meatless Monday movement, too. Going meat free on Monday helps increase fruit and vegetable consumption, supports hardworking produce farmers, and represents a fabulous platform for promoting meat free products.

The Movement is now active in 36 countries and growing because every nation can bring its unique culture, customs and cuisine to the table in meat free and vegetarian dishes. Become part of the "Meatless Mondays" movement and incorporate plant-based proteins, like almonds into your meals. Plant-based proteins often contain good, unsaturated fats that offer many health benefits.

Try this recipe to kick off your holistic living efforts with a burst of refreshing flavors:

Cucumber Salad with Lemon Almond Dressing

Ingredients:

2 tablespoon almond butter
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1/4 cup olive oil
Red pepper flakes (optional)
1-2 tablespoons of water
Salt and pepper

Directions:

In a blender, combine all of the ingredients for the dressing.

In a bowl, toss the cucumber with ¼ cup of the dressing. Garnish with almonds.