Oprah Just Asked Americans to Eat One Plant-Based Meal a Day for the Planet

When Oprah talks, we listen. She got us to read books, to try Weight Watchers, look under our seats for winning prizes, and now she is asking her 42 million twitter followers to eat one plant-based meal a day. Inspired by her garden interview with Suzy Amis, wife of James Cameron, Oprah is committing to this way of healthy eating to benefit the planet, as she and Suzy explain in their recent sit-down. Amis is an activist and has just written a book OMD (One Meal a Day -- Plant-based) and has founded MUSE, the first vegan school in the nation, in her Calabasas neighborhood. She and her husband met while filming The Titanic and went vegan years ago after watching the documentary Forks Over Knives. 

Here is a snippet from the interview: 

“One Plant-Based Meal a day, for a year, does what for the planet? “ Oprah asks.

“It saves 200,000 gallons of water, and is the equivalent of driving across the country from New York to LA,” Suzy Amis tells Oprah. "And that's just one person" for a full year.

“That is graspable. It’s a doable thing: My mind can conceive that. One meal a day," Oprah muses,  “Turn that into a fun exercise for yourself. It’s a doable thing.” Her IG story today shows her in the kitchen with her Chef, Raymond Weber, creating a delicious looking lunch of vegetables and rice, and Oprah tallying up the WW points each item will cost her. Even if you don't have a private chef, eating one plant-based meal a day is doable. Check out The Beet's recipes of the day, and our product reviews -- and rate your favorites -- on The Beet-Meter.

For more inspiration, head to Oprah's IG stories of her cooking her one plant-based meal a day. She is into it! this is her happy face over red beans and rice. "That's all I gotta say y'all."

What’s your PB personality? I met a woman who started with Meatless Mondays, then added Tuesdays and then Wednesdays so that every week she added one more meatless day to her week. In seven weeks she had transitioned to plant-based eating, inspired by her sister who had done it first, and who was looking and feeling great.

Whatever your reason — the planet or your health or animals — going plant-based slowly is easier than it sounds. Oatmeal for breakfast and quinoa salad for lunch, bean and rice burrito for dinner. The meal choices are endless. Check out our recipes.

Let Oprah inspire you. Here is her tweet. We've loved following her IG stories showing her in the kitchen with her chef making her plant-based meals and counting her points. Check it out!

Read more about how to eat for the planet here.