Start Your Week on a Positive Note With These Meatless Monday Deals

If you're looking to do something nice for your body and the environment after a hard weekend then taking part in Meatless Monday is a good place to start. An international campaign, Meatless Monday encourages people to cut out meat on Mondays in order to improve their health and help the environment, with the aim of fostering the habit of eating less meat in general.

The Meatless Monday campaign got started in the US but the idea of cutting out meat on this most alliterative day of the week has caught in around the world – in the UK, for example, the Meat-Free Monday campaign is backed by an outspoken supporter of vegetarianism (and former Beatle), Sir Paul McCartney, and his daughters Mary and Stella. 

Plenty of restaurants in Beijing have cottoned on to the idea too, offering good value deals to entice customers to give up the meat. These are a few of our favorites. 

Gung Ho!
Gung Ho! has long been one of our favorite spots for funky, alternative pizza options and they have recently cemented that reputation by expanding their range of vegetarian, vegan, and allergy-friendly toppings and pizza bases, and adding options like vegan cheese. On Monday, get 20 percent off all vegetarian dishes when you dine in or take away, which includes options like their spinach pesto and smoked tofu pizza, roasted veggie salad, and gluten-free cheese bread balls.

Top dish to try: The Robert Plant pizza (RMB 39 for 7-inch pizza, RMB 86 for 11-inch pizza), topped with okra, asparagus, broccoli, mushrooms, bell peppers, and Greek olives

Moka Bros
Moka Bros is one of our favorite spots for vegetarian and vegan dishes that pack in the perfect mix of carbs, proteins, and fats to keep you going through the day. On Monday, they offer 20 percent off all their vegan dishes. Send "Meat Free" to the Moka Bros WeChat account (摩卡站MokaBros) to get your voucher. Available in all Moka Bros.

Top dish to try: Hearty Quinoa (RMB 68) with green beans, red beans, beetroot, corn, tomatoes, dried cranberries, black olives, and Asian dressing

[MOVED TO WEDNESDAYS] Rollbox
You may think of banh mi as being predominantly porky but Rollbox's vegetarian and vegan options will set you straight on that misconception. Try them all – including the grilled tofu and oyster mushroom bowl (vegan) or banh mi (vegetarian), egg and salad banh mi (vegetarian), and grilled tofu rice paper rolls (vegan) on Monday The 20 percent off deal is available for dine-in customers only, 6-10pm, but that's a good excuse to get down there and try their tasty cocktails, too. 

Top dish to try: Grilled tofu and oyster mushroom bowl (RMB 48)

Slow Boat
Monday means buy-one-get-one-free on veggie burgers and salads at Slow Boat (deal available with the purchase of a drink). Choose from old favorites like the Dongsi Tofu Burger and Mighty ‘Shroom Burger or try their new veggie creation, the Mourning the Morning, with tofu, sunny-side up egg, avocado, and adobo aioli. Freshly squeezed juices are also RMB 5 off if you really want to step up the healthiness.

Top dish to try: Mourning the Morning Burger (RMB 68)

Punjabi Indian Restaurant
Punjabi holds regular Meatless Monday dinner buffets, usually priced at RMB 98 including free-flow beer and soft drinks, featuring a wide variety of vegan Indian dishes to choose from. The theme of the buffet changes regularly – in mid-July, for example, they held a special veggie burger night featuring dishes like veg samosa burger and potato bao bhaji – so call the restaurant ahead of time to confirm.

Obentos
Obentos' menu of healthy Japanese-inspired cuisine includes plenty of meat-free options, from warming bento boxes to hearty grain bowls to fresh salads. They offer 20 percent off four of their vegetarian and vegan dishes – Soulful Sukiyaki Bento, Vegan Spice Bento, Gotta Kick in My Step Summer Salad, and Abundantly Healthy Summer Grain Bowl – for delivery orders on Monday. Order via the Obentos website or their WeChat account (ID: obentos本之味).

Top dish to try: Gotta Kick in My Step Summer Salad (RMB 54), featuring kale, beetroot, avocado, tomato, cucumber, corn, radish, mint, almonds, and ginger

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Photos courtesy of Moka Bros, Gung Ho!, Rollbox, Slow Boat, Punjabi Indian Restaurant, Obentos