extinction-free bbq

Meat production is responsible for more environmental degradation than any other single industry. Animal agriculture accounts for at least 16.5% of greenhouse gas emissions, 80% of antibiotic use and 37% of pesticide use. Livestock grazing is one of the greatest threats to imperiled species, affecting 14% of threatened or endangered animals and 33% of threatened or endangered plants.

It's easy to include wildlife protection in your barbecue plans: By making that hot dog the only meat you eat today – or better yet, by replacing it with a veggie dog (or one of our delicious extinction-free recipes) – you can do your part to stop grilling the planet. Start a new summer tradition of celebrating the outdoors with an extinction-free barbecue.  

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Between Memorial Day and Labor Day, Americans eat an average of 818 hot dogs per second. That’s a lot of meat, especially when you consider the cost to wildlife and the environment. All those hot dogs – plus the burgers, steaks and sausages thrown on the grill during the biggest meat season of the year – are turning the planet into a kabob of climate change, deforestation, pollution and wildlife extinction. Not sure how to have a barbecue without meat? 

• Top chefs and food bloggers contributed mouth-watering recipes that are so delicious, you won’t miss the meat. 
• View our Extinction-Free BBQ menus.
• In addition to taking extinction off your grill, there are other ways to make your barbecue more wildlife-friendly. 

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• Choose organic food and drinks, if possible.
• Ditch the disposables. Use reusable plates and silverware instead of paper or plastic.
• Make recycling easy. Have a clearly labeled, easy-to-find receptacle for recyclables.
• Give food scraps a second life. Compost your wildlife-friendly scraps for the garden.
• Properly dispose of wrappers, plastic and other remaining trash.
• Share your own ideas for an #ExtinctionFreeBBQ with us on Facebook or Twitter @ChooseWild.
• Looking for ways to get away from the grill and enjoy nature? Barbecue season is also the perfect time to picnic, hike or camp. Check out our wildlife-friendly tips for enjoying the outdoors.

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Meat-free cookouts have come a long way from the bland veggie burgers of yesteryear. Try some (or all) of these delicious, extinction-free alternatives from some of the top wildlife-friendly chefs and bloggers in the world. 

Classic BBQ Menu:

The Main Dish

• Easy Portobello Burgers (Nava Atlas, VegKitchen)
• Seitan Hot Dogs (Annie Oliverio, An Unrefined Vegan)

On the Side

• Creamy Macaroni Salad (Zsu Dever, Everyday Vegan Eats)
• Cheesy, Oozy Guacamole Bean Dip (Alicia Silverstone, The Kind Life)
• Raw Kale Slaw (Dianne Wenz, VeggieGirl)

Dessert

• Very Fudgy Chocolate Chip Brownies (Fran Costigan, Vegan Chocolate: Unapologetically Luscious and Decadent Dairy-Free Desserts)
• Crazy Cake (Jake Conroy, Plant Based on a Budget)

New Favorites:

The Main Dish

• Barbecue Sweet Potato and Chile Peanut Tacos (Jason Wyrick, Vegan Tacos)
• Grilled Portabella Peach Sandwiches (Dianne Wenz, VeggieGirl)
• Summer Vegetable and Tofu Kebabs With Pomegranate-Peach Barbecue Sauce (Bryant Terry, Afro-Vegan)

On the Side

• Balinese-inspired Green Bean Salad (Bryanna Clark, World Vegan Feast)
• Best Butternut Bisque (Laura Theodore, Jazzy Vegetarian)
• Vegetable Pakoras (Vegan Black Metal Chef)

And for Dessert

• Marzipan Buckeye Bars (Amber Shea Crawley, Practically Raw Desserts)
• Watermelon Granita with Chocolate Seeds (Fran Costigan, Vegan Chocolate: Unapologetically Luscious and Decadent Dairy-Free Desserts)

Already have a favorite Earth-friendly cookout dish? Share the recipe on social media using the #ExtinctionFreeBBQ hashtag.

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