无肉日的诉求是希望大众能够在一周间的固定某几天能够避免或不吃肉。而周一和周四是最普遍的选择。另外还有一些无肉运动是鼓励大众一周、一个月或甚至永远不吃肉。
戒肉在历史上主要是基于宗教理由 (例如: 周五斋戒日)。汉传佛教主张在家信众于至少于农历每月初一、十五茹素，称之为“朔望斋”，亦有于六斋日、十斋日茹素，以及于佛、菩萨的诞日茹素。循道卫理教会在大斋期期间，信众普遍认为每周一日不吃肉是一种忏悔赎罪的方式。[1] 普世圣公宗(美国圣公会) 以及罗马天主教会的传统也奉行周五斋戒日。[2][3] 在历史上， 圣公会和天主教国家会强制所有人民在大斋期的某些特定日全面禁止荤食。比方说在英国， 屠夫及餐馆老板受制于高额担保费必须保证每周的周五及周六不得屠杀或贩售肉品。[4] 在东正教, 周三和周五是斋戒日。[5] 在信义宗的历史上，周五和周六是他们的斋戒日。[6]
备战时期所实施的粮食定量配给或在一些经济萧条的国家也有无肉日的规定。 (例如:第一次世界大战时，加拿大以及美国实施周二无肉日[7] ，同时也实施周三无麦日)[8][9] 。
在波兰人民共和国时期, 因为市场力量的趋动，政府鼓励人民响应无肉日。他们的目标是减少肉品的消费，而鼓励面粉制品的消费。依照传统，他们的无肉日是周五、周一或周三。
社会开始重新引进“无肉日”运动主要诉求是为了减少工业化养殖业，推动素食和维根纯素生活，以达到减缓人为气候变迁，同时增进人体健康和动物福利等。
Reportedly, Meatless Tuesdays and Wednesdays were observed in Pakistan, from Benazir Bhotto's era in the 1990 through part of the 21st century. [16][17][18]
- 瑞士素食协会(Swissveg)发起之周四无肉日[25]
- Awareness day
- Friday Fast
- List of food days
- List of food weeks
- List of food months
- 周一无肉日
- List of vegetarian festivals
- Vegetarian week
- 世界纯素食日
- 世界素食日
Buchanan, Colin. The A to Z of Anglicanism. Scarecrow Press. 4 August 2009: 182. ISBN 9780810870086. In the 1662 Book of Common Prayer, there is a list of "Days of Fasting, or Abstinence," consisting of the 40 days of Lent, the ember days, the three rogation days (the Monday to Wednesday following the Sunday after Ascension Day), and all Fridays in the year (except Christmas, if it falls on a Friday).
Barrows, Susanna; Room, Robin. Drinking: Behavior and Belief in Modern History. University of California Press. 1991: 340 [27 April 2014]. ISBN 9780520070851. （原始内容存档于2017-01-24）. The main legally enforced prohibition in both Catholic and Anglican countries was that against meat. During Lent, the most prominent annual season of fasting in Catholic and Anglican churches, authorities enjoined abstinence from meat and sometimes "white meats" (cheese, milk, and eggs); in sixteenth- and seventeenth-century England butchers and victuallers were bound by heavy recognizances not to slaughter or sell meat on the weekly "fish days," Friday and Saturday.
Vitz, Evelyn Birge. A Continual Feast. Ignatius Press. 1991: 80 [27 April 2014]. ISBN 9780898703849. （原始内容存档于2020-07-29）. In the Orthodox groups, on ordinary Wednesdays and Fridays no meat, olive oil, wine, or fish can be consumed.
Lund, Eric. Documents from the History of Lutheranism, 1517–1750. Fortress Press. January 2002: 166. ISBN 9781451407747. Of the Eating of Meat: One should abstain from the eating of meat on Fridays and Saturdays, also in fasts, and this should be observed as an external ordinance at the command of his Imperial Majesty.
[Alter, S. Amritsar to Lahore: A Journey Across the India-Pakistan Border. pp. 107-109]
