According to the Santa
Barbara Independent, 50
percent of cafeteria meals served in the Santa Barbara Unified School District
are vegan after a partnership between the district and plant-based company
Hungry Planet.
Last year the district and Hungry Planet teamed up for Earth
Day to serve vegan meatball subs, chicken chile verde burritos, and double
cheeseburgers from the company’s food truck. Sales tripled over previous years and
food sold out two days in a row. This caught the attention of Nancy Weiss, food
director for the district.
This January she decided to offer the vegan meals to students
on a call-ahead basis:
I realized I really wanted everyone to be able to experience it. I just decided we would come up with a bunch of kid-friendly menu ideas and roll it out quietly.
This month’s Hungry Planet options include soyrizo
quesadillas, crispy chicken burgers, spaghetti and meatballs, beef nachos, and
chicken Alfredo. Weiss said, “A lot of days they are running out of the Hungry
Planet option.
Santa Barbara isn’t the first school district to offer vegan
options. Over 50 school districts nationwide currently observe Meatless Monday,
and vegan options at schools have been on the rise for years.
Last year, all 1,800 public schools in the New
York City district started to offer at least one vegan option, and Los Angeles Unified School District rolled out a vegan pilot
program to offer more plant-based lunch options to students at no
additional cost.
Offering vegan meals at schools will not only help improve
students’ health and teach them how to eat a nutritious diet but also spare countless animals a life of misery at
factory farms. These shifts toward plant-based school lunches are shaping
the way future generations will eat.
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