Plant-based news
Plant-based news is all around us, from new restaurants opening in your favorite city to exciting food innovations, and even new studies related to health. Here are some article we think are worth a read.
Got free speech? An LAUSD student is restricted from promoting non-dairy milk
A 17 year old Los Angeles high school student was prohibited from distributing information about alternatives to dairy milk at her school because of USDA rules that protect the dairy industry.
81 Percent of Students Opt for Plant-Based When It’s the Default. And It Drastically Cuts School Emissions.
When students are presented with a plant-based option as the default, an overwhelming majority will
choose it. The campus food service provider Sodexo ran the experiment over 35 lunch periods at three universities. Sodexo is planning to meet its climate goals by serving more plant-based meals.
Sodexo Campus commits to 50% plant-based menu by 2025
After finding that at least 70% of the company’s U.S. supply carbon footprint was related to animal-based food purchases, Sodexo’s Campus division committed to making a change. Today’s college students are especially attuned to the environmental and physical benefits of plant-based eating.
Why New York’s (Mostly) Vegan Mayor Wants to Cut the City’s Meat Budget
The city estimates that its food purchases produce as much carbon as the exhaust from 70,000 gas-fueled cars. “We now have to talk about beef. And I don’t know if people are really ready for this
conversation,” said Mayor Eric Adams.
Why some public schools are introducing vegan meals on the sly
While some schools are actively labeling non-meat options, others are quietly offering students the choice. “We just put it all out there as, ‘This is food and it’s good’” says one food service director.
The push for plant-based continues as operators escalate goals
Food service providers for school-aged children are increasing their focus on plant-based offerings for reasons including climate goals, health and cost savings.
10 food trends that will be popular with kids in 2023
Food management company Chartwells K12 reveals food trends from its annual student survey. Included on the list are planet-friendly offerings and plant-based meals.
Special Interests are Sabotaging Child Nutrition Programs
Food industry lobbyists, many from the dairy industry, are putting their own interests ahead of the health of the country’s children. Dairy special interests are nudging out fruit and vegetable requirements in favor of their own products. Healthy salt, fat and sugar limits are other casualties.
Mandatory plant-based milk in schools? Here's why a Louisiana congressman is proposing it.
The prevalence of lactose-intolerance among non-white populations means that the requirement for dairy milk in school lunches amounts to “dietary racism”.
Impossible Foods is Helping California School Cafeterias Add Vegan Options
Impossible Foods introduced two plant-based products designed for school lunch menus shortly after
California announced $100 million in funding to expand plant based and sustainable options in schools.
NYC Recruits Rachel Ray to Create Plant-based School Recipes
New York City is launching a “Chefs Council” led by Rachael Ray to develop more than 100 plant-based recipes for public schools. The recipes for delicious, nutritious, culturally relevant meals are being created with direct input from students and parents.
New York City’s adoption of plant-forward menus in hospitals and schools offer insight to replicability for the rest of the country
NYC hopes to help other cities implement a plant-forward approach.
How Plant-Based School Meal Programs Help Kids Fight Climate Change
Plant-based meal programs in public spaces such as schools can play an important role in changing behaviors that benefit the planet. This concept was noted in a recent report that highlights “super-leverage points” that can trigger larger societal change when it comes to fighting climate change.
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz Signs Universal Free School Meals Into Law
Gov. Tim Walz on Friday signed a bill to provide free breakfast and lunch to all Minnesota students at eligible schools…
Plant Powered Meals
The New York City Department of Education is committed to the health and well-being of every child, and proudly provides free, nutritious meals to all New York City public school students every day. The healthy food we provide helps students succeed inside and outside of the classroom…
California allocates $700 million for plant-based school food
Public school systems seek to keep children safe, healthy, and informed, but most school systems fall short ar teaching kids about healthy and environmentally-friendly eating. California Governor Gavin Newson wants to change that, approving a $700 million…
Illinois public schools will serve vegan meals to 2 million students
“Got Milk?” is a slogan American students are familiar with beginning in elementary school. For decades, meat and dairy-centric dishes have overshadowed plant-based foods in cafeterias nationwide, but now, Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker has signed a new bill into law that will mandate plant-based school lunches statewide…
Inflation hits the lunch line: How higher costs and supply chain issues are affecting school lunches
High inflation is not only squeezing family budgets across America — it is also hitting school cafeterias. The rising cost of food and ongoing disruptions to the supply chain are shrinking what’s on the menu for students across the country…
The climate benefits of veganism and vegetarianism
In a two-week experiment, BBC Future tracked emissions from a vegan, vegetarian and omnivorous diet – and found some thought-provoking ways to lower emissions from our food...
Want to try veganism? Here's how to get started
Veganism has become hip, in addition to having potential health benefits, like improved heart health and weight loss, from cutting out animal products and increasing vegetables. But it’s a big dietary change, and merely announcing, “I’m vegan” doesn’t take away the lifestyle challenges that can entail...
Billie Eilish leads six-day “overheated” climate event during London tour stop
Billie Eilish is bringing together activists, musicians, and fashion designers for the Overheated climate event to discuss the climate crisis and their work to make a difference...
An early start in plant-based foods can make an impact for life
In a win for Washington state public schools, kids, the environment and animals, Pasado’s Safe Haven successfully helped secure $150,000 in grants and pass-through funding for interested school districts to implement a plant-based lunch pilot program for 2023…
Eating meat is the Western norm. But norms can change
Shifting demand from meat to beans, whole grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds could have substantial benefits for the climate. In 2018, total greenhouse gas emissions worldwide were almost 49 billion metric tons...
Vegan Fridays for all? More schools offer plant-based meals
In February, the New York School System, which serves 1.1 million students in 1,800 school cafeterias, began serving hot, plant-based meals to all students on Fridays following an executive order by the city’s newly elected mayor, Eric Adams…
Eat more plant-based proteins to boost longevity
If you’d like to try a vegan diet but can’t imagine nixing all animal products, consider two recent findings. One, published online July 22, 2020, by The BMJ, comes from researchers at Harvard and Tehran University…
K-12 students want more plant-based options on the menu
“Plant based and plant forward is something [students] want to see, so we get behind it,” says Peter Gilhooly, vice president of culinary at Chartwells K12, noting that he sees interest in plant-based offerings across all grade levels…
Efforts growing to help schools serve plant-based meals
Options are growing for students looking for vegan and vegetarian meals in their school cafeterias…