Student nutrition directors like Primer say the linchpin allowing schools to experiment with up-to-date regulations is California’s universal free lunch program. He notes that when school lunch is free, students are more likely to eat it: “Free food plus good food means a greater share of the meal every time.”
Nora Stewart, author of the Friends of the Earth report, says the recent raise in vegan school lunches was also a response to growing demand from climate-conscious students for less meat and dairy in cafeterias. “We see great interest from students and parents in more plant-based products [meals] as a way to really help reduce greenhouse gas emissions,” she said. According to research by Aramark, a food services company that provides services to school districts and universities, among others, a majority of Gen Zers – 79 percent – say they would eat meatless at least once or twice a week. A food service company that recently introduced an all-vegetarian menu in the San Francisco Unified School District admits that students “led”, asking for less meat in their cafeterias. The menu includes four vegan options: an edamame teriyaki bowl, a bean burrito bowl, a taco bowl with a pea-based meat alternative, and marinara pasta.
Stewart theorizes that school nutrition directors are also increasingly aware of other benefits of serving vegan meals. “Many school districts are realizing that they can integrate more culturally diverse options into more plant-based meals,” Stewart said. Over the past five years, California school districts have added 41 new vegan dishes to their menus, including chana masala bowls, vegan tamales and falafel wraps, the nonprofit found. Students with lactose intolerance also benefit from dairy-free meals. who are more likely to be students of color.
Still, vegan meals are not standard in California cafeterias and are unheard of in many places. Of the state’s 25 largest school districts, only three elementary school districts offer vegan options daily, which is the same number as in 2019. According to Friends of the Earth, a quarter of the California school districts they surveyed do not offer plant-based meal options; in another quarter, the only vegan option for students is a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. “I was surprised to see it,” Stewart said.