“Where’s the beef?” might become a weekly lament in public school cafeterias across New York City. In a stated effort to improve the health and broaden the nutritional minds of school-age children, New York City Mayor Eric Adams has limited Friday lunch choices to vegan-only options. He is calling it Vegan Fridays. A vegan diet prohibits any food made from or produced by an animal, including meat, eggs, cheese, milk, and fish. The Friday meal will be entirely plant-based, though the kids will have access to milk, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, and some other non-plant-based options.
Is a Vegan Diet Healthful?
Overall, vegan diets are healthful, but several nutrients are harder to come by when on a diet such as this. For example, protein, calcium, iron, and vitamin B12 are not as prominent when consuming only plant-based foods. Fortunately, milk and other options that supply these much-needed nutrients will be available to New York kids if they want them.
A plant-based diet tends to reduce the risk of heart disease, diabetes, and high cholesterol and contributes to weight loss and maintaining a healthy weight. Adams credits his vegan diet for reversing his Type 2 diabetes symptoms.
Are Students and Parents on Board?
As with any significant change or adjustment – especially involving children – there will be some who agree and others who have concerns. But most parents are probably on board with the menu change because their kids don’t consume much of the meat-based meals that are served anyway, so why not try something new?
Naomi Peña, a parent of schoolchildren on the Lower East Side, said, “I'm all for offering our kids different options. One thing that the mayor said is 100% right is that the kids don't like the options that exist now. So why not experiment?"
Others are open to the change but seek a vegetarian diet over strictly vegan. Foods like cheese, eggs, and milk are staples in many households, and parents want those options available to their children. Fourteen-year-old student Candace Jackson said, “They should at least provide [the dairy option], and then they can provide something non-dairy.”
While parents are generally accepting of the new diet, pictures of the student meals shared online slightly swayed some opinions. A handful of parents took to social media to vent their frustrations about what the school was feeding their children.
(Photo by Jon Cherry/Getty Images)
One commented, “This is the @NYCMayor new vegan option for Fridays. Most of the kids dumped this in the garbage or just ate the cookies. It smelled like armpits & it was completely unappetizing. Why would you remove options for students? A dry cheese sandwich isn’t going to cut it.”
It seems more adjustments may be required to fully satisfy parents and the kids who are forced to eat these meals.
Though New Yorkers have largely accepted the menu modification, schools in Lyon, France, did not fare so well. Many citizens were outraged because they saw the elimination of meat from the menu as an indignity to local butchers and farmers. Mayor Gregory Doucet, however, stood his ground. He believes the health and well-being of the children are the primary concerns.
With mixed emotions surrounding the menu change in New York, it is crucial that every parent feels heard and respected. It may be helpful to modify the menu options to accommodate the needs of more children. How would you feel about a strictly vegan menu at your child’s school?
~ Read more from Kirsten Brooker.
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