US colleges move to meet demand for meatless meals

[Guest guest]

What could possibly be done to affirm these vegetarian-leaning young persons and

to support their growth and development into wise, mature, knowledgeable and

understanding vegetarian young adults and vegetarian social leaders?

 

We can think about this as an economic observation, but what about these folks

whose behavior indicates that they're leaning in the direction of something

better, however partial or limited their understanding may be, or how brilliant

their potentials?

 

http://news.moneycentral.msn.com/category/industryarticle.asp?feed=RTR & Date=2003\

0123 & ID=2259570

 

US colleges move to meet demand for meatless meals

January 23, 2003 4:53:00 PM ET

By Gail Appleson

 

NEW YORK, Jan 23 (Reuters) - While young children continue to crave Big Macs and

Chicken McNuggets, many U.S. university students are demanding meatless meals,

animals rights and vegetarian groups said on Thursday.

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, which estimates that more than 20

percent of college students consider themselves vegetarians, said results from

an online survey of such students show that colleges are increasingly adding

meatless and non-dairy meal options.

Jay Kelly, PETA education manager, said some 3,000 students provided information

about vegetarian and vegan offerings at their schools. Vegans do not eat any

animal products, including milk and eggs.

The results showed almost all colleges have at least one vegetarian offering at

each meal and that many have begun offering everything from seitan, a

wheat-based meat substitute, to soy yogurt.

" With college students particularly concerned about the treatment of animals, we

can only expect the demand for vegetarian options at college cafeterias to keep

growing, " Kelly said.

Schools cited in the survey as having the most progressive cafeterias include

the College of the Atlantic in Bar Harbor, Maine, New York University and

Syracuse University.

Charles Stahler, co-director of the Vegetarian Resource Group, also said

vegetarianism was rising at colleges, which are serving foods they never would

have considered years ago.

" The proof is in the money, " he said.

He said one major example of the trend can be seen at Johns Hopkins University

that recently added a separate vegetarian station to its main undergraduate

dining hall.

LEADING EDGE

The executive chef there, Cathy DeCarlo, said that at least half the diners were

choosing items from the station.

" We feel we're on the leading edge ... It's something we're pretty excited

about, " she said.

She said that in addition to providing vegetarian meals, they had also taken

steps to educate students about the health benefits of meatless eating.

The goal was to show students that " This (vegetarianism) is not a weird thing,

it's a healthy option, " she said.

DeCarlo said that eating meatless meals had become so popular at the school that

" it's even a bit prestigious. "

Stahler said the demand for vegetarian meals at colleges had grown so much that

schools found that distributors had not added selections fast enough.

" We've heard of cases where college food service staff had to go to the local

health food stores to buy soy milk or other items, " he said. " This is a

roadblock to institutions adding more vegetarian dishes. "

However, he said that Sysco (SYY), the nation's largest food-service supplier,

was planning on introducing a new brand with numerous products from natural

foods companies, making it easier for more vegetarian items to be offered by

colleges. REUTERS

© 2003 Reuters

 

 

 

 

 

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