Guest guest Posted March 7, 2003 Report Share Posted March 7, 2003 http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2003/03/05/MN18671.DTL State bid to offer veggie school lunches Kim Severson, Chronicle Staff Writer Wednesday, March 5, 2003 ©2003 San Francisco Chronicle | Feedback URL: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2003/03/05/MN18671.DTL Move over, Salisbury steak and fish sticks. A band of vegan parents and a California legislator wants the state's school lunchrooms to offer daily vegetarian lunches. The resolution from Assemblyman Joe Nation, D-Marin, asks that at least one daily entree in each school cafeteria menu be plant-based, which would make it as close to vegan as possible. A vote on the resolution is scheduled today in the Assembly Education Committee. The resolution is driven in large part by Project Healthy Beginnings, which began three years ago when some San Diego parents pressured their school district to provide vegetarian options. The group has since moved their lobbying efforts to Sacramento. " This is our biggest goal because we were vegetarian, and our children basically couldn't take part in the school lunch program, " said project director Barbara Gates. " They could not eat a complete USDA meal. They could pick and choose, and they couldn't get filled up. " In 2002, more than 2.7 million California children ate lunch through the National School Lunch Program, which is administered by the state Department of Education. Although any child can buy a USDA school lunch, the meals are offered to needy children at a reduced price or for free. Nation says he took up the cause after hearing from " a growing number of parents who complained about a lack of options for kids who don't eat hamburgers and French fries. " He acknowledges that a nonbinding resolution is a modest step, but he believes it is part of a growing effort to fight childhood obesity and help children eat a healthier diet. " It legitimizes the idea of vegetarian lunches and sends a message that the Legislature acknowledges that schools can probably do a better job feeding our kids. " Hawaii became the first state in the nation to encourage vegetarian school lunches when it passed a similar resolution last year. E-mail Kim Severson at kseverson. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You are posting as a guest. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.