Miami Herald -- PCRM promotes veggie options

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Copyright

2008 The Miami Herald

The

Miami Herald (Florida)

 

Distributed

by McClatchy-Tribune Business News

 

March 4, 2008 Tuesday

 

SECTION: STATE AND REGIONAL NEWS

 

ACC-NO: 20080304-MI-Broward-schools-let-students-try-veggie-burgers-0304

 

LENGTH: 723 words

 

HEADLINE: Broward schools let students try veggie

burgers

 

BYLINE: Hannah Sampson, The Miami Herald

 

BODY:

Mar.

4--CANDACE WEST

MIAMI HERALD STAFF

Ashley Capps

tends to bypass the daily lunch offerings of chicken nuggets, pepperoni pizza

and chef's salad at Everglades High School in Miramar,

instead bringing snacks from home.

" There's

nothing really to eat here, " said the 16-year-old vegetarian, who

organized a petition drive last year in protest.

Monday, she

got her wish -- and as many free samples of flame-grilled Gardenburgers as she

could eat.

She and

hundreds of other students at the school tried out the meatless burgers -- cut

into pieces and dotted with pickles, ketchup and mustard -- during their lunch

break Monday. While some looked hesitant at first, most declared that they

couldn't tell a difference between the veggie version and a patty made from

meat.

" It was

really good, " said 10th-grader Devon Stone, 16. " I prefer it over the

regular hamburger. "

Joining

schools across the country that seek to serve healthier alternatives in

cafeterias, the Broward school district is offering meatless burgers at three

schools this week in a pilot program.

Public

schools in Miami-Dade County already offer Gardenburgers, as well as vegetarian wraps

and entree salads, according to a district spokesman. The country's two largest

school districts, the Los

Angeles Unified School

District and the

New York City Department of Education, also offer Gardenburgers on their menus,

said Thuy-An Wilkins, a spokeswoman for the Kellogg Co., which makes the brand.

" I

really hope it takes off, " said Susan Levin, a registered dietitian with

the Physicians Committee for Responsible

Medicine, a nonprofit nutrition advocacy organization that promotes

a vegetarian diet. " I hope that the kids understand it's not just that

it's a healthier option, but that it does taste better. "

The

Washington, D.C.-based group is partnering with Broward in the rollout.

Gardenburgers

will be for sale Wednesday at Everglades High. Kids at Driftwood Middle in Hollywood will sample them on Wednesday with the

option to buy on Thursday. And another taste test will be held at Eagle Point

Elementary in Weston on Thursday, with the burgers available for sale there

Friday.

In the three

Broward schools chosen for the pilot, meatless options will also be available

during the rest of March. Next week, kids can try garden chili. More

Gardenburgers will be sold the following week, and black beans and rice will be

available as an entree during the last week of the month.

" We're

going to see the response and then think about next year, " said Darlene

Moppert, the district's program manager for nutrition education training.

Broward

already has taken steps like eliminating desserts, cutting out fried food and

serving whole-grain bread in an effort to serve more nutritious lunches.

Schools also serve salads with no meat.

Broward

School Board member Eleanor Sobel, who has pushed for meatless options, said

she is glad to see more choices for kids.

" I'm

really pleased because this brings our school menu into the 21st century, "

she said. " There are a lot of students who need choices and especially

students who are vegan, who will not eat meat for personal reasons, religious

reasons or health reasons. "

With 90

calories, four grams of fat and no cholesterol, the Flame Grilled Gardenburger

that students sampled on Monday is by all accounts a healthy option.

Sheah Rarback,

a registered dietitian at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine,

called the product a " fine choice, " health-wise.

But, said

Rarback, who also writes a column for The Miami Herald, nutrition facts alone

aren't enough to lure young palates.

'You can't

just have a Gardenburger and say, 'It's good for you.' It's got to taste

good, " she said. " Kids don't eat things because they're good for you.

Kids want to eat things that taste good. "

For English

teacher Keith Dixon, 24, the burgers met the taste challenge.

" I would

definitely buy it, " he said, before taking a second sample from the tray.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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