healthy hot meal at school
By S. G. Sikora

Hi! I have been a vegan for 25yrs & I have a l3yr old son who has been a vegan since his conception. However he is unable to eat a good, healthy hot meal at school. How can we provide a national lunch program at schools so kids have a choice to choose what they eat! I have called the local Board of Education, the office where my son attends school, & the Central Kitchen which
distributes foods to all schools in this area. We live in Oklahoma, a heavy agriculture & rancher society, state ! Any ideas you can offer will be gratefully appreciated. Your vegan friend, Click Kent

Hiya Click!

In an era when schools are allowed to consider ketchup (or catsup, if you prefer) a vegetable, it’s not surprising a veggie kid can’t get a decent meal! Of course, non-veg kids aren’t faming much better, they just don’t know it! In 1996, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention announced that nearly 25 percent of youth age 6 to 17 are officially overweight, and that 70 percent of 12-year olds in the U.S. have a significant amount of atheroscelerotic plaque in their arteries. That shouldn’t sit well with [concerned] parents, and the solution - of course - is switching to a plant-based diet. Even the American Dietetic Association (ADA) is singing the praises of a vegetarian diet! School districts haven’t caught on to this yet, though.  So, what’s a parent to do?

Well, until we can change perceptions, one of two things can be done. The first, and most obvious, option is to pack your child’s lunches. In this way, you can be sure of the nutrition of your child’s lunch.

The other option is to provide a note from a doctor to school administrators and staff indicating a vegan diet is needed for health reasons, or from you stating that your child will not consume animal products for religious or ethical reasons.

What else can you do?

* Educate your child’s teachers.
* Speak to PTA boards.
* Write letters to the editor.
* Contact your state’s representative!

Manny Najera, State Representative from El Paso, helped improve the health of school children in his district by backing a bill to change school lunches to more healthful fame. The change, which is to be phased in over the next six years into all Texas school districts, is a comprehensive program of improved school food and nutrition education for students. If Texas can do it, surely Oklahoma can!

Also contact organizations like CHOICE (Consumers for Healthy Options in Children ‘s Education) that promote plant-based meals and nutrition education in schools. http://www.choiceusa.net/protector-resources-html/protector-resources.html

It seems daunting, I know. But, if we consider just how many options theme are available to us today, as opposed to when we were the age of your child - it can put things in perspective. We are getting theme! We just need to keep working for change!!

Good luck to you!!
Suzy