Meatless Mondays May Come to City Schools

Who says vegetarianism is dead? Last week Manhattan borough president Scott Stringer proposed that NY public schools institute a "Meatless Monday" program, by which students would start their week with spinach and green beans, foregoing bacon strips and chicken wings. “The way to get to kids is to raise the flag: ‘Give up meat one day a week. I’m not going to have Burger King or McDonald’s for one day,’” said Stringer, who edited the "Go Green East Harlem Cookbook." “You’ve got to reach the next generation of New Yorkers early.”

According to City Room, the aim of the program isn't to eliminate meat or promote vegetarianism—it's about being healthy. Stringer says meatless meals are generally lower in saturated fat, which is important since one in five NY kindergarten students is considered obese, and therefore at greater risk for diabetes, heart disease, asthma and depression. To top off the list of advantages, vegetarian meals cost less to make.

In Baltimore, where some schools adopted the program this year, Meatless Monday offerings like eggplant parmesan and black bean nachos have proved as popular as the much-coveted vegetarian option on airplanes. “There’s not a culture on the planet that doesn’t have vegetarian offerings,” said Tony Geraci, a city food and nutrition services director. “This is not rocket science stuff. You just have to remember to make it taste good.”

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By Sabrina Jaszi in Food on February 22, 2010 6:31 PM

Comments [rss]

lucy van pelt

remember, proper nutrition starts at home...at my baby-daddy mama's house.

Ishtar

Corn soaked in butter. Yum.

really!?!?

Covering veggies in cheese (eggplant parm) is not any healthier then what they are replacing. This proposal illustrates the larger issue we are seeing with children's diets today. Namely, that we (schools and parents, society) are not teaching children how to eat properly. Instead, this proposal is again putting food into broad categories or good and bad, when it is not as simple as that. Why not grilled chicken Monday? Whats wrong with bison burger Thursdays? There are ways to eat meat other then McD's. The trick is to teach kids how certain foods and preparation methods are better for you, and why. More importantly, MODERATION! There is nothing wrong with a kid having a some french fries once in awhile. The problem is that french fries have become the dominant vegetable in most children's diets.

Bouncy

It's not just covered in cheese: it's fried eggplant, swimming in sauce, covered in cheese. Plus, I doubt they will spring for part-skim mozz. We're talking Elio's pizza mystery white cheese, folks!

ChampionOfTheSun

It drives me nuts when people think they're eating healthy as long as a vegetable is somewhere underneath either gravy, melted cheese, fattening salad dressing, etc.

I know schools don't have the budget for organic foods, but it doesn't cost much to make something like brown rice with frozen (not canned) veggies, or pasta and veggies, or even veggie burgers with sweet potatoes on the side. Meat would even be ok, if it wasn't of the totally disgusting variety.

ANGRYGOD11

It does cost more to prepare fresh food. It's cheaper to keep boxes of frozen and canned "stuff" in storage until it's time to "make something" for lunch with little effort.

valeriob

@edex- that means they're good on Mondays, amirite?

@lb & ides - hehehe

ok so how do we stop these kids from going to McDonalds after school and for dinner? If obese school kids were their real concern, they wouldn't put so much goddamn effort and time into school lunches, they'd put a fat tax on them.

This is the type of program you just do. We don't need to talk about it, no credit is due. The more time spent on proposing and approving, the more it's going to cost us. Stfu and take action. This is why NYC gov is so bass ackwards and every idea costs millions before they even happen.

whitecastlerock

Oh is that what Scott Stringer does? Good thing we have him on the payroll...

LB

Leave the kids alone with there slop ! Why introduce them to green food ? Don't they have parents for that ?

ides_of_march

Where have you been? It's the government's job to raise children now.

Snoopy

I'm confused here. If the average kid ate an Egg McMuffin for breakfast, the poor little shit should be able to make it to dinner at Mickie D's.

lucy van pelt

The mystery animal should be very happy

ed_Extinct

Followed by No Firearm Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Fridays?

ANGRYGOD11

Remember, this food is coming from a public school cafeteria. The only good tasting vegetable on the tray will be the french fries.

whyyyy

yeah. the "veggies" will probably be canned, soggy, briny stuff in the interest of [fiscal] sustainability... they're going to ruin healthy eating for an entire generation of kids.

FelixtheCat & Christine Quinn'

yes! let's make it meatless tues,weds,thurs and friday as well in schools. please

nivek

Damnit, where else will my kiddies get their fill of gym mats?

Snoopy

Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha

Shouldn't this be done on Fridays? At least it would have some religious bullshit attached to the idea.

Under this new legislation will they be able to serve shellfish to the yeshivas?