FoA launches campaign to make vegan school lunches the norm

Friends of Animals wants to overhaul the meat-centric, cheese-heavy National School Lunch Program by getting daily vegan entrée options in an increasing number of public-school cafeterias and to get them highlighted on school menus.

The organization’s initial efforts have been successful. After weeks of conversations between FoA and food services staff in Norwalk, Connecticut, all Norwalk Public Schools—which is comprised of nearly 12,000 students—have a daily vegan lunch entrée, including items such as hummus, chik’n nuggets, sweet and crunchy chickpea wraps, and Impossible beef crumbles and burgers.

FoA also worked with the following CT school district’s: Middletown Public Schools, Westport Public Schools, Fairfield Public Schools, as well as Portland Maine’s public schools.

FoA will be pressing several other school districts in CT in 2025. Having daily vegan lunches available is astoundingly good news for animals and the environment. A vegan Beyond Burger generates 90% fewer greenhouse gas emissions, requires 46% less energy, has 99% less impact on water scarcity and 93% less impact on land use than a quarter pound of U.S. beef. That means a 41-square-foot plot of land can produce just one beef burger for every 15 Beyond Burgers.

Not to mention, vegan food is more inclusive.

FoA has also take legal action against the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture. FoA’s legal petition is pressing the agency to change regulations that hinder vegan, climate-friendly cafeteria food. If the agency denies the petition, FoA could challenge its decision.