Fifteen public schools in Brooklyn will serve exclusively vegetarian meals once per week as part of a “Meatless Mondays” initiative spearheaded by New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio.
The mayor announced the plan, which will take effect at participating schools in the spring, on Monday during a visit to P.S. 1 in Sunset Park. Mr. de Blasio encouraged the kids to adopt a “plant-based” diet, citing the approach’s benefits for both personal wellness and the environment.
“Even if you had a bacon, egg and cheese this morning, you still should want to see more and more of our diets go to a plant-based approach,” the mayor said, the New York Daily News reported. “It’s good for everyone.”
Mr. de Blasio later sat down with P.S. 1 students in the cafeteria to tell them about the joys of healthy eating. They were served grilled cheese on a bagel with tomato and potato wedges.
Earlier this month, P.S. 1 became one of five schools in New York City to adopt an exclusively vegetarian menu. Entrees at the pre-K through fifth-grade school include lentil sloppy Joes, braised beans with plantains and teriyaki crunchy tofu.
But not all of the students are happy with the new menu.
When asked by a local CBS affiliate if his classmates like the food they’re eating, 8-year-old Gavin Garcia replied, “No.”
What complaints do students have about the menu?
“That they don’t like vegetables,” Gavin said.
Not to be deterred, Mr. de Blasio said he was proud of the students for “their decision” to eat more healthily.
“They made a decision based on their own experience and their own values that they wanted to live healthier, and they wanted to do something that they thought would be good for the earth as well,” he said.
• Bradford Richardson can be reached at brichardson@washingtontimes.com.
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