PETA Urges Obama to Give Kids Vegetarian School Lunches

[Karmadillo]

http://www.usnews.com/blogs/washington-whispers/2009/02/12/peta-urges-obama-to-give-kids-vegetarian-school-lunches.html

Well, President Obama this week said he was "open to any idea, whether it comes from a Democrat or a Republican or a vegetarian." So, here comes People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals with its idea: Put the National School Lunch Program on a veggie diet. "Vegetarians just may hold the solution to so many of the problems plaguing America today," says PETA President Ingrid E. Newkirk in a letter to the White House. "Teaching our children the benefits of vegetarian meals would save animals, help stop climate change, and help keep kids at a healthy weight as well as help them avoid our nation's biggest and most costly killers—cancer, heart disease, and obesity. If promoting a vegetarian diet isn't already part of the proposed stimulus package, it should be."

Here's the letter:

February 12, 2009
The Honorable Barack Obama
President of the United States
The White House
Dear Mr. President,

On behalf of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) and our more than 2 million members and supporters, thank you for saying that your administration is open to any idea, whether from "a Democrat or a Republican or a vegetarian." May I suggest an idea that would indisputably bolster the economy, reduce work days lost, improve the health of our nation's children, reduce medical costs, and spare millions of animals from needless suffering? Please direct the U.S. Department of Agriculture to end purchases of meat, eggs, and dairy products for the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) and replace them with healthy vegetarian foods like fruits, vegetables, veggie burgers, faux-chicken patties, and more.

As you know, obesity and its associated health problems have reached a crisis level that is now affecting our nation's young people. America's children are already overweight, and as they get older, their health-care costs will increasingly soak up money that could otherwise be invested in new American technology and businesses. As these children enter the workforce, the economy will suffer another blow as they take more sick days. Fortunately, the long- and short-term human and economic effects of the epidemic could be largely reversed by giving plant-based meals to children now in order to instill healthy eating habits in them.

As you know, vegetarian foods have no cholesterol and lots of fiber; meat, eggs, and dairy products contain a lot of cholesterol and have no fiber. No wonder that meat-eaters are nine times more likely to be obese than vegans are. The American Dietetic Association and Dietitians of Canada are among the many health organizations that are reporting that vegetarians have "lower rates of death from ischemic heart disease; ... lower blood cholesterol levels, lower blood pressure, and lower rates of hypertension, type 2 diabetes, and prostate and colon cancer."

In addition to harming Americans' health, the meat industry is a leading cause of environmental degradation and pollution, is energy intensive, and causes enormous animal suffering through debeaking, dehorning, castration, and other painful procedures, which are carried out without any painkillers. Conditions of intensive confinement, inhumane transport, and poorly regulated slaughterhouses also cause animals great stress and fear.

Because of the lobbying efforts of the meat and dairy industries, NSLP meals are heavy in saturated fat- and cholesterol-laden animal products. We ask you to direct the USDA to reverse its policy of propping up these politically powerful industries at the expense of our economy, our health, our children's health, and animals.

A bright, healthy future for our economy and our children can begin with a nutritious, delicious vegetarian lunch in the school cafeteria. We would be happy to discuss this proposal further or to advise you on this issue. Thank you for your consideration.

Very truly yours,
Ingrid E. Newkirk
President

more (reader comments follow)...

[flvegan]

1. This should be brilliant!

:popcorn:

[madrchsod]

2. ya.... like that`s going to happen.

[stray cat]

3. With or without a carton of breast milk?

[quickesst]

4. PETA is a disgusting organization....

Just one example of the low moral standards they operate by. They should be minimized, and ridiculed into obivion, and I have zero respect for them, their methods, and anyone who agrees with them. They are a scourge to progressives everywhere. They should be thankful my grandchildren were not recipients of this crap in my presence. Fucking waste of human flesh and breathable air. My opinion. Thanks.
quickesst

<>

[mucifer]

5. I've been an animal rights vegetarian for 27 years and I pretty much agree with you!

I'm also a hospice nurse. I go into people's homes they offer me food. They have no money. To be judgmental and condescending is just pure arrogance and pointless. People are people.

[superduperfarleft]

84. "Animal rights vegetarian"

:rofl:

[jmowreader]

9. I worry about the "your mommy kills animals" one...

How many mommies do YOU know who have fur clothing? That shit costs WAY too much...the filthy rich still buy it, but the moderately rich would rather add a room onto their homes or buy the 7-series BMW instead of the 5-series.

[cherish44]

59. Stuff like that only manages to turn people off and cheapens their message in my opinion

Some of these over the top gory things they do are the main reason I stopped donating to them.

[Yukari Yakumo]

79. They ARE ridiculed into obivion.

The only way they can keep the spotlight on them is continuously doing stupid publicity stunts.

[TahitiNut]

6. PETA: Recruiting the Next Generation

(Because we just know how kids love to eat their vegetables.)

:rofl: :rofl:

[petronius]

7. Sounds like a reasonable idea - at least to have some veg days in the cycle

Just like it's a good idea for schools to buy fresh and local as much as possible. A diversity of meals will keep kids healthy and teach them there are wise food decisions outside the pizza-burger-taco cycle. There's no reason that the schools should be the dumping ground for corporate overproduction (to the extent that it is; I really don't know)...

[michreject]

12. Those wll be the days the kids don't eat

Brilliant.

[gollygee]

18. It depends on what kind of vegetarian options they have

Also if it has to be vegan. Like, my daughter's school has a cheese pizza day, and mac and cheese sometimes, and scrambled eggs sometimes. They aren't vegan but they are vegetarian meals. And popular meals with the kids. But still not as nutritious as I'd like so I pack a lunch for her.

[michreject]

58. Are scrambled eggs PETA approved

:evilgrin:

[gollygee]

62. LOL, no I know they're hard core

but I have to think they'd prefer a step from burgers and hotdogs to eggs and grilled cheese?

[QueenOfCalifornia]

80. Read the OP...

No dairy products. PETA does not approve of using dairy products. Forget Mac and cheese and anything else with cheese - like pizza.

[gollygee]

81. Yeah I've re-read it and saw that

though I did respond to that in the other reply - I've got to think PETA would prefer some vegetarian options to no changes at all. Baby steps. But the idea that all schools in the US are going to switch to only vegan foods is ridiculous. Not gonna happen.

[Karmadillo]

88. Unlike the Democrats, PETA understands there's no point compromising at the beginning.

They're getting the idea out there. As this thread demonstrates, there's a fair number of people who might not want an all vegan cafeteria, but would support a vegan/vegetarian option. And then who knows where things go? The more kids become aware where they food comes from, the greater the possibility they'll move in the direction of vegan meals.

[petronius]

22. Kids will pitch fits for all kinds of reasons - that's no argument against

making healthy and sensible decisions. And, the notion that they won't eat on vegetarian days is predicated on the erroneous assumption that meat free food is automatically unappealing. It's easy to find quite tasty vegetarian meals, which was my point about veg days showing students that they can branch out (the leaves, anyway) dietarily and still enjoy their food...

[ZombieHorde]

40. Were all meat eaters in my household, but we sometimes have veggie meals.

Our kids eat them without problems.

[Coexist]

90. because spaghetti is so unpopular with children?

my kids love the veggie corn dogs and chik'n patties way more than the regular ones, and they are meat eaters. Ever try them?

[michreject]

92. No

And never will. I'm a dedicated meat eater.

[HarukaTheTrophyWife]

27. I think there should be a healthy veg option everyday

There were always a couple options in the schools I went to. It shouldn't be that hard to make one vegetarian. At the HS I went to, you couldn't even get a salad without meat on it.

[petronius]

30. That would be ideal. I went to a one-option school, so that's what I'm

picturing, but a range of healthy choices would be best...

[HarukaTheTrophyWife]

35. I went to a school without lunch options for a few years, but it was a Catholic school

They only offered lunch once a week, anyway. They'd bring in fried chicken, pizza, Blimpie subs on the days when they offered a lunch.

There were always a few options in my middle school, and by HS, there was two entree options every day, plus pepperoni pizza, salad (with meat), pasta with meat sauce, hamburgers, chicken patty sandwiches, cheesesteaks and a line to order deli sandwiches. The sandwiches were pretty good, but eating cheese sandwiches everyday got boring, even with a full selection of cheese.

[Lyric]

46. I agree with this.

I don't think it's the place of the school system to mandate vegetarian meals, but I *do* think that there should be a vegetarian option every single day. I also think that there should be a greater variety of fruits and vegetables in non-veg meals; the endless canned fruit cocktail and raw celery/carrot sticks hardly EVER get eaten, because kids get tired of them fast. There would be less food waste if there was a larger variety; the food waste alone completely destroys the "But it'll cost more!" argument, because if kids were actually eating more of their lunches, less taxpayer dollars would be thrown away every day. It's no wonder that kids reject veggies so frequently; who on earth would want to eat that same old crap day after day?

School-lunch veggies are really bad PR for healthy eating.

[cherish44]

51. That's a great idea

At home we eat vegetarian about 2-3 times a week. I have vegetarian cookbooks that have some great recipes. There are lots of people who think a meal isn't a meal without meat but it's not true... The meat they serve in school lunches is often only a step above low grade dog food anyway!

[aikoaiko]

8. A policy to make school kids hate PETA one vegan meal at a time.

:applause:

[Upton]

10. Sound like a good idea to me

What's wrong with feeding kids a healthy meal for a change?

[pnwmom]

28. I see nothing wrong with an occasional veggie meal and I'm sure most schools

have them.

I can remember from my own school lunches macaroni and cheese, and cheese pizzas.

Not all veggie meals are particularly healthy and not all veggie foods are healthy for every child. My child is limited as to the grains she can safely eat; if she were prevented from eating meat, fish, and eggs as well her diet would be severely limited.

[gollygee]

11. I don't see why they couldn't have 2 veggie days a week or something

Not a bad idea.

[BlooInBloo]

13. Poor, poor PETA. (shakes head)

[Cirque du So-What]

14. If I were a cynical conspiracy theorist...

I'd mull over the possibility the PETA is covertly funded by a shadowy consortium of conservatives for the sole purpose of portraying liberals as woo woos who lash out with sporadic outbursts of antisocial violence.

[SteveM]

15. Newkirk wasn't dressed as a Klanswoman when she wrote this, was she?(nt)

[mitchum]

41. No, she was wearing her customary cloak of self righteousness

[blondeatlast]

94. You'd think someone would take her aside once and tell her that

Ingrid doesn't look good on Ingrid.

They'd be so much better off without her.

[maddezmom]

16. My kids school offers veggie meals in addition to other meals

:shrug:

[Occam Bandage]

17. If I were a Republican, I would donate every spare cent I had to PETA. nt

[anonymous171]

19. Probably would be cheaper. nt

[hughee99]

20. Excellent idea, lets FORCE a vegetarian diet on our kids at school

how could this possibly backfire?

I have no problem with offering vegetarian choices, but forcing children into vegetarian-only lunches isn't right.

[petronius]

23. Why is it not right? I'm not a vegetarian, but 'm not seeing any moral

obligation for schools to always have meat on the menu. The only obligation is to provide a sufficient, nutritious, and hopefully enjoyable meal - which can easily be done without meat. If there are multiple entrees to choose from, I'd agree that they should be diverse every day, but my recollection of my far-distant cafeteria days is that it was one choice per day, listed out well in advance.

If there's any moral component at all, I'd say it's in favor of mixing in vegetarian days, if only to minimize the degree to which kids who are vegetarian are set apart...

[pnwmom]

32. Your reasonable suggestion is NOT what PETA is proposing.

PETA isn't proposing mixing in some vegetarian entrees. You must have missed this part of their letter:

"Please direct the U.S. Department of Agriculture to end purchases of meat, eggs, and dairy products for the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) and replace them with healthy vegetarian foods like fruits, vegetables, veggie burgers, faux-chicken patties, and more."

[petronius]

54. You're right, I did skip that part and it certainly puts a different meaning

on the post I replied to. Still, I would not consider an 'all veg' menu to be any more or less moral/right than a consistently meat containing menu, judging exclusively on those factors.

I think the school purchases should be based on nutrition, appeal, cost, and local impact - and whatever menu is best by those criteria should be chosen. Ideally, that would be a diverse set of veg and non-veg selections...

[drbonnerlover]

31. But the Mystery Meat ones are?

Seriously, this would guarantee at least one high-fiber, antioxidant-rich meal a day...It's not like kids who eat meat have to eat in at every meal!

[pnwmom]

33. You can guarantee a high-fiber, antioxidant rich meal a day without

banning the purchase of meat, eggs, fish, and dairy products, which is what PETA is proposing.

[drbonnerlover]

34. They are "banning" it from lunches...There are two other meals a day + snacks

for meat, eggs, fish, and dairy. I think that is plenty. Just my opinion...

[pnwmom]

36. While they're at it, why don't they ban all products containing wheat, barley,

rye, and oats?

My child and I would like that.

That leaves two meals a day with gluten for the gluten-tolerant, which is plenty.

:sarcasm:

[drbonnerlover]

38. Does this really bother you? Because I would think, even if you were the most dedicated omnivore.

that knowing your kids would be getting their veggies and overall meals formulated with health in mind would be comforting! Because those school lunches are absolutely disgusting! I used to work in a school and one of my co-workers always touted the pizza, so I decided to try it one day. I think I got down one bite before I wanted to throw it up. Just bleached flour (very thick crust) with icky, sticky cheese and virtually NO pizza sauce. Ugh.

[pnwmom]

45. For gluten-intolerant people, there is nothing healthy about having more

(or any) wheat, barley, rye, and oats -- which would be pretty much guaranteed under an all vegetarian regime.

The fact is that vegetarians are in a small minority. So are the gluten intolerant. So we deal with it -- we don't expect everyone else to limit their options to conform to our own.

[HarukaTheTrophyWife]

53. No, it wouldn't be

Trust me, I am well-versed on celiac and you obviously just know nothing about a vegetarian diet. I suggest you research vegetarian options for your kid. It would open up their limited food choices.

[hughee99]

71. Yes, I'm sure that the fine people who F'd up something as simple as

pizza will have no problem making all veg meals appetizing. :sarcasm:

[HarukaTheTrophyWife]

48. Plenty of vegetarian and vegan options out there for celiacs

I honestly don't see what celiac has to do with this. It's a disease, and honestly, if my kid were celiac, I'd make their lunch regardless. Of course, there's probably more things your kid could eat on a healthy vegetarian menu than the typical non-veg school lunch.

[pnwmom]

55. By your reasoning, vegetarians should make their own children's lunches.

Rather than try to inflict their food limitations on others, the vast majority of whom do eat meat or meat products.

[HarukaTheTrophyWife]

57. I think gluten-free options are a good thing (and easy to do)

I just wouldn't trust a school cafeteria to read all the ingredients and pull it off safely.

[pnwmom]

61. I don't trust the cafeteria, in my daughter's case. But there are are range of

people now who have found that they are healthier without gluten -- not just Celiacs. And many of those people are able to tolerate the small amounts that my daughter has to avoid.

Actually -- I do trust the cafeteria when it comes to things like cartons of milk, which the PETA proposal would also ban. It is difficult to get enough calcium into many children as it is, without eliminating milk from one of their meals.

[HarukaTheTrophyWife]

86. Yes, I'm aware of the range of people who avoid gluten

I actually know more about it than I could ever possibly need for myself.

Look, I don't agree with the Peta proposal to go totally vegan, but I think there should be vegan options. If they're offering milk, why not a soy milk option, as well. Your kid could drink soy milk.

[pnwmom]

95. I don't have a problem with them offering soy milk or more veggie options --

but I disagree with any orders for school districts not to purchase any meat, fish, eggs, or dairy products for school lunches.

My child does happen to be allergic to soy, so that isn't an option for her. But I would be happy if it were offered for those who want it.

[WolverineDG]

42. They're already "forcing" a meat-atarian diet on 'em

what's wrong with veggies?

While I strongly doubt school lunches will be going all-veg anytime soon, I don't see what's wrong with offering a vegetarian option or having 1 or 2 veggie days per week. That's what we had to do in the 70's. Meatless ??? Wednesday? Tuesday? I forget since Mom decided to go "meatless" two days a week.

dg--who walked to 10 miles to school every day in South Texas in blinding blizzards uphill both ways

[hughee99]

69. As I said, I have no problem with providing veg only options.

Or even providing a number of veg-only days during the week (which I'm sure would spark another groups protests if that day happened to be friday during the catholic's "lent") but PETA's suggestion is that ALL options every day are veg only.

[RobinA]

75. Every Time

I look at my neice's school lunch menu it looks like they are forcing a crapatarian menu in kids. Pizza, french toast sticks, tacos, mac & cheese, nachos.... Ugh, it's disgusting. All processed junk food.

[WolverineDG]

83. school food was crap when I was in school

except for hamburgers (for some bizarre reason) & enchiladas (since it was South Texas after all). You couldn't pay us to eat what they called "pizza." :puke:

Most of us brought our own stuff from home, except for Wednesday (enchilada day--some sort of tradition all around south Texas) & Friday (hamburgers!).

dg

[Bill McBlueState]

93. I've known a few crapatarians in my day...

Seriously, I have friends in their thirties who seem to eat nothing but the foods you listed. Having them over for a decent dinner is nearly impossible.

[Fleshdancer]

21. I would love to see schools funded well enough to be able to provide a vegetarian alternative

Just making a meal vegetarian doesn't necessarily make it healthy though. I would like to see better nutrition guidelines overall for public schools.

What school was featured in Bowling For Columbine? The school for troubled children that served healthy, organic food? After the switch, the school noticed a dramatic decrease in bad behavior. Other schools should look into that program.

[tabbycat31]

63. that was also in Super Size Me

where he visited a school that served organic food, and grew some of their own food. The behavior problems in the kids decreased.

I have no problem with going veggie maybe one day a week, but don't immediately end it.

Besides school cafeteria food is usually not that good.

[Fleshdancer]

66. Thanks! I confused the documentaries.

I remembered that scene, but I messed up on which documentary I saw it in. :blush:

[4lbs]

24. If PETA really wants this thing to go through, they would let either the

Global Health Council or the National Child Health Council ask President Obama to do it.

[AyanRand Is Dead]

25. Oh for goodness sakes.

You know there's sometn=hing really twisted about indocterinating children.

[RushIsRot]

26. Life in school would be a drag without the many meals of

Mystery Meat.

[drbonnerlover]

29. This organic organization also wants to plant an organic garden at the White House! Bravo!

The Obamas favor healthy meals and I believe would champion these causes.

The SAD (Standard American Diet) lives up to its name. High in saturated fat, animal products, and refined carbs, it is low on fiber and other healthy elements found in plant foods:(

[Arkana]

37. Maybe make it an option, but forcing all schools to go veggie?

Yeah. Not fucking happening.

[davsand]

39. "Is it meat or is it cake? It's MEATCAKE!!!!!!"

Carlin. Gawd, I will miss that man.


Laura

[cherish44]

65. LOL I forgot about that one!

Carlin was king wasn't he? The meat they serve in schools is horrible. The mystery meat with green gravy thing still lives on...For some kids though it's the only hope they get of having a meal that's not 100% processed crap or fast food.

[davsand]

73. Sadly, for some kids it might be the best meal of the day.

Makes me sad to have to say it, but there are kids going hungry and those school lunch programs might just make the difference for those kids.



Laura

[remoulade]

77. Apparently school food has changed enormously since I was there. Our schools employed

students for most of the jobs, not cooking but most everything else - I made good money working as the cashier in the cafeteria line...we had very high quality, excellent food with plenty of well prepared vegetables - almost everyone would have 1 or 2 bowls (9 cents ea) in addition to a meat item (28c)

fixed punctuation error

[Sultana]

43. I need a burger!

:D

[noamnety]

44. The proposal makes sense to me.

I'm not a vegetarian, but I provide soups and sandwiches for my students just for the heck of it on a regular basis, and 99% of the time it's vegetarian - usually vegan, because it is healthier and better for the environment.

For many of the kids, it's their first exposure to "vegan" as a concept, and generally they are surprised that it's so tasty.

For both environmental and health reasons, it seems like the responsible choice to make, and while I can make personal decisions that are bad for my health or irresponsible, I support state policies that are healthy and environmentally friendly.

I'm not sure why there's so much anger at this proposal. Are people really that pissed off that their child may have to eat 5 vegetarian meals a week? I don't even understand the anger at the so-called brainwashing of our kids into being healthy. That's a good sort of brainwashing, kind of like how we force them to take gym classes and try to brainwash them into exercising and doing well at school. I'm having a hard time getting bent out of shape at the notion of schools indoctrinating kids into being healthy and environmentally responsible.

Can someone explain to me why a proposal that is healthier, financially smarter, and better for the environment is causing such outrage on DU?

[pnwmom]

49. In the case of my child, it would make lunch unhealthier, unless they also

banned the purchase of any food products containing wheat, barley, oats, and rye -- which are toxins to the gluten-intolerant.

But I realize that my daughter's dietary needs shouldn't limit other children's options. And vegetarians shouldn't seek to limit the options of non-vegetarians.

[noamnety]

67. Accommodating food allergies

seems unrelated to PETA's proposal.

[cherish44]

47. I'm an unashamed ominvore

but I think more vegetarian lunches would be great. So many kids eat nothing but junk at home.

[RadicalTexan]

50. I'm vegan and I hate PETA

just checking in.

[superduperfarleft]

85. Me too. And I'm sick of having to apologize for them.

There's nothing wrong with looking to replace the meaty cheesy crap that kids are fed with more healthful alternatives. However, it doesn't help when the group promoting it is coming off a week-long media blitz regarding their dressing up in Klan outfits in New York.

[Karmadillo]

96. No need to apologize for them. They did what they had to to expose the workings of the AKC.

Link to PETA undercover video of Westminster Dog Show follows the snippet from the LA Times.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/unleashed/2009/02/peta-protests-w.html

<edit>

True to the promise it made last week, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals turned out at Madison Square Garden today to protest the 133rd annual Westminster dog show.

Group members, decked out in Klansman robes and armed with brochures that read "The KKK and the AKC: BFF?", argued that purebred dogs suffer from breeding practices designed to produce show winners rather than healthy animals. A sample statement from the brochure (written in the first person as if by a Klan member):

Like the Klan, dog breeders who subscribe to the AKC standards are all about the sanctity of "pure bloodlines." So what if beagles have epileptic seizures, Dalmatians are deaf, and pugs can barely breathe because of how they are purposely bred to look a certain way? Looks are everything!

In a statement, PETA Vice President Daphna Nachminovitch referred to what she termed the AKC's "fetish for body image," saying that the kennel club's promotion of purebreds "means money for breeders but creates sick dogs and vet bills for their guardians."

<edit>

Further, PETA and other animal activist groups argue that dog breeding compounds the issue of pet overpopulation, with homeless dogs dying in shelters for lack of homes while breeders continue to produce new puppies. The brochure handed out by hooded protesters today elaborated on the connection PETA draws between pet overpopulation and dog breeding:

We tip our hoods to breeders who are responsible (oh, they'll modestly say that it's only "indirectly") for the number of mixed-breed dogs who never make it out of the animal shelter alive. AKC officials don't rub out these "inferiors" directly, but they know that every "purebred" puppy bought from a breeder means "lights out" for another mutt at the animal shelter.

more...

Link to PETA video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E4QLleYNQpw&eurl=http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/unleashed/2009/01/peta-responds-t.html

[AlCzervik]

52. My daughter's school has a vegetarian choice for lunch everyday.

[HarukaTheTrophyWife]

56. Clearly, the school kids must be starving where she goes

[AlCzervik]

64. for sure, they turn sideways and you can't even see them!

i still pack my kid's lunch everyday, she's 14, it's like the only thing left i can still do for her, she's humoring me and that's okay. Kid also went vegetarian about a month ago, her choice not mine.

[gollygee]

76. Vegetarian or vegan?

Peta doesn't want any meat, dairy, or egg options at all. Not vegetarian alternatives, only vegan options available. I agree that having vegetarian options is a good idea, and even vegan options, but that doesn't appear to be what they want. If the vegan meals would appeal to the kids, it would be fine, but if the kids won't eat it then there isn't any point.

[Lady President]

60. Veggie Options Seem Reasonable

Way back in the 1980s, the school that I attended had a veggie option every lunch. The school had a large population of Jewish and Muslim students. Having a veggie meal ensured that everyone had something to eat. I think a lot of posters would be surprised about how many veggie meals were chosen. I eat some meat, but I always picked a veggie burger or mac & cheese over some scary grey meat. Realistically, a vegan menu would be a tougher sell for the average kid.

[Marrah_G]

68. I would be all for having a vegetarian option for kids

IF it was feasible financially. Vegan probably would not work, but vegetarian would.

[Stevenmarc]

70. This is a big heaping load of Bullshit on PETA Bread

[Tektonik]

72. Schools should offer a variety of foods

Veggie options would not even be that expensive tbh.

Rice/other grains + beans/other legumes along with a side salad.

I need to go to the doctor soon for a physical, I'm sure he'll be pleased with my cholesterol compared to how high it was getting prior to me becoming a veggie.

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

74. One Of The Dumbest Things I've Heard Asked Of Him Yet! Leave It To Peta LOL

What a bunch of ignorant morans that group is.

[HarukaTheTrophyWife]

87. Pot meet kettle

Kettle meet pot.

[Warren DeMontague]

78. Healthy foods for kids at lunch=great idea. Unfortunately, PETA is a full-of-shit, extremist org.

that has zero interest in the health of human animals, young or old. All they care about is granting equal constitutional rights to chickens and such.

No one listens to them, because most of the crap they spew is such obvious idiocy. Here, they have half a point. Too bad it's obscured by their reputation.

[TimeChaser]

82. Veggie options: Cool. Vegan only cafeteria: Not cool

The title is misleading. I'd love to see more healthy vegetarian and vegan options at schools (and everywhere, for that matter), but forcing school cafeterias to go 100% vegan... No.

[a la izquierda]

89. Oh for the love of PETA...

I'm a vegetarian, and when I have kids they will be too (until they're old enough to decide for themselves and cook, too). This is dense as all get out.

[deaniac21]

91. PETA sucks.