NY School Goes Vegetarian, Academic Results Improve

A public school New York (P.S. 244 in Queens), the first in the US, has opted for a 100 percent vegetarian school lunch menu. That on its own is already a breaking news, but more interesting even is the fact that the school life and the student’s health have improved with this diet change. 

The school reported that they were showing better attendance rates, students had better test scores and also better levels of energy. And more importantly, that obesity rates had lowered, six month after implementing a vegetarian-only lunch menu.

The school still allows children to bring their own lunch bag, but about 90 percent of students are attending the vegetarian cafeteria.

“About 70 percent of the students at the school  have families with Asian or Indian roots; this veggie-friendly cultural background may have played a role in the smoothness of the transition and the popularity of the program with the school’s parents and students.Meals include organic roasted tofu, braised black beans and falafel.”

Students also attend weekly nutrition classes where they learn about making smart food choices.

Read more here and here.