Jewish Community High School of the Bay in San Francisco is one of just five private schools nationwide in the running for “Most Veg-Friendly Cafeteria.” Online voting for the competition, which is sponsored by animal-rights youth organization Peta2, is being held through next week.
The meals at JCHS are entirely vegetarian, kosher and organic. Among the many selections offered in the school’s cafeteria are sushi, tofu, hummus, potato leek soup, a falafel bar and a make-your-own-burrito bar, in addition to a daily organic salad bar.
“By offering a number of meatless food options in its cafeterias, Jewish Community High School is not only helping students maintain good health but also helping them save animals and the planet,” says Peta2 director Dan Shannon. “For more and more young people, these are all important goals.”
JCHS was honored last year with a Golden Carrot award from the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine for its efforts to promote healthier school lunches.
At the time, Stuart Jacobs, the JCHS director of food service, told j. that “one of our main goals is to model and provide for healthful eating, utilizing organic produce. The program is vegetarian, and also shows it can be done in the kosher realm as well.”
According to Peta2, children who eat plant-based foods get all the protein and other nutrients they need without consuming the cholesterol and saturated fats found in meat, eggs and dairy products. The organization also reports that students who stick to vegan options are more likely to stay slim and avoid developing health problems in adulthood that can lead to heart attacks, strokes and type 2 diabetes.
And by eating a vegan diet, students can help not only themselves but also the planet. According to the United Nations, raising animals for food generates more greenhouse-gas emissions than all the cars, trucks, boats, trains and planes in the world combined. Students who avoid meat and dairy products also are said to save many animals’ lives every year.
Other private-school nominees in the Peta2 competition are the Columbus School for Girls in Ohio, the Chapin School in New York, the Colorado Springs School and Massachusetts’ Beaver Country Day School. Among the five nominated public school districts is the Berkeley Unified School District.
Nominees were chosen based on student recommendations and feedback from MySpace, Facebook and the Peta2 website. Voting ends on April 30, and the winners will be announced on May 3. Anyone is eligible to vote.
To learn more about the contest or to cast a vote, visit www.peta2.com.