They Won't Serve Meat At This Brooklyn Elementary School

These kids actually want to eat their vegetables — and with the help of the school administration, now they can do so every day at school. Brooklyn elementary school P.S. 1 has recently made the choice to go entirely plant-based. On their school cafeteria menu, you'll find only vegetarian options, following suit with the growing trend of plant-based eating.

P.S. 1 is the first school in Brooklyn to take meat off the menu — though not the first public school ever to take the leap. P.S. 244 in Queens was the pioneer public school to limit meat options, steamrolling the way for future schools to hop on the vegetarian train. P.S. 1 is the third; all of the public schools to go vegetarian are located in New York City.

Students are excited about the change, and actually helped initiate it themselves.

"My students have expressed an interest in healthier eating, and the school gave them the option to choose this menu," the school's principal Arlene Ramos said. "I am very proud of their decision."

Is plant-based eating really healthier for kids? Some say yes, some say no. What we do know is that plant-based eating encourages more balanced eating, taking the emphasis off of animal proteins and putting it onto plant-based proteins and vegetables. Regardless of whether it's healthier to be plant-based, a vegetarian school lunch program will take the focus off of hot dogs and chicken nuggets — forcing schools to diversify their menu options.

In years past, vegetarian options at schools have been bleak, often limited to a cheese pizza or a peanut butter and jelly. These plant-based schools serve options such as lentil sloppy Joes, braised black beans with plantains, and teriyaki crunchy tofu. These gourmet-sounding school lunches still meet budgetary requirements and are shattering stereotypes that there's no such thing as a tasty vegetarian meal.