NYC Public Schools to Serve Free Vegan Meals on Fridays to All Students

New York City public schools just announced a campaign to put children’s health first, providing vegan meals to the estimated one million children in the school system. This Friday, the NYC public school system is launching its "Vegan Fridays" project to introduce plant-based menu items including Mediterranean pasta, black bean, plantain rice bowls, veggie tacos, and other offerings. The initiative aims to teach children how to make healthier and more sustainable dietary choices.

The Vegan Fridays initiative will ensure that all 1 million students enrolled in the NYC public school system (the largest in the country) will have free access to vegan meals. The plant-based campaign will make vegan, nutritional eating highly accessible to several communities that otherwise have limited access to nutritional food options.

The initiative stems from the Meatless Mondays project launched in 2019 where all 1,700 public schools adopted the new meatless menu options. The initial campaign was started by then Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams and former mayor Bill de Blasio. Since, Adams won the election to become NYC’s first vegan mayor, promising policies that would promote plant-based and sustainable foods.

“Plant-based options in schools means healthy eating and healthy living, and improving the quality of life for thousands of New York City students,” Adams said. “Plant-based meals are delicious and nutritious, which is why I previously called for vegetarian and vegan options in schools. I’m thrilled to see that all students will now have access to healthy foods that will prevent debilitating health conditions.

The NYC public school will begin phasing the Vegan Fridays menu in on Friday, leaving the non-vegan options and dairy-based milk for children upon request. Adams worked closely with the Department of Education (DOE) to successfully launch the Vegan Fridays initiative, aiming to provide more information to younger generations about how to eat plant-based.

"The DOE is committed to the health and wellbeing of every child, and having a consistent, nourishing, and filling meal each day is essential in ensuring students can succeed both inside and outside the classroom," DOE Associate Press Secretary Jenna Lyle said. "Following on the success of Meatless Monday and Fridays, we are excited to be expanding access to healthy and nutritious food options for NYC students with the phasing in of a vegan-focused menu on Fridays. Non-vegan menu items will be available upon request."

The recently elected NYC mayor continues to place plant-based dieting and sustainability at the foreground of his politics. Since 2016, Adams has eaten a plant-based diet due to severe symptoms of type 2 diabetes. After feeling the positive effects of his newfound vegan diet, he dedicated a significant amount of his time to promoting non-profits and organizations promoting healthier eating. Adam’s published his book Healthy at Last, detailing how plant-based food helped him personally and could be a solution for how communities of color face a disproportionate amount of diet-related chronic illnesses.

Beyond health, Adams prioritizes plant-based solutions as a key method to combatting racial discrimination across the country. The mayor teamed up with the JIVINTI coalition before his mayoral election to demand that the Biden-Harris Administration work to implement plant-based solutions to racial and financial disparities nationwide, tackling food deserts and replacing them with “food oases”

“I urge the Biden-Harris administration to take steps towards shutting down large-scale animal agriculture and ending systemic racism and the health crisis,” Butler urged at the time. “My generation looks up to our national leaders—especially powerful women leaders like Vice President Harris—to help secure a happy and healthy world for our tomorrow.”

More recently, Adams joined the growing list of Veganuary supporters alongside Venus Williams and the acclaimed chef Matthew Kenney last month. By joining the campaign, Adams worked to promote plant-based eating during the month of January, promoting a space where flexitarians were encouraged to decrease their meat and dairy consumption even more.

“No matter what your past habits or family traditions might have been, you always have the power to choose to eat healthier,” Adams said last month. “You can incorporate foods that tie into your heritage while reinventing comfort food the way it was always intended: as healing for the mind, body, and soul. Try vegan this Veganuary!”

Here are the best foods to eat on repeat, to boost immunity and fight inflammation. And stay off the red meat.

Your body does not produce vitamin C, which means you need to get it daily to have enough to create healthy collagen (the building blocks for your skin and healing).The recommended daily amount to shoot for is 65 to 90 milligrams a day, which is the equivalent of one small glass of orange juice or eating a whole grapefruit. Almost all citrus fruits are high in vitamin C. With such a variety to choose from, it's easy to get your fill.

Want even more vitamin C, add red bell peppers to your salad or pasta sauce. One medium-sized red bell pepper contains 152 milligrams of vitamin C, or enough to fulfill your RDA. Peppers are also a great source of beta carotene, a precursor of vitamin A (retinol). How much beta carotene do you need a day: You should try to get 75 to 180 micrograms a day which is the equivalent of one medium bell pepper a day. But a red pepper has more than two and a half times your RDA for vitamin C so eat them all winter long.

Broccoli may be the most super of superfoods on the planet. It's rich in vitamins A and C as well as E. The phytochemicals in it are great for arming and strengthening your immune system.How much lutein should you eat in a day: There is no RDA for lutein, but experts say get at least 6 milligrams.

Garlic isn't just a great flavor-enhancer, it's essential for your health. Garlic’s immune-boosting properties are tied to its sulfur-containing compounds, such as allicin. Allicin is thought to improve your immune cells' ability to fight off colds and flu, and viruses of all kinds. (Smelling more garlic on the subway? It could be smart coronavirus management.) Garlic also has anti-microbial and anti-viral properties thought to fight off infections. How much should you eat in a day: The optimal amount of garlic to eat is more than most of us can fathom: Two to three cloves a day. While that may not be doable, realistically, some people take garlic supplements to get 300-mg dried garlic in a powdered tablet.

Ginger is another ingredient that has super properties when it comes to fighting off illness. It has been shown to decrease inflammation, which can help if you get swollen glands or a sore throat or any inflammatory ailment. Gingerol, the main bioactive compound in ginger, is a relative of capsaicin, and is responsible for much of its medicinal properties. It has powerful anti-inflammatory and antioxidant benefits.How much should you eat a day: Most recommendations land on 3–4 grams of ginger extract a day, or up to four cups of ginger tea, but no more than 1 gram a day if you are pregnant. Some studies have linked high dosages to an increased risk of miscarriage.

Spinach is not only packed with vitamin C but also antioxidants and beta carotene, both of which give your immune system the healthy boost it needs to fight off invaders. Don't overcook your spinach, since the more it's cooked the less active the antioxidants will be. If you eat it raw or lightly steamed you'll keep more of the nutrients intact.How much should you eat a day: Aim for 1 cup fresh spinach or 1/2 cup cooked per day, but this is the right moment to try the raw or slightly wilted approach. Order warm or wilted spinach salad when you go out, or make it yourself with olive oil, pine nuts, and vegan parm.

Vitamin E in almonds will help ward off colds and flu and is key to your immune system humming along. It’s a fat-soluble molecule, meaning it requires the presence of fat to be absorbed, so nuts are the perfect package for E to make it into your system.How much should you eat in a day: A half-cup serving, or 46 whole, shelled almonds, provides almost 100 percent of your RDA of vitamin E. Almonds are great for you but they don't come with a "free" pass, since 1/4 cup is a serving and has 162 calories, so double that for your RDA and you're eating about 325 calories. Throw them into smoothies instead.

This highly pigmented spice is known for its anti-inflammatory qualities. How it helps immunity? It decreases exercise-induced muscle damage. Tumeric bolsters the immune system by stimulating antibody formation and people with auto-immune diseases are told by their doctors to take 500 mg of curcumin daily to reduce inflammation and stave off soreness.How much should you eat in a day: Try adding extra Tumeric to your diet during periods of stress or during flu season. Or take 500-2,000 mg of curcumin to help fight inflammation and power up your immune system.

Green tea has high levels of EGCG, (epigallocatechin gallate) a hard-working antioxidant that is known to boost immune function. Green tea is steamed so the EGCG is still active when you drink it.Green tea also contains L-theanine, an anti-oxidant which appears to help in the production of T-cells in your body, the killer  L-theanine may aid in the production of germ-fighting compounds in your T-cells.How much green tea should you drink in a day: The optimal amount is three to five cups in a day, but most people won't get to that level. Any amount is better than nothing. Swap out a usual beverage daily for green tea could improve your health.

Papaya delivers over twice your recommended daily amount of vitamin C in one fruit. It also contains an enzyme called papain that has anti-inflammatory effects -- and inflammation is one factor in most illnesses, so avoiding it can help your body fight off bacterial infections like sinusitis.Papayas contain potassium, vitamin B, and folate, which is a powerful cell rebuilder. Exactly how folic acid works to build immunity is linked to its role in protein synthesis, and researchers think that any mechanism in which cells proliferate can be affected (which is why it's critical for pregnant women). People who are folate-deficient have compromised immune systems.How much folate should you eat a day: Whether you are pregnant or not, folate (vitamin B9) is a great vitamin to keep your cells healthy and strong. The recommendation is 400 micrograms a day, or get it from legumes, spinach, papayas, and avocados.

Kiwis are full of folate, vitamin K, vitamin C, and potassium. These vitamins in combination work in the body to build healthy cells, fight infection and keep your immune system humming along. Vitamin K deficiency is rare but when people don't have enough they suffer from weak bones and compromised immune systems. The inflammation system in the body is also dependent on vitamin K, especially your killer T cells that mobilize and fight cancer and other diseases.How much should you eat in a day: Vitamin K is one of the unsung heroes of the body. Women should get 90 micrograms a day, and men should have 120 micrograms.

Sunflower seeds are especially healthy since they provide phosphorus, magnesium and vitamin B-6 as well as vitamin E. Your immune system needs vitamin E to function at full throttle. You can also get vitamin E from avocados and spinach and broccoli.How much should you eat in a day: Anywhere from 1 ounce (30 grams) per day to a healthy handful is considered healthy, but because they are high in sodium you might want to refrain from eating the entire bag. The raw seeds have 204 calories per quarter cup.

The nutrients in miso -- which is a soybean paste that has been fermented with salt and a koji starter -- boosts immune system function by delivering healthy probiotics to the gut, making your microbiome healthier. How does Miso benefit your immune system?  It is a "sirt" food, which are foods that contain high levels of ‘sirtuins’ or proteins that regulate cells and activate metabolism. A diet high in sirts is believed to lead to weight loss, increased wellness and longevity.How much should you eat in a day? Researchers believe that consuming one bowl of miso soup per day, as is the tradition in Japan, lowers the risks of breast cancer. Other than its high sodium content there is no reason to stay away from miso with all its varied health benefits. We say cheers to that.