Please sign this petition to the USDA Secretary of Agriculture, Cindy Long, so that more plant-based options can be offered as a protein (Meat Alternate) in school meals. Currently beans, lentils, nuts, seeds, and soy products cannot count as protein if they are not recognizable in a dish, such as tofu ricotta in vegetable lasagna, peanut butter in a smoothie, or beans in a breakfast muffin. Plant based proteins are economical, environmentally friendly, and offer many varied nutrients. We are not attempting to get rid of animal protein, only to allow more choices and variety for students. This change in the regulations will bring school meal programs into alignment with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans and allow more culturally diversified food options.
Sign the petition to remove the "recognizable" vegetable and bean requirement to allow school nutrition professionals an opportunity to offer more fiber-rich, plant-forward protein choices to children. In doing so, we will be updating the current, complicated and limiting regulations.
Thank you.
Melissa Manning, RD, Owner, and Founder of My School RD
Anna Apoian, RD, MPA, School Nutrition Director
Updates
December 5, 2022
I was looking over the current regulations again and it really is just wild how much red tape is tied up in something as basic as adding soy or beans into a school muffin recipe. It is honestly exhausting to try and explain these things to people who do not deal with lunch menus every day but the comments here keep me going because it is clear other nutrition folks are just as frustrated by these weird definitions of what counts as protein.
December 5, 2022
Seeing this kind of movement really blows my mind because I remember staring at the blank draft screen thinking nobody would care about tofu and lentils at all. It is just heartening to know that people actually want better lunch rules (and maybe they like muffins as much as I do) so let us keep pushing to get these outdated regulations scrapped.
Reached 100 supporters
December 5, 2022
6 Comments
This is common sense. More healthy options for kids please.
Stop blocking schools from serving healthy food just because of red tape. Let them get creative.
My kids actually like these types of meals at home. Why make it so hard for schools to serve them?
FINALLY. The rules about what counts as protein are so outdated and silly.
My daughter is allergic to dairy and finding decent school lunches is a nightmare. This would help so much.
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Please sign this petition to the USDA Secretary of Agriculture, Cindy Long, so that more plant-based options can be offered as a protein (Meat Alternate) in school meals. Currently beans, lentils, nuts, seeds, and soy products cannot count as protein if they are not recognizable in a dish, such as tofu ricotta in vegetable lasagna, peanut butter in a smoothie, or beans in a breakfast muffin. Plant based proteins are economical, environmentally friendly, and offer many varied nutrients. We are not attempting to get rid of animal protein, only to allow more choices and variety for students. This change in the regulations will bring school meal programs into alignment with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans and allow more culturally diversified food options.
Sign the petition to remove the "recognizable" vegetable and bean requirement to allow school nutrition professionals an opportunity to offer more fiber-rich, plant-forward protein choices to children. In doing so, we will be updating the current, complicated and limiting regulations.
Thank you.
Melissa Manning, RD, Owner, and Founder of My School RD
Anna Apoian, RD, MPA, School Nutrition Director
Updates
December 5, 2022
I was looking over the current regulations again and it really is just wild how much red tape is tied up in something as basic as adding soy or beans into a school muffin recipe. It is honestly exhausting to try and explain these things to people who do not deal with lunch menus every day but the comments here keep me going because it is clear other nutrition folks are just as frustrated by these weird definitions of what counts as protein.
December 5, 2022
Seeing this kind of movement really blows my mind because I remember staring at the blank draft screen thinking nobody would care about tofu and lentils at all. It is just heartening to know that people actually want better lunch rules (and maybe they like muffins as much as I do) so let us keep pushing to get these outdated regulations scrapped.
Reached 100 supporters
December 5, 2022
6 Comments
Just let the schools feed the kids healthy stuff. Enough with the paperwork holding back progress.
This is common sense. More healthy options for kids please.
Stop blocking schools from serving healthy food just because of red tape. Let them get creative.
My kids actually like these types of meals at home. Why make it so hard for schools to serve them?
FINALLY. The rules about what counts as protein are so outdated and silly.
My daughter is allergic to dairy and finding decent school lunches is a nightmare. This would help so much.
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Just let the schools feed the kids healthy stuff. Enough with the paperwork holding back progress.