Universities Get Inspired Introducing Meatless Monday
Heading back to school from spring break? School cafeterias are making some changes for good. Whether it’s about the planet or your diet, Meatless Monday is a simple and easy way your everyday choices make a positive impact. Here’s a roundup of several universities going meatless once a week or once a month.
Eastern Michigan University – Ypsilanti, Michigan
Kicking off a campaign to bring sustainability practices into the spotlight, Eastern Michigan University included Meatless Monday in a package of efforts, which included Technology Tuesday, Waste Wednesday, and Thirsty Thursday. Spokesperson Eric Robinson says, “Getting people to eat less meat isn’t about convincing everyone in the world to go vegan, but every little bit helps.”
University of Iowa – Iowa City, Iowa
Preparing more vegetarian and vegan options the first Monday of the month is part of the Climate for Change Campaign, launched this spring semester at the University of Iowa. Spokesperson Abigail Simon explains, “The purpose of the initiative is to encourage students to look at the environmental cost of meat.”
Kwatlen Polytechnic University – Surrey, British Columbia
The food service company Sodexo and Kwatlen Polytechnic University joined forces to launch Meatless Monday as part of their “Let’s Be Compassionate” campaign. To educate diners, appealing menu items like wraps, chili, and hummus with pita chips were offered to sample along with information on the preventative health benefits of a plant-based diet.
Florida State University – Tallahassee, Florida
Florida State University got creative on World Water Day. An initiative to become a “bottled water free campus” was an opportunity to educate students on reusable water bottles, coastal conservation, and introduce Meatless Monday. To motivate students to participate, some restaurants on campus offered a dollar off the price of a meatless meal. Organizers of the event were connecting the dots with Meatless Monday and water conservation, recognizing the impact of a simple decision with many positive returns.
Did your school make the list? Meatless Monday is implemented in colleges and universities across the globe and is getting more popular. Students or faculty who are interested in learning more about sustainable, healthy food and how to get your school on board, take a look at our implementation guide and get in touch with us at [email protected]!