All 1,700 NYC Public Schools Adopt Meatless Mondays 

Today, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio and Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams announced that all 1,700 NYC public schools will serve meatless meals every Monday—with many schools offering vegan options. “Cutting back on meat a little will improve New Yorkers’ health and reduce greenhouse gas emissions,” de Blasio said. “We’re expanding Meatless Mondays to all public schools to keep our lunch and planet green for generations to come.” In 2017, Adams worked with de Blasio to institute Meatless Mondays at several schools in his borough. “We have come a long way. We went from fifteen schools in Brooklyn to every school in NYC participating in Meatless Mondays,” Adams told VegNews. “This will impact tens of millions of school meals a year and move us along the spectrum toward improving the health of kids and of the planet.” The implementation of the new menu on Mondays will be cost-neutral and give 1.1 million children access to vegetarian meals. “I am so thankful for the progress that has been made, but I know there is much more work to do,” Adams said. “I will continue to add my voice to the chorus of advocates working each and every day to continue to move the needle.” During his career as Brooklyn Borough President, Adams (who is running for mayor of NYC in 2021) has successfully implemented several initiatives to promote veganism across New York City, including the Plant-Based Lifestyle Medicine Program at NYC Health + Hospitals Bellevue—the largest municipal hospital and healthcare system in the United States. “I would like to see healthy, plant-based meals offered every single day in every school. I envision kids learning about food, nutrition, and environmental impacts of the food system,” Adams said. “The bar is high and I am grateful for all the advocates driving these initiatives as public officials, parents, teachers, kids, chefs, medical professionals, and so many others. With support and an occasional rest, we will reach our goal.”