50 Percent of Meals at One CA School District are Vegan

According to media outlet Santa Barbara Independent, half of the meals served in the Santa Barbara Unified School District (SBUSD) in California are now vegan thanks to plant-based brand Hungry Planet. Brother and sister duo Todd and Jody Boyman first had their vision for Hungry Planet (which officially launches this year) 12 years ago to address the environmental damage caused by animal agriculture. “It takes 24 calories of plant protein to make one calorie of beef,” Todd Boyman said. “What family would set out 24 plates of food and then throw away 23 of them and only eat one? No one would, but, in fact, that’s what we do every time we eat beef.” Students at SBUSD now dine on soyrizo quesadillas, crispy chicken burgers, spaghetti and meatballs, beef nachos, and chicken alfredo. “The kids are eating it up,” SBUSD food director Nancy Weiss said. The brand’s products are also available at several businesses outside of the school district, including at all San Francisco Bay Area locations of restaurant chain Curry Up Now, where customers can order Hungry Planet’s “Range-Free Chicken” in place of meat.